(Part 1)

JBTM Book Reviews
182
conditional immortality, and universalism. Before embarking on his discussion of these three
views, Thiselton states, “In truth, all three views find serious support in the history of theology, and
none should be lightly or thoughtlessly dismissed. Each makes a serious and thoughtful point”
(386, emphasis his). This point might not be accepted well among conservative Evangelicals.
One should note, however, that Thiselton does not explicitly endorse any of these three
views. Yet, the view that receives the most discussion is universalism.
Anthony Thiselton’s Systematic Theology is a welcome contribution to the field of systematic
theology. Readers will benefit from the interdisciplinary nature of Thiselton’s work. One
of the markers of good theologians is their ability to interact intelligibly with the work of
other disciplines outside of theology. Thiselton shows his knowledge and familiarity with the
fields of sociology, anthropology, philosophy of language, and philosophical hermeneutics
throughout the work. Also, he does a commendable job of interacting with the seminal works
in contemporary scholarship in biblical studies and biblical theology. He primarily interacts
with the works of Gordon Wenham, Gerhard von Rad, N. T. Wright, and James D. G. Dunn
when engaging biblical-theological issues. One should also note his preference of theologians,
namely Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jürgen Moltmann, and Wolfhart Pannenberg,
as he draws from these theologians in almost every chapter of the book. His reliance on
Pannenberg is not surprising, given that he thinks that Pannenberg’s three-volume Systematic
Theology is the best one written to date (xi). Also, in his discussion of the attack on the
doctrine of revelation, Thiselton does not endorse any specific view of revelation. Instead, he
clearly holds the Bible as the primary source and authority for theology.
Also of interest is the absence of a section on soteriology. Perhaps Thiselton sees
soteriology so interconnected to Christology, ecclesiology, and eschatology that he does not
deem it necessary to provide a special section for soteriology. Even if this is the case, one is
still unclear as to why he omits this section. Perhaps the greatest weakness of Thiselton’s
work is one of its greatest strengths: namely, its brevity. Though it is convenient to have
a systematic theology that is less than 500 pages, adequate attention is not always given
to multiple topics. Thiselton notes this weakness throughout the work. Overall, Anthony
Thiselton’s Systematic Theology is a phenomenal work. It will serve as useful to scholars,
students of theology, pastors and ministers, as well as interested laypersons.
- Andrew Hollingsworth, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans, Louisiana