Study Document
Theology and Evangelism Essay
Pages:4 (974 words)
Sources:5
Subject:Religion
Topic:Evangelism
Document Type:Essay
Document:#95671209
Evangelical Theology
Transcendence and immanence define the way persons relate to each other (Willsey, 2003). Transcendence do with the fact that one person is not another person while immanence do with closeness of relationship. Grenz and Olsen believe that transcendence and immanence are expressions of how God relates to His creation. Their book; God and the World in a Transitional Age (1992), is said to give their interpretation of how religious theology developed in a modern age along with how they saw the divine transcendence and immanence from evangelical viewpoint. In their opinion, they argue that Christian theology for many years have always sought a balance between the biblical truths of the divine transcendence and immanence (Grenz and Olson, 1992, p. 295). Grenz and Olsen understanding of revelation is that God is within humanity and his plans towards mankind are discovered upon seeking His Gospel (Grenz & Olson, 1992, p. 292). In summary, this essay will critically evaluate evangelical theology in terms of the assertion of Grenz and Olson by exploring God's transcendence and immanence in relation to the evangelical theology.
Evangelical theology has to balance between divine transcendence and immanence so as to discern factual biblical truths. To achieve this, the evangelical theology also has to stay within the limits of modern theology interpretation. In their book, both Grenz and & Olsen argued that the relationship between transcendence and immanence is the central theological concern that contributes to determining theological path which was taken in last hundred years.
The divine transcendence and immanence appear to exclude each other. For instance, transcendence claims that supernatural being who is God is above the world, while immanence inaugurates the idea that God is present within the physical world and "involved with the processes of the world and of human history" (Grenz and Olson, 1992, p. 291). What should be understood here is that, however much contradictious transcendence as well as, immanence may appear at times; both refer to God's relationship with man within and outside this world. That is, being God is the creator, he also has the ability of distancing himself from the world as he enforce his powers to show human beings that He is not dependent as they are.
Grenz and Olsen also argue in their book that evangelicals still function among forces of modernism as well as, keeping to the traditions of balancing divine transcendence and immanence. The two gives an example of two evangelical theologians by the names Bernard Ramm and Carl Henry who were able to maintain friendship by holding discussions with people who differed on their traditional views of divine transcendence and immanence. Ramm and Henry were both representatives for evangelism who addressed issues dealing with modern theology (Spradley, 1992). Henry was not a systematic theologian; however he continued to remain the speaker of the evangelical tradition. Henry has also offered evangelical movement, an example of academically informed critique of the developments…
Sample Source(s) Used
References
Grenz, S.J., & Olson, R.E. (1992). 20th-Century Theology: God and the World in a Transitional Age. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
Grenz, S.J. (1994). Community as a theological motif for evangelical theology. In die Skriflig/In Luce Verbi, 28(3), 45.
Grenz, S.J. (2000). The Spirit and the Word: The World-Creating Function of the Text. Theology Today, 57(3), 357-374.
Spradley (1992). Changing Views of Science and Scripture: Bernard Ramm and ASA.
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