Current American Theism-A Bibliographic Survey -- By: F. Duane Lindsey

Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 126:503 (Jul 1969)
Article: Current American Theism-A Bibliographic Survey
Author: F. Duane Lindsey


Current American Theism-A Bibliographic Survey

F. Duane Lindsey

[F. Duane Lindsey, Registrar and Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology, Dallas Theological Seminary.]

The evangelical Christian today, confronting a so-called post-Christian culture, is faced by certain modern prophets who claim to have a secular gospel for modern man in the time of the death of God. There is a trend in institutionalized Christianity to move as a restless church from the comfortable pew to the secular city with on honest-to-God secular gospel of Christian atheism. The stir caused by current radical theologians is forcibly reminding the evangelical believer that the central reality of theology is the reality of God.

Near the beginning of the twentieth century, James Orr noted: “It is not too strong to say that, in principle, every question of importance which arises in theology is already practically settled in the doctrine of God and His attributes. So essential is it to begin with Scripturally right thoughts about God.”1

The truth of this statement is even more apparent as we move into the last third of the twentieth century. In fact, if the second advent of Jesus Christ does not locate the opening of the twenty-first century on the millennial earth, the latter third of the twentieth century will probably be remembered in future theology books as the era of the great debate about God. “Our space-time world has become one vast amphitheater where all divergent views of God confront each other in debate more directly and insistently than ever before. Today the God of the Bible is ranged in fresh battle against the ancient gods of resurgent-oriental religions, against the modern gods of Occidental cults, against the speculative gods of liberal

theologians, against the rational constructs of contemporary philosophers, and even, against contenders supplied by some who claim to revive an authentic theology of divine encounter. Moreover, all theological conflicts now move in to strike the bedrock of discussion concerning the essence and existence of the Living God, even asking whether the emerging future has room for any god at all as a central philosophical theme. Consequently, the main extant concepts of God inevitably ressurrect many theological and philosophical discussions of the past and reconstruct them to current consideration…. All previous traditions now seem to be converging for one mighty, final struggle-to-the-death.”2

The purpose of this article is not to provide the theologian wth a complete bibliography of current theistic discussion (extended...

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