Comments on: Top 5 Christian Theologians: Who Did I Leave Out? http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2008/08/23/top-5-christian-theologians-who-did-i-leave-out/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=top-5-christian-theologians-who-did-i-leave-out Kingdom People - Living on Earth as Citizens of Heaven Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:45:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Glenn N. Smith http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2008/08/23/top-5-christian-theologians-who-did-i-leave-out/#comment-3000 Glenn N. Smith Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:17:07 +0000 http://trevinwax.wordpress.com/?p=1647#comment-3000 John Owen John Owen

]]> By: Jim http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2008/08/23/top-5-christian-theologians-who-did-i-leave-out/#comment-2999 Jim Mon, 26 Dec 2011 20:36:34 +0000 http://trevinwax.wordpress.com/?p=1647#comment-2999 Did we forget Dietrich Bonhoeffer,Billy Graham,Rick Warren. Did we forget Dietrich Bonhoeffer,Billy Graham,Rick Warren.

]]> By: simmmo http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2008/08/23/top-5-christian-theologians-who-did-i-leave-out/#comment-2998 simmmo Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:49:10 +0000 http://trevinwax.wordpress.com/?p=1647#comment-2998 Perhaps a list of great theologians in the Christian East would look like this: Basil the Great Gregory Palamas Gregory of Nazianzus John Chrysostom Simeon the New Theologian Modern Eastern theologians would include Vladimir Lossky John Romanides Kallistos Ware Hilarion Alfeyev John Zizioulas Perhaps a list of great theologians in the Christian East would look like this:

Basil the Great
Gregory Palamas
Gregory of Nazianzus
John Chrysostom
Simeon the New Theologian

Modern Eastern theologians would include

Vladimir Lossky
John Romanides
Kallistos Ware
Hilarion Alfeyev
John Zizioulas

]]> By: simmmo http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2008/08/23/top-5-christian-theologians-who-did-i-leave-out/#comment-2997 simmmo Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:38:33 +0000 http://trevinwax.wordpress.com/?p=1647#comment-2997 As for modern theologians in the West, you'd have to have NT Wright. Quite frankly, guys like Grudem, Piper, Carson, even Packer just can't hold a candle to Tom Wright. They're just not in the same league. It's very interesting that Wright's position on the atonement, hell, beauty, new creation, justice, etc sits very comfortably with Orthodox theology. Perhaps we could see an Orthodox counter revival to the neo-Calvinist revival in the West! As for modern theologians in the West, you’d have to have NT Wright. Quite frankly, guys like Grudem, Piper, Carson, even Packer just can’t hold a candle to Tom Wright. They’re just not in the same league. It’s very interesting that Wright’s position on the atonement, hell, beauty, new creation, justice, etc sits very comfortably with Orthodox theology. Perhaps we could see an Orthodox counter revival to the neo-Calvinist revival in the West!

]]> By: simmmo http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2008/08/23/top-5-christian-theologians-who-did-i-leave-out/#comment-2996 simmmo Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:32:34 +0000 http://trevinwax.wordpress.com/?p=1647#comment-2996 You've left out the Christian East, apart from Athanasius. I would have thought Saint John Chrysostom, Gregory of Nyssa and co would have been worth a mention. Perhaps this is due to the differing views of what a theologian is in the West versus the East. I notice that you give a shout out to Anselm of Canterbury, who you point out started scholasticism. I'm not too sure what is so good about scholasticism. In my opinion it has led to the neo-gnostic tendencies we see in Western Christianity today. But in the East, a theologian is one who prays. The one who knows about God is the one who becomes close to God through prayer. So it's not about a scholastic exercise as in the West. There's not a ladder of human logic that one can climb and then be able to know about God. I think a lot of Western theological folly is the direct result of guys like Augustine, Anselm and particularly Calvin. They imposed their own philosophical questions on Christianity, rather than to let Christianity speak for itself in its own way. I'm glad to see guys in the West such as NT Wright and Greg Boyd coming around to Eastern points of view. Particularly on the atonement, where Anselm's model has led the West astray and has really resulted in a theology of the cross that is totally devoid of love. It's great to see Christus Victor making a come back, because it was the position of the early church. You’ve left out the Christian East, apart from Athanasius. I would have thought Saint John Chrysostom, Gregory of Nyssa and co would have been worth a mention. Perhaps this is due to the differing views of what a theologian is in the West versus the East. I notice that you give a shout out to Anselm of Canterbury, who you point out started scholasticism. I’m not too sure what is so good about scholasticism. In my opinion it has led to the neo-gnostic tendencies we see in Western Christianity today. But in the East, a theologian is one who prays. The one who knows about God is the one who becomes close to God through prayer. So it’s not about a scholastic exercise as in the West. There’s not a ladder of human logic that one can climb and then be able to know about God. I think a lot of Western theological folly is the direct result of guys like Augustine, Anselm and particularly Calvin. They imposed their own philosophical questions on Christianity, rather than to let Christianity speak for itself in its own way. I’m glad to see guys in the West such as NT Wright and Greg Boyd coming around to Eastern points of view. Particularly on the atonement, where Anselm’s model has led the West astray and has really resulted in a theology of the cross that is totally devoid of love. It’s great to see Christus Victor making a come back, because it was the position of the early church.

