T&T Clark Companion to the Doctrine of Sin (Bloomsbury Companions)

Index is deeply personal, as seen for example in David's penitential plea in Psalm 51. It can name corporate or communal action, as when the prophets link Israel's illicit worship practices with social injustice. And all of this is related to the biblical portrayal of the cosmic scope and power of sin. The second part of the book deals with influential treatments of the doctrine of sin in the history of the church, from the Patristic period to the Modern period. This section begins with an important and insightful account of classic rabbinic perspectives on sin. The prime benefit of examining Jewish accounts of sin is that it invites Christian theologians and biblical exegetes to engage with distinct, and in some cases contrary, interpretations of Scripture. Following this exploration of classic rabbinic perspectives, this section includes individual chapters devoted to close readings of influential and authoritative figures in the history of theology -from Irenaeus, Athanasius and Augustine to Aquinas, Luther and Calvin, to Schleiermacher, Kierkegaard and Barth. These varied theological accounts of sin enable us to see how the doctrine of sin intersects with other doctrines, including grace, faith, the saving person and work of Jesus Christ, knowledge of God and self-knowledge. They also enable us to account for the place of sin in the drama of the Bible that includes creation, fall, redemption and consummation. Furthermore, these chapters focus our attention on the specific way that God overcomes sin in the life of the Christian through the saving work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. This work of grace takes place as a movement from bondage to freedom, unbelief to faith, disobedience and rebellion to obedience and a life of holiness, self-preoccupation to life centred in God and attentive to others. The third part of the book provides creative theological reflections on doctrinal issues and concerns related to a fully formed doctrine of sin. The chapters in this section make use of biblical interpretation and engagement with historical figures to develop contemporary accounts of critical and complicated doctrinal issues. They invite further reflection in the task of articulating a doctrine of sin that is both biblically and theologically sound. Far from providing us with a final word, these chapters prompt us to take up a fresh reading and examination of the biblical text in conversation with seminal figures in Christian history. This section, and the book as a whole, concludes with a chapter on Christ. This reminds us that although it is necessary for Christian theology and the Christian life to have a lucid and robust doctrine of sin, the reality of sin is not the ultimate word about humanity and the world. The main theme of Scripture and the central theme of Christian doctrine is the Gospelthe good news of God's victory over sin and death. As David says in Psalm 103: Sadly, sin is central to the Bible's story. If the goal of a story is to solve a problem, then 'sin constitutes the problem that God resolves: the conflict carries us from the third chapter of Genesis to the closing chapter of Revelation' . 1 With few exceptions, sin mars and defaces every chapter of the Bible after Genesis 2 and before Revelation 21. The goal of this essay is to consider what the first five books of the Bibleknown as the Pentateuch or Torah or the Law -have to say about sin and how the Lord responds to it. The essay's structure is straightforward. In the first part, I will consider various terms and metaphors used to describe sin and the Lord's response to it. In the second, I will turn to consider various chapters and sections of the Pentateuch that contribute most to our understanding of what sin is and does, and how the Lord responds to it. In the conclusion, I will draw together five of the major themes that stand out from the following survey. ## Vocabulary and metaphors for sin According to one study, the Old Testament has over fifty different words or phrases to describe sin, wrongdoing and guilt. 2 On the one hand, such a rich vocabulary 'testif [ies] to the fact that sin was a dominant concern of the Israelite theologians. Indeed, their highlighting of human failure, deficiency or offence in the cultic, ethical and moral spheres constitutes a central theme of 18 See references in Wenham, The T & T Clark Companion to the Doctrine of Sin provides a comprehensive treatment of the doctrine of sin. The Companion includes an examination of the biblical and rabbinic accounts of sin, and it provides accounts of sin and its effects offered by key theologians throughout Christian history. It also explores debates surrounding the implications of sin for various doctrines, including God, creation, anthropology, and salvation. The book is comprised of 30 major essays that provide an unparalleled examination of the key texts, figures, and debates relevant to the Christian tradition's discussion of the doctrine of sin. The Companion is unique in that every essay seeks to both appropriate and further stimulate the church's understanding of sin and its implications for the whole of the church's dogmatic tradition. The essays are divided into three sections: (1) Biblical Background; (2) Major Figures and Traditions; and (3) Dogmatic Concerns. The first set of essays explores the biblical and rabbinic accounts of sin to bring out the complexities of the biblical presentation and its implications. The second section discusses the role of the doctrine of sin in the theology of key theologians with a special attention to explaining how the doctrine contributes to an understanding of their overall theology. The final section explores key dogmatic questions and concerns related to the doctrine of sin (e.g. original sin, sin and the question of evil and providence, sin and the freedom of the will). -- Provided by publisher This Companion provides a comprehensive treatment of the doctrine of sin. It includes an examination of the biblical and rabbinic accounts of sin, and it provides accounts of sin and its effects offered by key theologians throughout Christian history. It also explores debates surrounding the implications of sin for various doctrines, including God, creation, anthropology, and salvation. The book is comprised of 30 major essays that provide an unparalleled examination of the key texts, figures, and debates relevant to the Christian tradition's discussion of the doctrine of sin. The Companion is unique in that every essay seeks to both appropriate and further stimulate the church's understanding of sin and its implications for the whole of the church's dogmatic tradition. The essays are divided into three sections: (1) Biblical Background; (2) Major Figures and Traditions; and (3) Dogmatic Concerns. The first set of essays explores the biblical and rabbinic accounts of sin to bring out the complexities of the biblical presentation and its implications. The second section discusses the role of the doctrine of sin in the theology of key theologians with a special attention to explaining how the doctrine contributes to an understanding of their overall theology. The final section explores key dogmatic questions and concerns related to the doctrine of sin (e.g. original sin, sin and the question of evil and providence, sin and the freedom of the will) FC Half title Forthcoming titles in this series include: Title Copyright Contents Introduction Keith L. Johnson and David Lauber Part I: Biblical Background 1 Pentateuch Jay Sklar 2 Prophets Mark J. Boda 3 Writings Christopher B. Ansberry 4 Synoptic Gospels C. Clifton Black 5 The Gospel and Epistles of John Gary M. Burge 6 Paul Timothy G. Gombis 7 Hebrews and the General Epistles David M. Moffitt Part II: Historical Figures 8 Classic Rabbinic Perspectives Michael Graves 9 Irenaeus James R. Payton, Jr. 10 Athanasius Donald Fairbairn 11 Augustine Jesse Couenhoven 12 Thomas Aquinas Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt 13 Martin Luther Robert Kolb 14 John Calvin Randall C. Zachman 15 Friedrich Schleiermacher Kevin M. Vander Schel 16 Søren Kierkegaard Sylvia Walsh 17 Karl Barth Paul T. Nimmo Part III: Dogmatic Issues 18 Original Sin Ian A. McFarland 19 Divine Providence Thomas H. McCall 20 Freedom Alistair McFadyen 21 Reason Jason McMartin 22 Judgement and Wrath Jeremy J. Wynne 23 Finitude and Death Katherine Sonderegger 24 Principalities and Powers J. R. Daniel Kirk 25 Structural Sin Stephen Ray 26 The Sinner and the Victim George Hunsinger 27 Christ R. Michael Allen Contributors Index