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A Theology in Outline: Can These Bones Live?
A Theology in Can These Bones Live? began with an undergraduate course taught by Robert W. Jenson at Princeton University in the spring of 2008. Based on a series of twenty-three course lectures, it offers a concise and accessible overview of Christian theology while retaining the atmosphere of Jenson's classroom. Much as does Jenson's Systematic Theology, A Theology in Outline treats a standard sequence of doctrines in Christian theology--God, Trinity, creation, humanity, sin, salvation, church, among others. However, its organizing principle and leitmotiv are less traditional. Reflecting his recent interest in theological interpretation of scripture, Jenson frames the whole of Christian theology as a response to the question posed to the prophet "Son of man, can these bones live?" For Jenson, to ask this question is to ask whether Christian theology itself is a pile of dead bones. Can the story that God lives with his people be told today? From first to last the chapters of this book proceed under the impelling pressure of this question. They thus comprise a single sequence of illustrative conversations for the purpose of introducing beginners to Christian theology.
150 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 9, 2016
36 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Robert W. Jenson
67 books40 followersRobert W. Jenson was a student of Barth's theology for many years, and his doctoral dissertation at the University of Heidelberg earned Barth’s approval as an interpretation of his writings. A native of Wisconsin, Dr. Jenson attended Luther College in Iowa and Luther Theological Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, before studying at Heidelberg where he was awarded his Doctor of Theology, summa cum laude. After doing graduate work at the University of Basel he returned to the United States. He taught theology for many years at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and St. Olaf College. Dr. Jenson also served as Senior Scholar for Research at the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton, NJ. He died in 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 17, 2024
This book might be the best introduction to theology I have ever read. This is mainly due to its readability. It's short and not very exhaustive, but as an introduction, it's great. Jenson is brilliant but the text is very accessible. The book is based on a series of lectures that he gave at Princeton to undergraduates which makes it read more like a story and less like a textbook.
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2nd time through. Still the best intro to theology I’ve read. Only bummer is the price point, otherwise I’d suggest it for just about anybody regardless of their religious background. So accessible, but so much packed into each of the lectures.
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2nd time through. Still the best intro to theology I’ve read. Only bummer is the price point, otherwise I’d suggest it for just about anybody regardless of their religious background. So accessible, but so much packed into each of the lectures.
February 24, 2016
Theology in Outline is a transcription and abbreviation of a semester's worth of lectures delivered by Robert Jenson to an undergraduate "Intro to Theology" course at Princeton. Jenson reportedly lectured extemporaneously from minimal notes, the bulk of which was transcribed to form this book, excluding classroom discussions. At the end is included a comprehensive bibliography of Jenson' works to date (a valuable resource).
Jenson takes the reader through the standard topics in theology (Israel/Scripture, Jesus, God, Trinity, creation, sin and salvation, church) in his non-standard way. That is to say, this is an intro to theology that is true to Jenson's own theological perspective. Especially evident throughout is Jenson's priority for narrative, the sense that Jesus himself (logos-ensarkos) is the second hypostasis in God, his eschatological emphasis, the centrality of the doctrine of Trinity, and his construal of theology as a project of revisionary metaphysics.
The clarity of the language is remarkable; several themes that are difficult in Jenson are made a bit more plain in this direct, conversational style. Further, Jenson is very playful and seemingly energetic in his lecturing style. He provides key historical overviews when necessary, yet he sticks to the Biblical narrative, asking all the while "What then shall we say of God and creatures if this narrative is true?" His Theology in Outline could be characterized as an invitation to work through this question.
The book is framed by the story in Ezekiel of the "dry bones". Jenson weaves that theme throughout, which helps capture his eschatological orientation despite the lack of a single chapter dedicated to the topic (although this may seem like a lacuna, Jenson's explanation in his Systematic Theology holds here too, eschatology is so thoroughly integrated into his system that a dedicated section is quickly redundant). At the beginning, the question "can these bones live?" is addressed in a similar mode as in the biblical narrative; i.e., in our death can new life be breathed? However, in the final chapter Jenson asks the question of our late modern world, can these bones (i.e., the very task of theologizing) live? Though nihilism is a serious threat to the possibility of such life -- and nihilism is, by Jenson's lights, the only genuine alternative to the Christian faith -- Jenson affirms in a Barthian mode the liveliness of theology, as it is drawn into the liveliness of its God. Theology, he concludes, "responds best by trusting in the gospel's own interior rationality, and then building its own metaphysics, its own vision of reality. This endeavor has been going on for some time . . . Indeed, that is what we have been doing all along here in these lectures" (Theology in Outline, p. 115).
