Thomas Schriener, adjunct professor at Bethel Theological Seminary of New Testament, wrote an essay on Luther. And in this essay—however, I only read a good majority of it—he writes that J. Dunn and the New Perspective (N.T. Wright) have raised awareness of the way modern Christians read the bible, i.e., Reformation spectacles. He concedes that Christians should not appear disingenuous when they approach the Scriptures with dogmatism. However "honest" his plight might seem, Luther still remains a champion in theology, even among Calvinists like myself. One would question Schriener's proclivity, even as a doctor of New Testament, when inundated by seemingly theological giants like Dunn and Wright. Here's the outline:
WAS LUTHER RIGHT?
By Tom Schreiner
(Professor of New Testament, Bethel Theological Seminary)
I. The impact of Luther
A. His understanding of God's righteousness
B. The danger of legalism (Roman Catholicism and Judaism)
C. The Bondage of the Will and human boasting
II. The consensus and Rudolf Bultmann
III. The consensus shattered: E. P. Sanders and Paul and Palestinian Judaism
A. Reading the NT through Reformation spectacles
B. Soteriology of Judaism: covenantal nomism
C. Why Sanders has persuaded many
D. The role of sola scriptura
IV. A reappraisal of Paul's criticism of Judaism
A. E. P. Sanders
1. Solution to plight
2. Salvation History
B. Heikki Räisänen: Contradictory Paul
1. Law fulfilled and abolished
2. Impossible to keep and yet kept by Christians
3. Purpose and origin of the law
4. Romans 2:12 and 5:13
C. James Dunn: Inclusivism
1. Weakness of Sanders and Räisänen
2. Meaning of "Works of Law"
3. Ethnocentricism not Legalism
V. An Evaluation of the new perspective
A. Legalism
B. Contradictions
C. Ethnocentricism vs. Legalism
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