God in New Testament Theology

by Larry W. Hurtado

God in New Testament Theology analyzes the various New Testament conceptions of God and suggests how they can best contribute to a contemporary constructive theology.

In this important new volume in the Library of Biblical Theology, Larry W. Hurtado introduces the different understandings of God that arise in the books of the New Testament, and explores the ramifications of those views for contemporary theology.

Questions covered
Why has the subject of God received comparatively little attention in much contemporary New
Testament scholarship?
Is the Christian God of the New Testament the same deity described in the Old Testament?
What impact does the New Testament's emphasis on Jesus have for its discourse about God?
How do New Testament references to the Divine "Spirit" affect its understanding of God?
Given the diversity of the New Testament writings, is it possible to speak of a sole New Testament view of God?
How should contemporary theology understand the triadic shape of New Testament discourse about God in light of the later development of the doctrine of the Trinity?

Genres: Biblical Studies, Theology

176 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2010

Reviews

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, mainly as a presentation of a distilled version of Hurtado's books on Jesus Devotion and the problems that posed for the Jewish monotheistic matrix of earliest Christians. I appreciated the chapter on the Spirit, but it left several issues inadequately addressed. For instance, in light of the NT's portrayal of the Spirit being sent by God at Jesus's behest and as a kind of "placeholder" (my word, not Hurtado's) for Jesus' presence, how does this change the thought about God inherited from Second Temple Judaism? Further, the discussion of a perceived development in Christological statements in the NT left a lot unsaid. The most glaring was Hurtado's presentation of Jesus as exalted and worshipped, but little discussion of the development of subsequent Christological statements. The impression, to my mind, is that Christologies developed linearly--first one belief is critiqued, so another develops as an apologia--and I am not sure there is evidence for such a developments in the NT. But, I cannot say for sure. Therefore, I would have liked more discussion of how he believes this development is evinced in the NT.

However, I believe Hurtado did well to show that, though basically believing the same things about God, the NT writers appear to have no clear consensus on how Jesus and the Spirit relate to this God, other than that they are closely connected in some way. Therefore, Hurtado is understandably cautious in avoiding taxonomic presentations. There is simply too much diversity to systematize neatly in an historical perspective. This book is good for a brief glimpse at the problems posed to Jewish monotheism in light of the NT's perspectives on Jesus and the Spirit, but it doesn't offer much in the way of an answer to the problem--it simply starts you on a quest.