Reviewed Book: Evans, Gillian R. The Science of Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986. History of Christian Theology; 1

Muller, Richard A.

English

Scholars Commons

Consensus
Volume 13
Issue 1 Perspectives on Evangelism/Fundamentalism/
Neo-Conservatism
Article 11
5-1-1987
The Science of Theology
Richard A. Muller
Follow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus
This Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by an
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Recommended Citation
Muller, Richard A. (1987) "The Science of Theology," Consensus: Vol. 13 : Iss. 1 , Article 11.
Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol13/iss1/11
114 Consensus
The Science of Theology
Gillian R. Evans, Alister McGrath, and Allan D. Galloway
in The History of Christian Theology
edited by Paul Avis
Basingstoke, England and Grand Rapids, Michigan
Marshall Pickering, Wm B. Eerdmans, 1986
xi + 363 pp. U.S. $14.95 paperback
The “history of individual doctrines” is an important sub-category of
the history of Christian doctrine and, as such, certainly deserves the at-
tention proposed by this new, projected series on The History of Christian
Theology. The series, fittingly, begins with a volume intended to discuss
the developing concept of theology— its methods, its norms and its relation
to exegesis, hermeneutics, and philosophy—down through the centuries.
Here again we note an important sub-topic, well deserving of scholarly at-
tention. In view of the importance of the subject, the present volume can
only be a disappointment. The three authors provide a survey of materials
and concepts in the history of the discipline of theology without breaking
any new ground and, indeed, without even drawing on the best of extant
scholarship. There is little to be found in this volume that could not be
gleaned from a combination of one of the standard histories of dogma, a
major religious encyclopedia and perhaps a survey history of philosophy. It
is remarkable that such a volume could be written without so much as a
reference to Yves Congar's magisterial history of the concept of “theology”
or his equally important Tradition and Traditions. Similarly, the volume
omits reference to de Margerie’s important two volume history of patristic
exegesis and to de Lubac's massive history of medieval exegesis.
Even more surprisingly, given the title of the volume, no attention is
paid by its authors to the transition from the early medieval view of the-
ology as doctrina roughly equivalent to an exposition of the sacra pagina
to the analysis, typical of the high scholastic era. of theology as scientia.
Indeed, the paragraph-long comment on the contribution of Alan of Lille
(p. 80) does not even note that Alan was the first major teacher to de-
scribe theology as a “science". Here, too, the volume is sadly lacking on
the bibliographical front: both Beumer's essay on the history of theologi-
cal method and Koepf’s study of the beginnings of the idea of theology as
scientia—noi to mention de Vooght’s essay on the sources of doctrine in
the later middle ages—are omitted. The chapters on the Reformation and
post-Reformation Protestantism are, perhaps, the most sadly out-of-date:
here we find a view of radical discontinuity between the Reformation and
later orthodoxy characteristic of the scholarship of the first half of this cen-
tury. in no w’ay tempered by the recent reappraisals of Protestant orthodoxy
by Donnelly. Maruyama. Fatio and Raitt. The bibliography is marred by
omission of reference to VVallmann's classic essay on the concept of theology
Book Reviews 115
in early Lutheran orthodoxy. In addition, the author of this section, Al-
ister McGrath, manifests a distinct lack of acquaintance with the sources:
he notes, for example, that the locus method prevented Lutheranism from
adopting any single doctrine as a systematizing principle and then com-
ments that the Reformed used predestination as a central dogma—without
recognizing that the Reformed, also, had a heavy investment in the locus
method and the rather loose organization of system that it produced.
We must be content with one final point of critique. The volume is
concerned with theological method and the development of the theological
discipline, but it studiously avoids discussion of documents and sections
of documents in which theologians typically discuss such issues in their
own theology. There is no discussion of the prolegomena to theological
systems anywhere in the book—despite the fact that the rise of prolegomena
after Alan of Lille in the middle ages and after Calvin in the sixteenth
century mark the rise of interest in theology as a discipline. This problem
carries over into the modern section of the book where no mention is made
of the nineteenth century development of “theological encyclopedia” as a
methodological analysis of theology and its sub-disciplines— and there is
no analysis either of Schleiermacher's Brief Outline or of the prolegomena
of Barth’s Church Dogmatics. Thus, both at the level of secondary works
on the subject of the history of the theological enterprise and at the level
of the primary sources that bear most directly on this discussion, The
Science of Theology is startlingly silent. If this new series hopes to survive,
the succeeding volumes will have to be far more attentive to the state of
scholarship in their chosen fields and far more aware of the parameters and
implications of the topic chosen for analysis and exposition.
Richard A. Muller
Fuller Theological Seminary
Pasadena, California
Martin Luther: An Introduction to His Life and Work
Bernhard Lohse
Translated by Robert C. Schultz
Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1986
$23.75 paperback
The field of Luther studies has become so vast that even those who
devote the whole of a scholarly career to it cannot keep up. There are
now so many and such thorough specialized studies of aspects of Luther’s
context, life, and thought that for some years no one seemed willing to
take up the task of providing a useful introduction to the picture of Luther
presented by recent research. That changed in 1981 when Bernhard Lohse


