Systematic Theology Series

Comments

1. Chuck Bumgardner says

   August 9, 2009 at 6:48 pm

   Hi, Phil,

   How about the “Foundations for Faith” series?

   David Wells, The Person of Christ
   H. D. McDonald, The Christian View of Man
   Ronald S. Wallace, The Atoning Death of Christ
   Paul Helm, The Divine Revelation
   Christopher Kaiser, The Doctrine of God
   Peter Toon, Justification and Sanctification

   They seem to be out of print now. A revision of Kaiser’s volume is available from Wipf and Stock.

   It is not, of course, a complete systematic treatment, but along the lines of what you are discussing.

   • Phil Gons says

     August 9, 2009 at 7:32 pm

     Thanks, Chuck. I wasn’t aware of this series. I’ll have to check it out. I appreciate your pointing it out.

2. Mark Snoeberger says

   August 10, 2009 at 7:23 am

   Phil,

   I think you’ve fingered an important gap in the literature. We have whole systematic theologies and we have very narrow studies, but only scattered titles that are useful as textbooks on the various theological disciplines. For instance, I teach bibliology, and can identify no suitable, seminary-level, systematic survey of all the key issues of bibliology–except as part of the various whole systematic theologies.

   This is an interesting gap, because producing textbooks such as these is the very strategy that propelled Dallas Seminary into evangelical prominence during the 1960s and 1970s–and for good or ill, the impact of that strategy is still felt today. It’s strange that few have attempted to reduplicate this strategy.

   MAS

   • Phil Gons says

     August 10, 2009 at 7:29 pm

     Thanks for the confirmation, Mark, that I’m not the only one noticing the dearth in this regard.

     I find it particularly interesting when compared to the number of multi-author commentary series. These days that’s by far the most common way to do a commentary on a testament or the whole Bible. Single-author commentaries are fairly rare anymore (and, I think, for good reason). However, the opposite is true for systematic theologies. Multi-author series are virtually non-existent. I wonder if it has something to do with the nature of the task. Systematic theology focuses on harmonization and unity, and a single author with a single view is perhaps better suited to the task. Unity with the rest of Scripture and harmonization is less the job of a commentary, so multiple authors and viewpoints is less of an issue. Another factor could be the size; a commentary on the Bible is generally a much larger undertaking than a systematic theology, making the former more daunting for one person. A third reason might be specialization. It’s probably harder to be a specialist on the exegesis of the whole Bible than it is to be a specialist on the major themes of systematic theology.

3. Chad says

   August 10, 2009 at 7:53 am

   Hi Phil,

   On the inside of Feinberg’s volume (No One Like Him), it lists the forthcoming volumes and contributors:

   Scripture: Paul Feinberg
   Christ: Royce Gruenler
   Man & Angels: to be named
   Sin: Kevin Vanhoozer
   The Church: Walter Kaiser
   Eschatology: Willem VanGemeren

   Not sure if this is what you were after, but this is what I found. Not sure on the dates though.

   Chad

   • Phil Gons says

     August 10, 2009 at 7:31 pm

     Chad, I checked the front matter in the other three volumes, but didn’t see any mention of future volumes. I just checked a copy of Feinberg’s volume, and it lists only the projected subjects, not authors. Perhaps you have a newer printing. Anyway, thanks for pointing these out.

4. Ted Hans says

   August 10, 2009 at 11:11 am

   Hi Phil,
   What about New Studies in Biblical Theology editor D.A Carson, The Bible Themes(The bible speaks Today)Series Editor Dereck Tidball & the McMaster New Testament Studies Edited by Richard N. Longenecker formerly but now by Stanley E. Porter.

   “two hundred others that I’m working to see added to Logos Bible Software’s” Now, that will be the day & i will be a happy man, when that vision comes true.

   • Phil Gons says

     August 10, 2009 at 9:12 pm

     Ted, systematic theology is typically contrasted with Biblical theology, so the three series you mention would not be in the same category as the two series that I mentioned. If you want to explore the differences, see Carson’s “Systematic Theology and Biblical Theology” (also in the New Dictionary of Biblical Theology) and Gaffin’s “Systematic Theology and Biblical Theology.” Or just search for “biblical theology” AND “systematic theology” in your Logos library, and you’ll come across some helpful material.

