Edward W. Klink, III

Summary: Proposes that creation is not confined to beginnings but unfolds throughout the biblical story, concluding in the new creation.

Edward W. Klink III contends that the church has a truncated doctrine of creation, focused only on the beginning of all things. We focus on the scientific controversies around beginnings. We see it as subordinate to redemption and we are often focused more on the end of all things. Klink argues that the doctrine of creation ties all of this together and runs show more through the narrative of scripture. He sees the work of Jesus both revealing and fulfilling the purpose of creation and the new creation being the end for which all things were created.

He begins with Genesis 1 and 2 and the covenantal relationship God establishes with his people as prophets, priests, in a creation that is the temple of God. Genesis 3 tells the story of creation under the curse of sin, while revealing God’s ongoing commitment to creation, eventuating in redemption. Genesis 11 is the focus of the next step in this unfolding story, that of creation’s confusion at Babel as the ultimate expression of the anti-God city of man.

In Abraham God renews and reinstates his vision for humanity, the promise of a new country. Israel embodies the new Adamic humanity; prophets, priests, and kings with God in their midst. Yet, their failure opens the way for God to fully reveal creation’s purpose in Christ as prophet, priest and king. He is not only these things, but also the temple. Klink asserts that Jesus was never plan B (or C) but the one toward whom creation’s purpose pointed. One of the most fascinating parts of his discussion is his reflection on John 18-20 where the agony, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus are set in a garden with Jesus as the Gardener as he comes to Mary, reversing the story of the first garden. He explores how the cross’s suffering and shame restores what was lost in partaking of the tree, bringing what was intended in creation to fulfillment.

Just as Christ as second Adam fulfills creation’s purpose, so the church fulfills the corporate Adam’s (Israel’s) purpose, becoming, as the body of Christ, a temple unto the Lord. As a people remaining in the world, they fulfill Adam’s embodied life, caring both for human bodies and for the rest of physical creation. All this anticipates the new creation, in which “heaven” comes to earth and all things are re-created under Christ. This in turn leads to the consummation of the sabbath rest of creation and life in God’s garden city.

I greatly appreciated the idea of the continuity of creation throughout the biblical narrative and not opposing creation and salvation. It removes salvation from a purely “spiritual” experience to one that brings redemption into our bodily life, into the care of creation, and into the expectation of the new creation. I do think there is more work to be done in explaining how Jesus is not plan B, particularly, what the work of Christ would have been had there not been a fall. Yet the picture of Christ as the one who fulfills creation’s purpose only enlarges our vision of Christ. Klink opens for us a vision of creation not truncated and subordinated, but integral throughout the biblical story to the purposes of God in Christ.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher. show less

This short book is a very helpful survey of the oft-confusing field of "biblical theology." The authors' goal is not to provide ANOTHER definition of the term but to survey the current definitions. Though they admit their model is not the only way to analyze the constitutive differences, their model is decidedly helpful. The decision to situate the five "models" on a continuum from "History" to "Theology" importantly provides a way to share both distinctions between closely-related methods show more as well as point out the interconnections of radically-different methods.

That each section and chapter utilized the same layout was especially pleasing. Each section opened with a chapter that defined the "type" of biblical theology, describing its scope, sources, and task. That introductory chapter was then followed by a chapter interacting with one biblical theologian that the authors felt best instantiated the type. Thankfully, Klink & Lockett did NOT take this as an opportunity to introduce some of the more obscure players in the field, but deal instead with the "big guns": James Barr, N.T. Wright, Brevard Childs, Francis Watson, and the like. (To be clear, the "type-definition" chapters do source and quote a number of different scholars; following the footnotes there will give you a good idea of the key scholars working within each model's parameters.)

Their choice to present only one scholar within each identified type for in-depth analysis, though limiting, was a wise choice, I think. It silences, for the reader, the cacophony of scholarly voices that has created the present crisis of definition for the task of biblical theology. It also nicely demonstrates that, though there is a wide range of definitions of the task available, "biblical theology" has enough of a defined shape to be considered a specific sub-discipline of biblical and theological studies.

Without delving into each of their analyses, I would like to offer what I think are the especially helpful analyses of individual scholars.
> Their work on James Barr is very helpful, especially since Barr's posture is always that of the "critic" rather than the "constructor." I've read portions of his "The Concept of Biblical Theology" and felt frustrated that he never seemed to articulate his own understanding of biblical theology, but just criticized others' understanding. This book helped to fill that in.
> Their chapter on Wright was especially helpful in how they outlined his disagreements with Hays (a scholar whom I deeply admire).
> Finally, their section on Francis Watson was also admirable, especially in the way it mapped the radically interdisciplinary nature of his work.

This is the kind of book that I think would repay careful study by specialist and non-specialist alike. It is a great "introduction" to the field of biblical studies but would probably doubly repay the careful student who returned to it AFTER deeply engaging two or more of the scholars mentioned here. Very helpful read! show less

Excellent overview of different approaches to Biblical theology in different Protestant and evangelical traditions ("Historical Description," "History of Redemption," "Worldview-Story," "Canonical Approach," and "Theological Construction" -- using James Barr, D.A. Carson, N.T. Wright, Brevard Childs, and Francis Watson as exemplars of each genre.

The aim of this taxonomy is to describe the discipline of biblical theology by comparing five distinct types of contemporary biblical theology. These five types represent the continuum of contemporary biblical theology. The authors provide two chapters to describe each type: the first describes the theory of this specific type, and the second gives an example of a modern scholar. The authors also contribute to the dialogue by offering their brief critique for each approach at the end of the show more scholar chapter (second chapter of each type). The book is easy to read, and well organized. show less