{"id":6373,"date":"2010-06-07T05:49:06","date_gmt":"2010-06-07T05:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/2010\/06\/deliverance-of-god-3-matt-edwa.html"},"modified":"2010-06-07T05:49:06","modified_gmt":"2010-06-07T05:49:06","slug":"deliverance-of-god-3-matt-edwa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2010\/06\/deliverance-of-god-3-matt-edwa.html","title":{"rendered":"Deliverance of God 3 (Matt Edwards)"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is an incredible series being offered to us by Matt Edwards: a nine part summary and response to Douglas Campbell’s mega-book, The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul<\/a>\"\"
\n<\/strong><\/em>. Thanks to Matt Edwards.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Deliverance of God<\/span><\/i><\/b> 3–Problems
\nwith Natural Theology in Justification Theory<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

We are evaluating Douglas
\nCampbell’s rereading of Romans 1-4 as presented in The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in
\nPaul<\/i>. In the book, Campbell rejects “justification theory” (JT), the
\ntraditional way of understanding Romans 1-4. He describes JT as having two
\nphases–“the rigorous contract” (in which God’s ethical demands are made clear
\nto all people, all people are found to have fallen short of these demands, and
\nall people are declared worthy of God’s retributive justice) and “the
\nappropriation of salvation” (in which God, in his grace, offers a more
\nmanageable criterion for salvation, “faith”). Most western Christians interpret
\nRomans 1-4 according to JT.<\/p>\n

Campbell has suggested three steps
\nthat JT advocates need to take in response to his rereading: (1) demonstrate
\nthat JT is a valid option for Paul, (2) answer his critique, and (3) show how
\nJT is a better interpretive option than his rereading. We have undertaken step
\n(1) in a previous post, and over the next few posts we will be undertaking step
\n(2). When we are finished, I will suggest an approach to step (3).<\/p>\n

Campbell argues that the natural
\ntheology necessary to navigate phase one of JT is impossible. He summarizes the
\ncritique: “Justification theory builds from the objective discernment and
\nlinkage of certain propositions within creation–a universal recognition and
\nderivation that, in strictly rational terms, is impossible.” (39)<\/p>\n

By this, he means that people have
\nto understand fundamental truths about God and his laws through nature and
\nreason before they can navigate phase two. (They have to realize that there is
\na God and that they are a sinner before they need a Savior.) The list of things
\nthat they must know from nature and reason is not small–theism, monotheism,
\ndivine transcendence, divine retributive justice, divine concern for human
\nheterosexuality, divine concern for monogamy, and a fuller ethical system prohibiting
\nenvy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, gossip, slander, etc. (Romans 1:18-32,
\nCampbell 40)<\/p>\n

Campbell writes, “Fundamentally,
\nthe rational derivation of this set of propositions seems to be impossible. A
\nreflective individual in the modern world contemplating the cosmos would
\nprobably not detect any of them.” (40) But, even if it is granted that theism
\nand monotheism are apparent in nature, that doesn’t get us where JT needs us to
\ngo before we can negotiate phase two. Campbell writes:<\/p>\n

“A case can be made here for God’s
\nsingularity and transcendence, although perhaps the latter more plausibly than
\nthe former. But it now looks next to impossible to demonstrate that such a God
\nis characterized by retributive justice and then in turn by specific commitments
\nin terms of sexual relations and interpersonal relations as the theory
\nenumerates those here. Such attributes and concerns cannot be shown to derive
\nin strictly rational terms from the bland god of the philosophers. How do we
\ndeduce, by contemplating the cosmos, that a single transcendent god is offended
\nby homosexuality? The philosophically astute Greeks never made this connection.”
\n(40-41)<\/p>\n

What do you think? What does Romans 1:18-32 teach about natural
\ntheology? What does everyone know from nature and reason so that they are
\n“without excuse” (1:20)? (Make sure you read all of the way to v. 32.) Is this
\npossible? Can these things be known from nature and reason?  <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is an incredible series being offered to us by Matt Edwards: a nine part summary and response to Douglas Campbell’s mega-book, The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul . Thanks to Matt Edwards. The Deliverance of God 3–Problems with Natural Theology in Justification Theory We are evaluating Douglas Campbell’s rereading…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gospel"],"yoast_head":"\nDeliverance of God 3 (Matt Edwards) - Jesus Creed<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2010\/06\/deliverance-of-god-3-matt-edwa.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Deliverance of God 3 (Matt Edwards) - Jesus Creed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This is an incredible series being offered to us by Matt Edwards: a nine part summary and response to Douglas Campbell’s mega-book, The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul . Thanks to Matt Edwards. 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