5. Tom McCall says

   August 11, 2009 at 7:07 am

   Phil,

   Regarding Crossway’s FOET series, the old list is outdated. Here is what I know: (i) Paul Feinberg passed away before the Scripture volume was completed… I don’t know who is doing it (or the Anthropology volume); (ii) Steve Wellum is working on the Christology volume; (iii) Gregg Allison is doing/has done the Ecclesiology volume; (iv) I’m plugging away on the hamartiology book.

   Blessings and best wishes,
   Tom

   • Phil Gons says

     August 11, 2009 at 5:39 pm

     Thanks for the update, Tom. Good to know. I look forward to picking up these volumes in due time.

6. David Mathews says

   August 11, 2009 at 5:18 pm

   I bet they're lined up on the shelf in order of descending height, each binding exactly one inch from the edge of the shelf. Unless Ryan McNeely has pushed one in… LOL-memories.

7. Phil Gons says

   August 11, 2009 at 7:36 pm

   Thanks for the fun memory, David. :)

8. Ted Hans says

   August 11, 2009 at 12:07 pm

   Oops! Got carried away. Make sure you read the blog entry carefully, before you post, would be a good practise. :-)

   • Phil Gons says

     August 11, 2009 at 5:40 pm

     No worries, Ted. :)

9. Yoh Shirato says

   September 2, 2009 at 9:24 pm

   Make sure you flip those thick hard bounds upside down periodically in order to avoid the pages from sagging :-). What about the 4/5 views series on theological positions as supplimental readings?

10. David Mathews says

    September 3, 2009 at 8:27 pm

    Back to the serious side: I was working through Grudem last winter and enjoying it. I kind of left off a while back to do some other reading. I'll have to pick that back up. What's the obsession with the Systematic Theologies, anyway? Why read so many? Do you find that many differences between them, or is it the different ways the authors have of expressing the concepts that makes the exercise beneficial? Besides Grudem, what volumes would you recommend?Last question: what do you mean you're "working to see [more volumes] added" to Logos? Are you actively pursuing that in some way?

11. Alan Gielczyk says

    September 29, 2009 at 12:56 am

    Hey Phil,
    If I can throw my 2cents in I would love to see the IVP “New Studies in Biblical Theology” series. Here are the volumes and the website I found for them, I would pay almost anything to have them in Logos.
    al Titles
    Father, Son and Spirit (paperback)
    Possessed by God Volume 1 (paperback)
    God’s Unfaithful Wife Volume 2 (paperback)
    Jesus and the Logic of History Volume 3 (paperback)
    Hear, My Son Volume 4 (paperback)
    Original Sin Volume 5 (paperback)
    Now Choose Life Volume 6 (paperback)
    Neither Poverty nor Riches Volume 7 (paperback)
    Slave of Christ Volume 8 (paperback)
    Christ, Our Righteousness Volume 9 (paperback)
    Five Festal Garments Volume 10 (paperback)
    Salvation to the Ends of the Earth Volume 11 (paperback)
    Now My Eyes Have Seen You Volume 12 (paperback)
    Thanksgiving Volume 13 (paperback)
    From Every People and Nation Volume 14 (paperback)
    Dominion and Dynasty Volume 15 (paperback)
    Hearing God’s Words Volume 16 (paperback)
    The Temple and the Church’s Mission Volume 17 (paperback)
    The Cross from a Distance Volume 18 (paperback)
    Contagious Holiness Volume 19 (paperback)
    Shepherds After My Own Heart Volume 20 (paperback)
    A Clear and Present Word Volume 21 (paperback)
    Adopted into God’s Family Volume 22 (paperback)
    Sealed with an Oath Volume 23 (paperback)

    http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=2600

12. David M Goetz says

    June 24, 2014 at 6:38 pm

    Elizabeth Sung of TEDS is lined up, I believe, to write the anthropology volume for FOET. It will be her first published monograph, I believe.

    G.C. Berkouwer’s Studies in Dogmatics are still worth consulting.