CTC2 New Testament Theology

This book aims to introduce seminary students to the discipline of New Testament Theology. It does not claim to be an original contribution or to solve difficult problems, but rather to provide an overview of the discipline, explain its problems, and offer positive solutions from the author's perspective. Like all theology, it is a human work, and as such, no human position can be considered definitive. The author has remained continuously in contact with the most important recent publications, sometimes to find support and other times to discuss possible solutions to problems. The exposition is intended, above all, to be a dialogue with other prominent theologians. In this task, the author has deliberately limited his own words. The bibliographic references contain almost exclusively materials available in English, given that the book is for seminary students and not for research; and bibliographic materials in most of the exposition have been limited to modern works. Very valuable materials can be found in the three Hastings encyclopedias, but such old materials have been used only exceptionally. The author hopes that the student will find a guide that directs them to the most recent important works on the main topics of New Testament Theology.

The author has dedicated himself to this task with the conviction that New Testament Theology should be fundamentally a descriptive discipline. He is convinced, however, that personal presuppositions greatly influence its approach. For this reason, although the primary objective is to describe what the different New Testament authors teach, critical aspects are not ignored. It is obvious, however, that they cannot be examined in detail. The author has often learned more from those with whom he disagrees, and trusts that he has accurately presented the thoughts of other researchers and treated them with respect. He hopes that those beginning the study of New Testament Theology will not only find a positive exposition but will also be encouraged to delve deeper into the problems themselves.

George E. Ladd