Here is Jenson at his most inviting, his most playful, and his most straightforward in his commitment to the centrality of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The book is a joy to read because its subject is clearly a joy to its author. For a capacious invitation to theologizing about Christianity's capacious God, Theology in Outline would be difficult to surpass.
Jenson takes the reader through the standard topics in theology (Israel/Scripture, Jesus, God, Trinity, creation, sin and salvation, church) in his non-standard way. That is to say, this is an intro to theology that is true to Jenson's own theological perspective. Especially evident throughout is Jenson's priority for narrative, the sense that Jesus himself (logos-ensarkos) is the second hypostasis in God, his eschatological emphasis, the centrality of the doctrine of Trinity, and his construal of theology as a project of revisionary metaphysics.
The clarity of the language is remarkable; several themes that are difficult in Jenson are made a bit more plain in this direct, conversational style. Further, Jenson is very playful and seemingly energetic in his lecturing style. He provides key historical overviews when necessary, yet he sticks to the Biblical narrative, asking all the while "What then shall we say of God and creatures if this narrative is true?" His Theology in Outline could be characterized as an invitation to work through this question.
The book is framed by the story in Ezekiel of the "dry bones". Jenson weaves that theme throughout, which helps capture his eschatological orientation despite the lack of a single chapter dedicated to the topic (although this may seem like a lacuna, Jenson's explanation in his Systematic Theology holds here too, eschatology is so thoroughly integrated into his system that a dedicated section is quickly redundant). At the beginning, the question "can these bones live?" is addressed in a similar mode as in the biblical narrative; i.e., in our death can new life be breathed? However, in the final chapter Jenson asks the question of our late modern world, can these bones (i.e., the very task of theologizing) live? Though nihilism is a serious threat to the possibility of such life -- and nihilism is, by Jenson's lights, the only genuine alternative to the Christian faith -- Jenson affirms in a Barthian mode the liveliness of theology, as it is drawn into the liveliness of its God. Theology, he concludes, "responds best by trusting in the gospel's own interior rationality, and then building its own metaphysics, its own vision of reality. This endeavor has been going on for some time . . . Indeed, that is what we have been doing all along here in these lectures" (Theology in Outline, p. 115).
Here is Jenson at his most inviting, his most playful, and his most straightforward in his commitment to the centrality of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The book is a joy to read because its subject is clearly a joy to its author. For a capacious invitation to theologizing about Christianity's capacious God, Theology in Outline would be difficult to surpass.
May 19, 2020
Have you ever wondered what it might be like to take an intro to theology class with Robert Jenson? To be honest the thought hadn’t crossed my mind before I requested a review copy of his latest book A Theology in Outline: Can These Bones Live? I was just curious about how it was as an introductory text. What it contains though are lightly edited transcripts from a class he taught at Princeton.
By “lightly edited,” I think we’re talking mainly about readability. At least that’s what I’m guessing when Jenson has a mild lapse and calls David the first king of Israel (21) and the transcript editor, Adam Eitel, left it in there. Beyond that, I didn’t pick up on any substantial issues. It is very conversational, because, well, it’s Jenson, or Jens as his friends apparently call him (19), just talking to you about theology.
Other than making my way through Scott Swain’s book, I don’t have much previous contact with Jenson (so I can’t really call him Jens). After reading this, I’m mildly curious to explore more. If that curiosity ramps up a bit, I can always use the exhaustive bibliography (117-134) to get me started. If you’re curious, this is probably a great place to start. It’s Jenson for beginners without being simplistic. He covers the nature of theology, the story of Israel and Jesus, the Trinity, creation, imago die, sin, salvation, and church. Not much in the way of eschatology, but you do get a chapter on the future of theology in a postmodern world.
