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- The Case for Orthodox Theology
Here is a thoughtful and scholarly presentation of one type of contemporary Christian thinking. Orthodoxy, as here defined, is that branch of Christendom that limits the ground of religious authority to the Bible. It lays claim to a "plenary" but not necessarily a literal inspiration for the sacred books of the canon. After defining the rules that govern biblical hermeneutics, the author indicates how orthodoxy should meet the difficulties and perils that beset it. He speaks from his heart as a confirmed adherent of the position he defends.
Edward John Carnell was an ordained Baptist minister, born in Antigo, Wisconsin. For three years he served as Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion at Gordon Divinity School. He was appointed as the second president of Fuller Theological Seminary from 1954 to 1959. Carnell resigned his position in 1959 to give himself fully to teaching, serving as Professor of Apologetics at Fuller for eight additional years.
Dr. Carnell contributed to many religious journals and authored several books including 'An Introduction to Christian Apologetics', 'Television: Servant or Master?', 'The Theology of Reinhold Niebuhr', 'A Philosophy of the Christian Religion', and 'Christian Commitment'.
In this welcome collection of Carnell books, we are offered an inside view of a radical shift in American religious thinking -- the emergence of twentieth-century evangelicalism out of Protestant fundamentalism. While there may be room for disagreement on the relevance of Carnellian apologetics for our post-modern age, there should be no doubt about the historical importance of Carnell's role in a period of tension and risk. Wipf and Stock deserves our thanks.
Rudolph Nelson, author of
The Making and Unmaking of an Evangelical Mind: The Case of Edward Carnell
Edward John Carnell was—in my estimation—the brightest and the best of the neo-evangelical leaders. He was a courageous thinker who was not afraid to think new thoughts in the service of biblical orthodoxy. The Carnell Library is a gift to today's evangelical movement.
Richard J. Mouw
President, Fuller Seminary