Product Description

Paperback

---

Product Details

Publisher	IVP Academic
ISBN	0830818782
Format	Paperback
Author	Stanley J. Grenz,Roger E. Olson
EAN	9780830818785
Label	IVP Academic
Dewey Decimal Number	230.01
Studio	IVP Academic
Number Of Pages	150
Title	Who Needs Theology?: An Invitation to the Study of God
Publication Date	1996-09
Manufacturer	IVP Academic

---

Customer Reviews

Book Review: Who Needs Theology? An Invitation to the Study of God

Review by Nathan W. Bingham, 2009-05-04

-Introduction-

Who Needs Theology? An Invitation to the Study of God is a joined effort between the late Stanley J. Grenz and Roger E. Olson. As the title suggests, this book is an attempt to address the concerns many Christians express toward the study of theology, to defend the importance and need for biblical theology, and then exhort the reader to pursue theology to some degree. This work comes with several endorsements, not the least of which comes from the Baptist minister, Bruce Milne. This one-hundred-and-fifty page book was published in 1996 by InterVarsity Press.

-Summary-

In the introduction, Grenz and Olsen make it clear that this book has been written with a purpose, namely, their shared desire "to see a revival of sound theological interest and reflection among God's people" and to help prevent Christianity from becoming "mere `folk religion.'" (p.10) They attempt to see their desire realised through the reading of nine chapters, which range from a simple, yet profound reminder that everyone is already a theologian (Chapter 1), a defence of theology (Chapter 4), an examination of the tools available to the theologian (Chapter 6), and finally to an invitation to the reader for their commitment to engage in theology to some degree (Chapter 9).

The writing style leaves this book easily accessible to the lay-people within the church, while at the same time retaining enough critical thought and depth that seminary students and pastors would still appreciate the work that has gone into this book.

-Critique-

The first two chapters of this book, Everyone Is a Theologian and Not All Theologies Are Equal, will be by far the most benefit to the Christian community. The first chapter presents a solid case to the reader that all Christians, and even non-Christians, are theologians. That is, as Grenz & Olson put it, "[because] at its most basic level theology is any thinking, reflecting, or contemplating on the reality of God--even on the question of God." (p.14) This chapter immediately dismisses the notion that many Christians have, that a theologian is a distant person with many degrees and several initials after their name. Theology is therefore not as foreign as we may imagine. The second chapter discusses and expounds the different levels of theology. A helpful scale is given listing what they see as the five theologies that exist; folk theology, lay theology, ministerial theology, professional theology, and finally academic theology (p. 26). Sadly, most Christians are in the realm of folk theology, that is, "unreflective believing based on blind faith in a tradition of some kind" (p. 27) which Grenz and Olsen argue is in the same value category as purely academic theology (p.34).

Despite such a helpful beginning, concerns arise in the sixth chapter entitled The Theologian's Tools. In this chapter, Grenz and Olsen argue for the three tools of the theologian; the biblical message, the theological heritage of the church, and culture (pp.92-98). Each of these elements is important; however, special emphasis is placed upon culture, to the extent that it is given a full chapter of its own to expand upon the idea (chapter seven - Constructing Theology in Context). This is not a concern in and of itself, rather what is said within these chapters is. Firstly, they exhort the reader to have a "culture-centered approach" (p.110) to theology to prevent the "danger" of having a theology that is bible-centered and therefore "irrelevant to the world" (p.110). Secondly, they encourage the reader to speak of sin in "culturally sensitive ways," (p.111) such as borrowing the "language of `failure'"(p.112). Thirdly, they suggest that the `penal substitution' view of the atonement is not uniquely correct, rather that with the `ransom theory,' the `satisfaction theory,' and the `moral-influence theory,' "we can only speak about the correctness of each theory as an expression of the gospel that speaks within a specific cultural situation" (p. 114, emphasis added). Lastly, concern is noted over their suggestion that we should replace the central interpretive motif of Martin Luther (justification by faith) and John Calvin (God's glory) with what appears to be a very anthropocentric motif of "community." (p.117)

Although the writing style was extremely accessible, one of the techniques Who Needs Theology? uses to `bridge the gap' was their use of illustrations from various comic-strips; for example, Charlie Brown (p.36) Peanuts (p.103) and For Better or for Worse (p.119). This is possibly a helpful idea; unfortunately, their attempt to `bridge the gap' may serve more as a hindrance for anyone who has not grown up reading these comic-strips.