The Science of Theology

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 13Issue 1 Perspectives on Evangelism/Fundamentalism/Neo-ConservatismArticle 115-1-1987The Science of TheologyRichard A. MullerFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationMuller, Richard A. (1987) "The Science of Theology," Consensus: Vol. 13 : Iss. 1 , Article 11.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol13/iss1/11114 ConsensusThe Science of TheologyGillian R. Evans, Alister McGrath, and Allan D. Gallowayin The History of Christian Theologyedited by Paul AvisBasingstoke, England and Grand Rapids, MichiganMarshall Pickering, Wm B. Eerdmans, 1986xi + 363 pp. U.S. $14.95 paperbackThe “history of individual doctrines” is an important sub-category ofthe history of Christian doctrine and, as such, certainly deserves the at-tention proposed by this new, projected series on The History of ChristianTheology. The series, fittingly, begins with a volume intended to discussthe developing concept of theology— its methods, its norms and its relationto exegesis, hermeneutics, and philosophy—down through the centuries.Here again we note an important sub-topic, well deserving of scholarly at-tention. In view of the importance of the subject, the present volume canonly be a disappointment. The three authors provide a survey of materialsand concepts in the history of the discipline of theology without breakingany new ground and, indeed, without even drawing on the best of extantscholarship. There is little to be found in this volume that could not begleaned from a combination of one of the standard histories of dogma, amajor religious encyclopedia and perhaps a survey history of philosophy. Itis remarkable that such a volume could be written without so much as areference to Yves Congar's magisterial history of the concept of “theology”or his equally important Tradition and Traditions. Similarly, the volumeomits reference to de Margerie’s important two volume history of patristicexegesis and to de Lubac's massive history of medieval exegesis.Even more surprisingly, given the title of the volume, no attention ispaid by its authors to the transition from the early medieval view of the-ology as doctrina roughly equivalent to an exposition of the sacra paginato the analysis, typical of the high scholastic era. of theology as scientia.Indeed, the paragraph-long comment on the contribution of Alan of Lille(p. 80) does not even note that Alan was the first major teacher to de-scribe theology as a “science". Here, too, the volume is sadly lacking onthe bibliographical front: both Beumer's essay on the history of theologi-cal method and Koepf’s study of the beginnings of the idea of theology asscientia—noi to mention de Vooght’s essay on the sources of doctrine inthe later middle ages—are omitted. The chapters on the Reformation andpost-Reformation Protestantism are, perhaps, the most sadly out-of-date:here we find a view of radical discontinuity between the Reformation andlater orthodoxy characteristic of the scholarship of the first half of this cen-tury. in no w’ay tempered by the recent reappraisals of Protestant orthodoxyby Donnelly. Maruyama. Fatio and Raitt. The bibliography is marred byomission of reference to VVallmann's classic essay on the concept of theologyBook Reviews 115in early Lutheran orthodoxy. In addition, the author of this section, Al-ister McGrath, manifests a distinct lack of acquaintance with the sources:he notes, for example, that the locus method prevented Lutheranism fromadopting any single doctrine as a systematizing principle and then com-ments that the Reformed used predestination as a central dogma—withoutrecognizing that the Reformed, also, had a heavy investment in the locusmethod and the rather loose organization of system that it produced.We must be content with one final point of critique. The volume isconcerned with theological method and the development of the theologicaldiscipline, but it studiously avoids discussion of documents and sectionsof documents in which theologians typically discuss such issues in theirown theology. There is no discussion of the prolegomena to theologicalsystems anywhere in the book—despite the fact that the rise of prolegomenaafter Alan of Lille in the middle ages and after Calvin in the sixteenthcentury mark the rise of interest in theology as a discipline. This problemcarries over into the modern section of the book where no mention is madeof the nineteenth century development of “theological encyclopedia” as amethodological analysis of theology and its sub-disciplines— and there isno analysis either of Schleiermacher's Brief Outline or of the prolegomenaof Barth’s Church Dogmatics. Thus, both at the level of secondary workson the subject of the history of the theological enterprise and at the levelof the primary sources that bear most directly on this discussion, TheScience of Theology is startlingly silent. If this new series hopes to survive,the succeeding volumes will have to be far more attentive to the state ofscholarship in their chosen fields and far more aware of the parameters andimplications of the topic chosen for analysis and exposition.Richard A. MullerFuller Theological SeminaryPasadena, CaliforniaMartin Luther: An Introduction to His Life and WorkBernhard LohseTranslated by Robert C. SchultzPhiladelphia: Fortress Press, 1986$23.75 paperbackThe field of Luther studies has become so vast that even those whodevote the whole of a scholarly career to it cannot keep up. There arenow so many and such thorough specialized studies of aspects of Luther’scontext, life, and thought that for some years no one seemed willing totake up the task of providing a useful introduction to the picture of Lutherpresented by recent research. That changed in 1981 when Bernhard Lohse

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