The Theology of B.B. Warfield, Chapter 1
I’m going to be working through The Theology of B.B. Warfield: A Systematic Summary over the next couple (or more?) months. My plan is not to give a detailed summary of each chapter or section, but rather, post some reflections after reading. For a good interview with Fred Zaspel and summary of the book see Justin Taylor’s post.
Why I think this book is important (after reading the first chapter):
- B.B. Warfield might be the most important man in 20th century evangelical history that you know nothing about.
- Fred Zaspel’s attention to historical detail. It was fascinating to read the history of Presbyterianism and Princeton. Is it for everyone? No. But it is helpful to set the scene to help understand liberalism.
- This is a different kind of theology book. It is not a systematic theology text, nor is it a historical study, but it seems to weave the two together well. I am looking forward to reading more.
- Warfield combated the liberal tendencies of the day by continually asserting that Christianity is supernatural. “Here is the Christian worldview, a frank confession of the ‘absolute supernatural’ that pervades the Christian faith that is ‘incumbent on every Christian’–a supernatural God, a supernatural redemption, accomplished by a supernatural Savior, interpreted by a supernatural revelation and applied by the supernatural operations of His Spirit.” p.59
Some interesting quotes:
“Warfield observes that this liberalism did not arise directly from unbelief but indirectly, in an attempt to rescue what was considered “essential Christianity’ from the onslaught of philosophical and scientific materialism.” p.46
“H. Richard Niebur (1894-1962) famously described the early twentieth-century theology this way: ‘A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgement through the ministrations of Christ without a cross.’” p.47
An era of change it was. Christianity was being offered a new set of beliefs…Religion had advanced also, and it was needful for Christianity to shed its ancient relics in order to keep up with the times…The very nature of the church is thrown into question. Just what is the church? Is it the pillar and ground of the truth? or is it more a religious society, or a business? And by what rule are such questions decided? What is the source of authority? change was the leading characteristic of the day, and virtually all that was distinctively Christian hung in the balance.” p.51
“In his 1880 inaugural lecture at Western Theological Seminary, Warfield referred to a ‘certain looseness of belief’ that had ‘invaded’ several quarters of the church.” p.52
