Biblical Critical Theory

It is not enough for Christians to explain the Bible to the culture in which we live. We must also explain the culture in which we live within the framework and categories of the Bible. If we are to meet this challenge, two things are necessary: we must develop a deep grasp of the shape of the biblical story and of how the Bible understands the world, humanity and God, and we must develop a penetrating and nuanced appreciation of the ideas and stories that shape our culture.

Biblical Critical Theory: How the Bible’s Unfolding Story Makes Sense of Modern Life and Culture does just this, setting out a fresh vision for biblical cultural engagement in which faithfulness to Scripture and sensitivity to culture walk hand in hand. This book exposes and evaluates the often-hidden assumptions and concepts that shape our late-modern society, and examines them through the lens of the biblical story running from Genesis to Revelation. With the help of extensive diagrams and practical tools, Biblical Critical Theory shows the reader how the signature patterns of the Bible’s storyline can provide incisive, fresh, and nuanced ways of intervening into today’s debates on everything from science, the arts and politics to dignity, multiculturalism and equality, showing Christians the moves to make and the tools to use in analyzing and engaging with all sorts of cultural artefacts and events.

This is a book for everyone who wants to bring together a white-hot commitment to unpopular scriptural truths with a positive, robust, constructive, and winsome vision for life and society. If Christians want to speak with a fresh, engaging, and dynamic voice in the marketplace of ideas today, we need to mine the unique treasures of the distinctive biblical storyline.