This book could be comfortably read in a weekend, but you’d probably spend most of the next week pondering some of the many insights Jenson touches on. One that particularly struck me was his thoughts on Satan:
The existence of a tempter (i.e., Satan, the Devil, Lucifer, the Old Serpent, etc.) is an ongoing conviction not just of Christianity but also of Judaism. And this reflects more than anything else a common experience: there does seem to be somebody out there laughing at us. I was very skeptical about the existence of Satan until I made that observation. The disasters that happen could just be disasters, but we seem to be mocked by them. And that is the main title of Satan throughout the tradition; he is the Mocker, the one out there laughing at us. I do not imagine many of you will have run into C. S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters [note: he is talking to undergrads at Princeton. Sad right?]. That is the best satanology of the modern period (60).
Several things stick out here. One is that this has a ring of truth to it, when it comes to personal experience. The other is that it gives you an idea about Jenson’s thinking when it comes to the Old Testament (which you also get in an earlier chapter where he recounts Israel’s history). Lastly (though we could go on), here is premier theologian of the 20th/21st centuries recommending imaginative fiction as instructive for a subject in theology.
One final note, this is a smaller book than I anticipated. It also has small font, so the word count is not tremendously reduced. However, I was expecting a standard sized book. Not a huge deal, but serves a good reminder to check the product dimensions every now and then on Amazon. This is not quite “pocket size,” but it’s little. But, as you can see, it packs a punch on insights, and if you’re a student of theology, it’s worth checking out.
[Note: the publisher sent my a review copy of this book and I originally posted this on my personal blog]
By “lightly edited,” I think we’re talking mainly about readability. At least that’s what I’m guessing when Jenson has a mild lapse and calls David the first king of Israel (21) and the transcript editor, Adam Eitel, left it in there. Beyond that, I didn’t pick up on any substantial issues. It is very conversational, because, well, it’s Jenson, or Jens as his friends apparently call him (19), just talking to you about theology.
Other than making my way through Scott Swain’s book, I don’t have much previous contact with Jenson (so I can’t really call him Jens). After reading this, I’m mildly curious to explore more. If that curiosity ramps up a bit, I can always use the exhaustive bibliography (117-134) to get me started. If you’re curious, this is probably a great place to start. It’s Jenson for beginners without being simplistic. He covers the nature of theology, the story of Israel and Jesus, the Trinity, creation, imago die, sin, salvation, and church. Not much in the way of eschatology, but you do get a chapter on the future of theology in a postmodern world.
This book could be comfortably read in a weekend, but you’d probably spend most of the next week pondering some of the many insights Jenson touches on. One that particularly struck me was his thoughts on Satan:
The existence of a tempter (i.e., Satan, the Devil, Lucifer, the Old Serpent, etc.) is an ongoing conviction not just of Christianity but also of Judaism. And this reflects more than anything else a common experience: there does seem to be somebody out there laughing at us. I was very skeptical about the existence of Satan until I made that observation. The disasters that happen could just be disasters, but we seem to be mocked by them. And that is the main title of Satan throughout the tradition; he is the Mocker, the one out there laughing at us. I do not imagine many of you will have run into C. S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters [note: he is talking to undergrads at Princeton. Sad right?]. That is the best satanology of the modern period (60).
Several things stick out here. One is that this has a ring of truth to it, when it comes to personal experience. The other is that it gives you an idea about Jenson’s thinking when it comes to the Old Testament (which you also get in an earlier chapter where he recounts Israel’s history). Lastly (though we could go on), here is premier theologian of the 20th/21st centuries recommending imaginative fiction as instructive for a subject in theology.
One final note, this is a smaller book than I anticipated. It also has small font, so the word count is not tremendously reduced. However, I was expecting a standard sized book. Not a huge deal, but serves a good reminder to check the product dimensions every now and then on Amazon. This is not quite “pocket size,” but it’s little. But, as you can see, it packs a punch on insights, and if you’re a student of theology, it’s worth checking out.
[Note: the publisher sent my a review copy of this book and I originally posted this on my personal blog]
March 10, 2022
Wilson goes 2/2 on the book recs.
