A Theology for the Twenty-First Century

Last updated on: April 14, 2021 at 5:21 am by Michael F. Bird

A Theology for the Twenty-First Century 2021-02-12T20:13:44-04:00 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.

Douglas F. Ottati

A Theology for the Twenty-First Century
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2020.
Available from Eerdmans

Reviewed by Scott Harrower

Readers may know Douglas F. Ottati is the author of Theology for Liberal Presbyterians and Other Endangered Species (2006), and more recently Theology for Liberal Protestants: God the Creator (2013). In A Theology for the Twenty-First Century, Ottati fleshes out these two previous volumes, with an ecological and ethical accent. The result is a substantial work of 749 pages plus notes.

The work has a novel structure compared to most standard volumes of systematic theology. The work opens with a list of 67 propositions. These are grouped into the chapters that argue for each one. So, for example, chapter 1 “A Conception of Christian Theology,” contains 18 propositions, with #1 being: “Christian theology is a practical wisdom that articulates vision of God, the world, and ourselves in the service of a piety, a settled disposition, and a way of living” (XIII).”

The work has twelve chapters, the most weighty in terms of the number of propositions are the first two “A Conception of Christian Theology,” and “The Formation and Arrangement of Theological Statements” respectively, as well as chapter 10 “Human Life: Sin and Regeneration.”

In the work’s opening section the author states he will work from an Augustinian, Protestant, liberal and humanist perspective. However, in practice, the liberal-humanist perspectives override the bulk of classic Augustinian-Protestant sensibilities about the nature of God, human beings, salvation, healing, and eternal destinies.

Noteworthy features of the work have to do with the dogmatic location of the doctrine of God and with the doctrine of the Trinity more specifically. In terms of the doctrine of God, Ottati displaces the bulk of his doctrine of God from the starting point for theology; instead by a cosmic-ecological existentialist in the context of generalized theism are the starting point for the volume. Driven by cosmic-ecological and humanist concerns, this work reads much less than a work of theology and more life a work of ethics.

With respect to the doctrine of the Trinity, it is only treated in an epilogue of a meagre 8 pages. In this epilogue, Ottati acknowledges that his position is “at odds” with mainline Protestant theology in terms of believing that there are three eternal hypostases who are identified with the divine nature: The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (742). He writes: “the New Testament may be read to affirm that Father, Son and Spirit are working in the same direction to bring about … life but [I] would add that one may read it this way without assuming what … is not articulated so clearly in the New Testament, namely, that God, Christ, and the Spirit are ‘of the same divine rank’” (743). Instead of classic conciliar trinitarianism and christology, Ottati argues for “trinitarian reflections,” which are tantamount to a form of Unitarianism in the spirit of Friedrich Schleiermacher. He states these basic of these reflections in the form of his own creed:

“We believe in God the Father, the all-ruling creator who bestows gifts of existence, life, and sustenance in this good cosmos of interdependent creatures and things. We believe in Jesus Christ, the ec-centric person for others, who marks off a manner in life that accords with God’s reign, and we trust in the Spirit, who renews ec-centirc existence” (747).

Though Ottati consciously seeks to avoid a trinitarian theological interpretation of Scripture, the metaphysical complexities found in other recent liberal-critical volumes such as Wilfried Härle’s Outline of Christian Doctrine: An Evangelical Dogmatics (2015), and confidence in the historical processes involved in ecumenical conciliarism, this comes at a significant price form the perspective of Christian theology. Clearly, the depth of both the doctrines of the Trinity and the incarnation are largely lost. In addition, the kinds of conversations that Ottati can legitimately have with creedal Christians is very limited, and this seems to largely diminish the value of this book –it is a marginal work that cannot be brought into robust discussions with ecumenical Christians. Surely mainline Protestant Christianity deserves a more fruitful theological volume than this one. Indeed, the success of Fleming Routledge’s The Crucifixion indicates that there is an appetite for mainline Protestant theology in its best form, which suggests that there is room in the theological landscape for a Routledge-esque mainline Theology for the Twenty-First Century.

Scott D. Harrower is Lecturer in Theology at Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia

Uncategorized

Previous Post

April 11, 2021

Before I Went to Seminary I Thought That ...

Next Post

April 20, 2021 Angelification - Becoming an Angel at Death?

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

Where did Saint Patrick bring Christianity?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Italy Ireland France Spain

Books by This Author Books by Mike Bird

See All Titles »