]]> By: Manda Bernstein http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2008/08/23/top-5-christian-theologians-who-did-i-leave-out/#comment-2995 Manda Bernstein Fri, 28 Oct 2011 23:42:56 +0000 http://trevinwax.wordpress.com/?p=1647#comment-2995 Keep to see something new from you Keep to see something new from you

]]> By: Christiane http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2008/08/23/top-5-christian-theologians-who-did-i-leave-out/#comment-2994 Christiane Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:55:11 +0000 http://trevinwax.wordpress.com/?p=1647#comment-2994 There was a little French nun who died at age 24. She left some writings. When her sister showed the writings to the priests, they were amazed . . . they sent the writings to Rome, and there, they were examined. They contained something that the Church recognized as so important that the little nun was eventually canonized a saint and, in time, named as one of the twenty-three DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH. She is among the 'Doctors of the Church' with many of the great theologians you have mentioned. Therese is certainly not'the most recognized' among theologians, but to those of my faith, she is likely the one who is most loved. She was very humble. Very child-like. Something in her writing was an insight into Christ that has brought many, many people to Him or closer to Him. Is that the work of a 'great theologian' ? Or just someone who loved Him and was able to articulate His love with a greater depth than had seen before in any writings of the great Christian theologians ? I think it was latter. What is 'great' in Christianity? Sometimes paradoxically, the love-filled writing of a simple, child-like nun blessed with the gift of leading men to Christ has more power in the Kingdom than the logic of sages. There was a little French nun who died at age 24. She left some writings.
When her sister showed the writings to the priests, they were amazed . . . they sent the writings to Rome, and there,
they were examined.

They contained something that the Church recognized as so important that the little nun was eventually canonized a saint and, in time, named as one of the twenty-three DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH.

She is among the ‘Doctors of the Church’ with many of the great theologians you have mentioned. Therese is certainly not’the most recognized’ among theologians, but to those of my faith, she is likely the one who is most loved. She was very humble. Very child-like.

Something in her writing was an insight into Christ that has brought many, many people to Him or closer to Him.
Is that the work of a ‘great theologian’ ? Or just someone who loved Him and was able to articulate His love with a greater depth than had seen before in any writings of the great Christian theologians ?

I think it was latter.
What is ‘great’ in Christianity?
Sometimes paradoxically, the love-filled writing of a simple, child-like nun blessed with the gift of leading men to Christ has more power in the Kingdom than the logic of sages.

]]> By: ryan http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2008/08/23/top-5-christian-theologians-who-did-i-leave-out/#comment-2993 ryan Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:53:14 +0000 http://trevinwax.wordpress.com/?p=1647#comment-2993 I just realized how old this is; I guess my comments will probably go unheard. Oh well... I just realized how old this is; I guess my comments will probably go unheard. Oh well…

]]> By: ryan http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2008/08/23/top-5-christian-theologians-who-did-i-leave-out/#comment-2992 ryan Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:52:37 +0000 http://trevinwax.wordpress.com/?p=1647#comment-2992 As for Spurgeon, I have greatly enjoyed his work for quite some, but I would not really consider him a theologian. He had a very deep knowledge of God and of Scripture and was very good at articulating Biblical Christianity in a way that is both beautiful and understandable to those who are not heavily educated. But none of his ideas are original or somehow revolutionary, and his specialty was not in offering new arguments or exegetical insights into the text. Thus, while he may well be in a top 5 list of preachers, I wouldn't put him in a top 5 list of theologians. As for Spurgeon, I have greatly enjoyed his work for quite some, but I would not really consider him a theologian. He had a very deep knowledge of God and of Scripture and was very good at articulating Biblical Christianity in a way that is both beautiful and understandable to those who are not heavily educated. But none of his ideas are original or somehow revolutionary, and his specialty was not in offering new arguments or exegetical insights into the text. Thus, while he may well be in a top 5 list of preachers, I wouldn’t put him in a top 5 list of theologians.

]]> By: Joe http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/2008/08/23/top-5-christian-theologians-who-did-i-leave-out/#comment-2991 Joe Wed, 29 Jun 2011 04:12:21 +0000 http://trevinwax.wordpress.com/?p=1647#comment-2991 Glad to see someone finally mentioned C.H. Spurgeon. Glad to see someone finally mentioned C.H. Spurgeon.

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