This is one of the best Biblical theologies I’ve read, and really accessible to someone who is a new believer. I loved the section on Sin and Salvation, and understanding Jesus’ death and resurrection as bridging the rupture between God and Man.
Also his slight irreverence makes me think he’d be a fun dude to grab a beer with.
This is one of the best Biblical theologies I’ve read, and really accessible to someone who is a new believer. I loved the section on Sin and Salvation, and understanding Jesus’ death and resurrection as bridging the rupture between God and Man.
Also his slight irreverence makes me think he’d be a fun dude to grab a beer with.
March 28, 2018
This is a marvelous little book examining the key tenets of the Christian faith (although it was a little light on the Holy Spirit). It would be remarkable enough if Jensen concisely presented key points of Christian belief in his own manner. However, he does more than that and adds his own nuance to the discussion.
I don't agree with all of Jenson's conclusions, but this books would be a helpful intro into Christian theology and would even be good to read to see how one might present Christian in such a concise way.
I don't agree with all of Jenson's conclusions, but this books would be a helpful intro into Christian theology and would even be good to read to see how one might present Christian in such a concise way.
January 25, 2018
As far as theology goes this is a bit like an omelet at a fusion restaurant. It's an easy to eat book which is familiar enough to be safe and quirky enough to be interesting.
April 1, 2021
I really enjoyed this lively, conversational set of lectures Robert W. Jenson gave on basic Christian doctrines including "Israel," "Creation," and "Sin and Salvation." This would make a good primer on theology for the believer who doesn't want to wade through a systematic theology but wants to learn a bit more about theology. One tidbit that struck me was how pathetic it would have appeared to ancient near eastern peoples for the Israelites to admit that God had let them be conquered by the Babylonians and taken into captivity; this would not have inspired awe or confidence in Yahweh as a mighty deity but this thus points to the truthfulness of Israel's God because one would never WANT to acknowledge that a deity had let his people be defeated.
November 14, 2023
This short and brilliant text is both intellectually, challenging and eminently accessible to the reader! This book outlined the broad strokes of a topographical map of theology, in a way that both educated and allowed my mind and heart to ruminate on the complexity, distinction, and wonder of the Christian theology and practice. I’m sure I will return to this text over and over again for orientation and insights. Thank you Robert Jenson.
December 21, 2023
Numerous authors I’ve read lately quote Jenson extensively. I figured I’d better go ahead and read something by him. I’m glad I started “A Theology of Outline” rather than diving head first into his systematics. This was a great introduction to his corpus. It was brief, accessible, and left me wondering how he develops his thoughts in his other more comprehensive works. Excited to have more of Robert Jenson in my life.
August 6, 2023
This is a pre course text I read, to get a perspective on theology. I really enjoyed this series of lectures, as it made me think in a different way, contextually, as far as what the Bible and Christianity has meant through the ages. For anyone interested in theology, just starting out, definitely worth a look.
August 12, 2023
A fascinating short and yet enthralling first step into Christian theology. Jenson is a great communicator, and I love the way he thought this book as a series of undergrad lectures on the topic. I only considered the chapter “Sin and Salvation” a little confusing before a phenomenal ending; other than that, great reading!
March 24, 2020
If one were to ask me “Glenn, I see you’re constantly studying and reading about this obscure discipline called theology and I’m curious about it. What’s the best book for me to read?”
This book would be the answer to that question.
This book would be the answer to that question.
July 11, 2021
I read this book because I was interested in Jensen's approach to theology but did not want to read his entire 2-volume systematics. To my dismay, I was convinced that I do indeed want to read his whole Systematic Theology. More long books for me to read 😔
February 26, 2024
A good little systematic theology framed around God's question to Ezekiel, "can these bones live?"
A great introductory resource to begin conversations, and plumb some footnotes if you want to go deeper.
A great introductory resource to begin conversations, and plumb some footnotes if you want to go deeper.
May 1, 2016
A lovely little précis of Jenson's theology at the end of his career. A pleasure to read.
June 14, 2020
A wonderful introduction to Christian theology.
