This is a very helpful little treatise that accomplishes its goal of providing a clear and orderly theological account of Holy Scripture. There are, in my opinion, too few of these kinds of serious and yet generally accessible books, and the author, John Webster, is a significant voice in contemporary theology. Webster is well aware that "dogmatics," or a systematically organized treatment of a controversial topic such as the nature and function of the Bible, is out of step with the majority of Anglo-American Protestant divinity. This is because what we believe about Scripture is a function of what we believe about God (a point Webster makes throughout)--neglect in one area will lead necessarily to poverty in the other. In stark contrast, Webster has a highly potent doctrine of God and God's divine initiative in revelation and so follows through with an engaging treatment of Scripture.
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Ryan Glomsrud (D.Phil., University of Oxford) is Executive Editor for Modern Reformation and a Postdoctoral Fellow in the History Department at Harvard University. He earned his M.A. in Historical Theology from Westminster Seminary California and B.A. from Wheaton College, Illinois.
Issue: "Inspiration and Inerrancy" March/April 2010 Vol. 19 No. 2 Page number(s): 53-54
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