-Conclusion-

In conclusion, Grenz and Olsen's Who Needs Theology? An Invitation to the Study of God provides some important and helpful material that could be used to correct many false ideas which presently surround the study of theology, and the role of theology within the local church and the church universal. Sadly, given the strong emphasis on being "culture-centered" (p.110) I would not personally recommend this book to the undiscerning reader. However, I do believe the initial chapters (as highlighted in this review) would make for some extremely beneficial material, which in their isolation from the rest of the book, I would wholeheartedly desire all Christians to read.

---

We need theology!

Review by Brittany Dowdy, 2008-10-30

Grenz and Olson address the problems that students of theology face in the modern evangelical world in a way that is both engaging and informative. They address the concerns of those who believe that theology will destroy one's faith, that it creates more problems than anything else, and other concerns that a student of theology will often hear from well-meaning friends and family. They provide an intelligent response to those who hold these views and encourage those who do not. In many ways, their book can be seen as a pre-prolegomena: the things that must be said before the things that must be said before one can really get down to theological business. My only concern with the book was that I did not agree with some of the theology they put forth - but then, that only encouraged me to pursue my theological studies harder.

---

Everyday theology

Review by Lee Olsen, 2008-09-03

This is a great book for the layman. It presents Theology in a way that is understandable to the average person. It also presents it so that it is interesting and practical. I would reccommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about Biblical Theology.

---

Every Christian's Responsibility is a 'Faith Seeking Understanding'

Review by William Turner, 2008-07-30

This is an excellent primer for every Christian to understand how to engage with the discipline of studying theology. This day and age, the Church has become practically irrelevant on so many levels because of the lack of both the leadership and the congregation in its consistent reflection on theology and how to approach it carefully.

Just like the other disciplines of the faith: prayer, fasting, tithing, meeting together as a body, devotional reading, studying the scriptures theologically is one of our commands from God (2 Tim. 2:2, 15, 2 Pet. 3:18). We are to be checking the scriptures daily so as to be faithful to God and His teachings (Acts 17:11). To engage in this, not abstractly, but with a healthy view of practicality within this discipline, Grenz and Olson do a nice job of showing each believer's responsibility as a theologian. We all can think, reason, etc., thus we all reflect and think about God (theology).

I would use this book for both seminary classes and for church bible study courses and classes. I think every person in a Christian congregation needs to know how to approach this issue. The normal thought of the average pew Christian is that too much theology (or theology itself) is unhealthy and even dangerous for their faith. This is unbiblical and exemplifies the 'folk theology' Grenz and Olson speak so clearly about in the majority of Christian churches. We have to know what we believe and why so that we can engage honestly with a lost and broken world. This is an excellent beginning to this all-important task for every Christian.

---

"What must we be, say, and do?"

Review by Erik Olson, 2006-01-14

One of the reasons I enrolled in seminary back in 1999 was to cure my theological ignorance. I was tired of being misled by autocratic pastors and high-sounding authors. After I began school, it didn't take long for me to see how naive I was about God. Although it raised all sorts of new questions, a seminary education was worth the time and money. That's because it forced me to continually ask myself the question used for this review's title, which Grenz and Olson claim is theology's fundamental query (94).

However, not every Christian can attend a Bible college (or even wants to). Even so, he or she should have 1) a well-defined theology, and 2) critical thinking skills. "Who Needs Theology?" helps encourage the believer along this path. It is the authors' desire that Christians leave behind credulity and the half-truths of "folk" theology in favor of a more profound lay, ministerial, or even professional level of theology. Of course, there are some pitfalls of theological study. A student can neglect their heart and embrace what the authors call "academic" theology, which is so cognitive that it has no practical worth. However, we should not be afraid of such detours. They can be avoided by remaining in community with other Christians and maintaining a personal relationship with God.

"Who Needs Theology?" isn't overly dry and dense. The authors write in an accessible manner, and even use examples from the "Peanuts" comic strip to drive home some theological points. Their explanation of the differences between Christian dogma, doctrine, and opinion helped me understand these categories better. Practical advice is saved for the last chapter, where study resources and methods are recommended. However, I wish the authors had spent more time emphasizing the value of the classroom. Studying alone is good, but ultimately it's like trying to learn karate out of a book. As with martial arts, the best way to learn theology is from a gifted teacher and by interacting with others. They do recommend teaching as a way to learn, which is a good point. But taking on that role prematurely can be perilous and should be done with care.

One of my theology profs had struggling students read this book and write a report for extra credit. That would have been a valuable exercise for the whole class, because "Who Needs Theology?" is a great introduction to the value of critical thinking and crafting a solid theological foundation. If you're curious about theology, or wonder why you should bother to study it, start here before diving into deeper waters.

---