March 4, 2025
What a beautiful, wonderful short book. The last chapter is a manifesto on its own
December 4, 2025
"We may describe the civilization created by Christianity's interaction with the fragments of Greek and Roman civilization as a marriage. The metaphor is not only apt; it leads to another metaphor as well. If Christendom was a marriage between the gospel and Greco-Roman civilization, then we may regard Modernity as a long, drawn-out divorce. Now divorce does not leave the partners of a marriage unchanged. So we have to ask, what happens to a civilization when it abandons the very faith that founded it, when it stops believing the claims that shape and move its law and its morals and its art and its thinking? What happens when a culture stops believing the only thing it can believe as the particular culture that it is?"
I've been wrestling with the Christian part of my identity for twenty years. When I came across this at the thrift store and saw that it was written by an ivy league academic, I had to sprint through it.
What does a mature Christian modern theology look like? Jenson, like Seraphim Rose and other literalists, states that you have to build your entire world view from a perspective of Biblical truth, and then judge everything else through that lens, which is not a standard I can take up. I guess that's faith, and it's faith of a type I can't muster. Faith in men beyond God to arrive at these conclusions.
I've been wrestling with the Christian part of my identity for twenty years. When I came across this at the thrift store and saw that it was written by an ivy league academic, I had to sprint through it.
What does a mature Christian modern theology look like? Jenson, like Seraphim Rose and other literalists, states that you have to build your entire world view from a perspective of Biblical truth, and then judge everything else through that lens, which is not a standard I can take up. I guess that's faith, and it's faith of a type I can't muster. Faith in men beyond God to arrive at these conclusions.
July 17, 2025
A little book structured on Robert Jenson’s class lectures for the introduction to Christianity. As such, the method of presentation in the book is qualified by its original classroom delivery in a university context. This is especially apparent in Jenson’s utilization of sociological definitions and methods at some points in his lectures. Overall, the reader should get a basic grasp of Jenson’s theological emphases, such as his narratival orientation to the doctrine of God and his understanding of embodiment as availability. The reader will likewise get a taste of his humor.
“For both Judaism and Christianity, the oneness of God is the oneness of the story that he lives with his people” (49).
“The moral life abhors a vacuum. If we are not bound up together with God and one another, we will be bound up in our rebellion against him — whether consciously or unconsciously” (76).
“The body of a person is the person himself or herself, insofar as that person is available to other persons. To say then that the church is the body of Christ is to say that here is manifestly a body, a corporate entity, and that entity is Christ as Christ is in the world and therefore available to the world” (97).
“For both Judaism and Christianity, the oneness of God is the oneness of the story that he lives with his people” (49).
“The moral life abhors a vacuum. If we are not bound up together with God and one another, we will be bound up in our rebellion against him — whether consciously or unconsciously” (76).
“The body of a person is the person himself or herself, insofar as that person is available to other persons. To say then that the church is the body of Christ is to say that here is manifestly a body, a corporate entity, and that entity is Christ as Christ is in the world and therefore available to the world” (97).
August 3, 2018
This book is a great little introduction to the Christian faith, largely written for someone new to Christian truth and the history of Christian thought. I appreciated the strong emphasis on the speaking nature of God and the role God has had in the history of Israel leading into the fulfillment of Israel’s story in Christ. As a Baptist, I had some disagreements with the way Jenson understands the resurrected person of Christ in relation to the Eucharist - but that is what you would expect from a Lutheran theologian.
The key take-away for me from the book is to consider the Image of God on man not in relation to one particular quality (intellect, moral nature, etc.) but rather in the role God has given us as his conversation partners - we are “praying animals” who have the joy and privilege of being “counterparts” to God and that is at the heart of the Imago Dei.
The key take-away for me from the book is to consider the Image of God on man not in relation to one particular quality (intellect, moral nature, etc.) but rather in the role God has given us as his conversation partners - we are “praying animals” who have the joy and privilege of being “counterparts” to God and that is at the heart of the Imago Dei.
January 27, 2019
This is merely a taste of the theological mind of Robert W. Jenson. It is an excellent book for any Christian. The book is written with wit and precise language so much is accomplished in very few pages. This little volume covers the standard topics of Christian Theology and should probably be the first book to be read before more rigorous books on Systematic Theology (including Jenson's own).
