Book Notice: Language for God in Patristic Tradition

Last updated on: July 28, 2015 at 1:44 am by Michael F. Bird

Book Notice: Language for God in Patristic Tradition 2015-07-20T01:49:31-04:00 Michael F. Bird

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Mark Sheridan

Language for God in Patristic Tradition: Wrestling with Anthropomorphism
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2015.
Available at Amazon.com

In this volume, Mark Sheridan wrestles with biblical anthropomorphism, the depiction of God as a human figure, with human emotions and characteristics in Scripture. That God is not really like humans, goes back as far as Xenophon, and his attempt to distinguish the gods from Homeric myths. Others like Philo and Origen, interpreted scripture in such a way as to distinguish a literal sense, from senses that illuminated the divine nature and divine plan. These patristic authors tried to interpret Scripture over against the philosophers, the heretics, and the simple who they saw as wrongfully reading Scripture. In the final chapter, Sheridan attempts to show how ancient interpretation is still relevant even if many of their tenets are no longer tenable. Texts are there to be reinterpreted, a process already begun within the NT, and continued on in the Fathers. Sheridan thinks this might be an option for how we look at things like the genocidal texts of the Pentateuch of the imprecatory psalms. He writes:

We must always ask how these texts can be understood by Christians, and this question involves theology, the discourse about the nature of God. The literal, isolated text is not normative, but rather theology, not in the broad, all-inclusive sense in which it is often used now nor in the confession sense of ‘Lutheran,’ ‘Calvinist’ or ‘Catholic’theology, but in the original sense of the word, the discussion about the nature of God. In this sense the theological question should be primary in the interpretation of Scripture today. Perhaps the most enduring and fitting solution remains that of Philo, Origen and John Chrysostom with which we began: God spoke then like a father to his children. That should not be confused with the way he really is in himself. God does not behave like humans.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

July 26, 2015

Why I owe Stephen Chester a Pint of Guinness

Next Post

July 29, 2015 Book Notice: Framing Paul

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Bible Lands Blogosphere Book Review Calvinism Colleges & Universities Ecclesiology Emerging Adulthood Evangelicalism Foreign Affairs Gospel of John Greco-Roman World Humor Just War N. T. Wright Old Testament Resurrection Terrorism Theological Education Travel Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 January 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did God tell Moses from the burning bush?

Select your answer to see how you score.

That he would lead Israel out of Egypt That he would build the temple That he would become Pharaoh That he would be king of Israel

Books by This Author Books by Mike Bird

See All Titles »