Tuesday 28th June 2005
Comparative Theology, Essays for Keith Ward illustrates wonderfully the extent of Keith Ward’s work and the high respect with which he is held. This book has essays from experts in a wide range of fields, each of them reflecting on their own work in reference to Keith Ward’s. And each of them indicating the significance that Keith has had on contemporary thought in this area.
Keith Ward writes both in Comparative Theology, and in his book What the Bible Really Teaches, A Challenge for Fundamentalists with clarity, wit and passion. He acknowledges that his conversion to Christianity and his subsequent spiritual experiences are completely contained within the Evangelical tradition of the Church but his intellectual, rational rigour takes him to many places that Evangelicals would be nervous about. He sets out principles for biblical interpretation and then sets out chapters on the main themes: salvation, evil and divine love, sin and grace, the sacrifice of Jesus, the resurrection, judgement and the moral law. Each of these chapters is both an explicit and well targeted attack on those whom he calls Fundamentalists and whom he believes use the Bible in completely unbiblical ways to justify particular points of view.
If you can deal with the polemic which no doubt some people will enormously enjoy this is a provocative and profoundly helpful book for any who wish to claim that they stand four square on the authority of scripture with quite different conclusions to others who claim with more strident voices that everything they say is biblical!
The Revd Keith Lamdin is diocesan director of Stewardship, Training, Evangelism and Ministry
Comparative Theology Essays for Keith Ward edited by T W Bartel, is published by SPCK What the Bible Really Teaches: A Challenge for Fundamentalists by Keith Ward also published by SPCK. - Order Online