Robert W. Jenson has been identify by a number of internationally recognized theologians and scholars as America's most important Christian theologian since Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758). I am now inclining towards accepting this seeming hyperbole. For me he has moved ahead of the Niebuhr brothers, Yoder, Hauerwas, AND Edwards.
This little volume is a good starting place for Jenson. If you are interested in Christian Theology at all then you should read it.
Robert W. Jenson has been identify by a number of internationally recognized theologians and scholars as America's most important Christian theologian since Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758). I am now inclining towards accepting this seeming hyperbole. For me he has moved ahead of the Niebuhr brothers, Yoder, Hauerwas, AND Edwards.
This little volume is a good starting place for Jenson. If you are interested in Christian Theology at all then you should read it.
November 30, 2018
A charming record of Jenson's undergraduate lectures at Princeton, this short volume provides a lively and readable introduction to the core areas of theology with some surprisingly deep insights. The transcriptions read like your superintelligent uncle having a charming discourse after a couple of glasses of wine at Thanksgiving dinner. Jenson emphasizes the core of Christianity as a people gathered around a message, the message of a God who interacts with us in the story of history. This volume would serve as an excellent discussion book for a church education series or an undergraduate course in theology. I would advise graduate students to turn to Jenson's richer volumes of Systematic Theology, but this is a lovely stocking stuffer written by a superb theological mind.
June 1, 2020
This is dope, but I don’t know who it is for:
The format (adapted, mostly ex tempore, lectures to undergrad students) lends itself toward a simplified version of Jenson’s thought - so I thought it would be good as an introduction to his ideas, but the simplification flattened some of his brilliance. I think a person who is unfamiliar with Jenson could read this without noticing how ingenious his system is.
Great book, but I’m still looking for the one that captures Jenson’s ideas in a way that I can recommend to everyone.
The format (adapted, mostly ex tempore, lectures to undergrad students) lends itself toward a simplified version of Jenson’s thought - so I thought it would be good as an introduction to his ideas, but the simplification flattened some of his brilliance. I think a person who is unfamiliar with Jenson could read this without noticing how ingenious his system is.
Great book, but I’m still looking for the one that captures Jenson’s ideas in a way that I can recommend to everyone.
July 23, 2022
A wonderful conversational introduction to the great questions and themes of Christian theology. I love that story or narrative plays such a centra role and the last chapter (on the church and Modernity) was worth reading alone. If you want to start wrestling with theology and the issues it raises, this is a great place to start. Also, it made me want to read more Nietzsche, Heidegger and Barth (which is a weird grouping, I admit).
November 18, 2023
A novel approach to a systematic theology as the book is a collection of Jenson’s lectures to a freshman class at Princeton, who may or may not be familiar with Christianity. This means that it contains unique and fresh ways to articulate Christian doctrine. A few seemingly-to-me rabbit holes leaves it a bit unfocused and even confusing at times but overall a helpful read
November 18, 2024
A short (less than 125 pages), accessible (lectures for Princeton undergraduates transcribed) introduction to Christian theology from one of the leading protestant theologians of the last 50 years. Whether you became a Christian yesterday or 50 years ago, there is a lot to mull over here and a lot of gems as Jenson journeys through the traditional loci of systematic theology.
January 8, 2024
Great introduction with broad brush strokes and really all the good ones to make, when getting at the core of theology. Also, these are written with a light touch, bearing all the marks of Jenson's rexaled yet confident style.
February 15, 2024
Best intro to theology of all time
I have read many a book on theology and this maybe the best introduction to theology. 10/10 would recommend to anyone needing a readable and profound introduction to what Christians believe.
I have read many a book on theology and this maybe the best introduction to theology. 10/10 would recommend to anyone needing a readable and profound introduction to what Christians believe.
May 15, 2025
This book was incredible. It easily and quickly summarizes centuries of Christian thought about theology. I was required to read this for class and it was so refreshing. Easy to read, no endless footnotes, and humorous too. Highly suggest to anyone wanting a brief overview of Christian theology.
September 15, 2017
Puts more in 115 pages than most could in 511. Concise, clear, rich, deep - at times provocative - so far it's the favorite book I've read this year.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews