Ben C. Blackwell (PhD, University of Durham) is associate professor of early Christianity at Houston Baptist University. He has authored a number of essays and articles related to Historical Theology and the New Testament, including Christosis: Engaging Pauline Soteriology with His Patristic Interpreters. He is currently working on new monograph: Participating in the Righteousness of God: Justification in Pauline Theology. He also served as a co-editor for several volumes: Paul and the Apocalyptic Imagination; Reading Romans in Context: Paul and Second Temple Judaism; and Reading Mark in Context: Jesus and Second Temple Judaism.
“Ben Blackwell and Randy Hatchett have put together an eminently
readable introduction to Christian theology for students. It
contains a good balance of Bible, church history, and theological
description, is ever mindful of contemporary application, and
explains strange topics with simplicity and clarity. A valuable
resource for anyone beginning theological studies.”
*Rev. Dr. Michael F. Bird, academic dean and lecturer in theology,
Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia *
“Engaging Theology brings together Christian history, biography,
spirituality, and the development of doctrine in a narrative at
once coherent and comprehensive. It is inviting, accessible,
irenic. I welcome this new book and recommend it highly!”
*Timothy George, research professor of divinity at Beeson Divinity
School, Samford University, and general editor of the Reformation
Commentary on Scripture series *
“Engaging Theology is an excellent resource for the classroom.
Blackwell and Hatchett ably summarize the fundamentals of the
Christian faith, demonstrating the biblical warrant, historical
development, dogmatic location, and cultural implications each of
the major doctrines. While readers will inevitably quibble with
certain modes of argument or specific theological conclusions, the
authors’ judicious approach, ecumenical awareness, and charitable
spirit are just as important for the classroom as the clarity of
their doctrinal summaries.”
*Matthew Y. Emerson, Dickinson Associate Professor of Religion,
Oklahoma Baptist University *
“Introductory theology textbooks are a dime a dozen. What separates
Engaging Theology from the rest of the pack is that it is genuinely
engaging in multiple ways: it engages the reader with lively prose
and common-sense language, engages the Christian tradition in
faithful and informed ways, engages the contemporary world beyond
theology, and engages practice as it speaks into ministry,
vocation, and praxis. Theology is on the move, and Blackwell and
Hatchet realize this and help readers navigate the terrain in
responsible and informative ways. This is the sort of introductory
text students are now looking for and need.”
*Myk Habets, head of school of theology, Laidlaw College, Auckland,
New Zealand, and professor of theology *
“Professors Blackwell and Hatchett have provided us with a
thoughtful volume to introduce students to many of the wide-ranging
topics, themes, and issues in the field of systematic the- ology.
In these pages, readers will find helpful biographical portraits of
significant Christian thinkers, interaction with various religious
traditions, and insightful applications focused on spiritual
formation and the life of the church. Though some readers will
ponder the inclusion or exclusion of some topics or some of the
authors’ conclusions, they will nevertheless be encouraged and
helped by the authors’ commitments to Trinitarian orthodoxy, to the
importance of key aspects of the Christian tradition, and to
genuine theological engagement.”
*David S. Dockery, chancellor and professor of Christianity and
culture, Trinity International University *
“The Christian pilgrimage involves pursuing knowledge of Christian
theology---either intentionally or unintentionally. R. L. Hatchett
and Ben Blackwell in Engaging Theology have provided a rich reading
resource for beginning that part of the journey, either in the
university or in a local church. Engaging Theology is an excellent
primer for communities that need a theology book that is
Trinitarian in structure; comprehensive, ecumenical, and
nondogmatic in spirit; emphasizes the narrative nature of
theological development; and interacts with the broader church and
other religious traditions.”
*Berten A. Waggoner, former national director of Vineyard USA *
“This is the theology textbook that I wish I had been reading
during my undergraduate and seminary theological education. It
engages the Bible but is not simply the homogenized biblical-
theological approach that I encountered. This work understands
hermeneutics and presents theological method, yet it is practical.
It points to the boundaries of orthodoxy and to questions that may
be open. It understands that theology develops through history (and
without quoting J. H. Newman). It opens the student up to dialogue
with a variety of Christian perspectives and with other major
religions, yet there is a firm core commitment. It is clearly
Protestant, even Evangelical, but it is open to Roman Catholic,
Orthodox, and other perspectives as well. I heartily recommend its
use as a teaching text or as a work to learn how to present
Christian theology clearly and how to dialogue without slipping
into a relativistic approach.”
*Rev. Peter H. Davids, New Testament editor, Word Biblical
Commentary *
“With historical breadth, doctrinal clarity, and pastoral acumen,
Blackwell and Hatchett invite students into the study of Christian
theology with a text that is comprehensive without being daunting.
Written with the student in mind, their book provides a
confessional and welcoming approach to the study of theology. This
is a book for those who love Jesus but might be skeptical as to why
we need clarity about who God is and what God has done.”
*Myles Werntz, associate professor of Christian ethics and
practical theology, T. B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics, Logsdon
School of Theology *
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