Main Texts
1.) http://www.bsmi.org/download/vos/BiblicalTheology.pdf
2.) When the Time had fully Come — Herman Ridderbos
3.) Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments — Geerhardus Vos
Assignments — Read the main texts.
1.) 7 page paper answering the question “What is Biblical Theology.”
2.) 7 page paper explaining what the “Now, Not Yet” hermeneutic is and how the future is in the present
3.) 10 page paper highlighting some of the main themes of Vos’s work
Supplemental Texts
1.) Pauline Eschatology — Geerhardus Vos
2.) Redemptive History and Biblical Interpretation: The Shorter Writings of Geerhardus Vos –Geerhardus Vos
3.) The Eschatology of the Old Testament — Geerhardus Vos
4.) The Coming of the Kingdom — Herman Ridderbos
5.) Paul: An Outline of His Theology — Herman Ridderbos
6.) A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New — G. K. Beale
7.) We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry — G. K. Beale
8.) The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative — Christopher H. Wright
9.) God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment: A Biblical Theology — James M. Hamilton Jr
10.) The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament — Edmund Clowney
11.) A Theology of the New Testament — George Eldon Ladd
High School students must read the main texts and supplementary texts 2, 6, 8, and 10.
College Students must choose reading one of two following supplementary sets. Seminary Students must read all 11 supplementary books.
Set 1 — 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11,
Set 2 — 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10
Assignments
1.) None of these books are written by a Postmillennialist. Write a 15 page paper giving an overview, based on the principles of interpretation you’ve learned in this reading, on what a Postmillennial Biblical Theology of Dominion would look like.
2.) 5 page paper probing what the student sees as potential weaknesses in Biblical theology.
3.) Provide 1.5 page Chapter summaries for each book demonstrating that you’ve understood the material you’ve read
4.) Write a 7 page paper setting forth what you see as the macro story line of Scripture. Support your conclusions from Scripture and your reading. (for example, Hamilton sees the macro story line as “Salvation through Judgment.” Wright see’s the macro story line as Missions. Others have argued that the macro story line is Covenant, or Redemption, or God’s Glory, etc.)
5.) 4 page paper distinguishing Systematic Theology from Biblical theology. Spend 1 page explaining whether you think that Systematic theology or Biblical theology should be prioritized and why.
Pastor Bret,
Good post re: biblical theology.
I was wondering about your assessment regarding Kline’s contributions to biblical theology. Not that this makes a huge difference to me, but I noticed that you didn’t have any of Kline’s books on your course. And we both know that Kline is the progenitor re: R2K.
I have read enough of Kline to know that while a lot of what he says **sounds** high falutin’ and academic, there are a lot of dangerous implications when one filters through it, or he merely asserts something without actually proving it.
As an example, when he talks about intrusion ethics and the consummated kingdom is “intruding” into the common grace world, the assumption is that this world beyond Israel is ruled by common grace (which is theologically ambiguous since there are multiple definitions).
The logical implication being that then the common kingdom world is morally autonomous, if not being ruled by the law of God.