Boyd, Gregory A., and Paul R. Eddy. Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009.
Summary
Boyd and Eddy’s Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology presents readers with a concise survey of seventeen topics chosen from contemporary debates within the evangelical community. Their format presents widely accepted countering positions on a single topic in each chapter. The goal of the book is to present each of these discussions in the form of a debate in which two to four of the leading consensus views defend their opposing conclusions using biblical arguments as their main support. Following the supporting arguments, each view concludes by addressing a selection of objections raised by opponents. Importantly, the authors remain neutral by not arguing for the primacy of any specific viewpoint presented on any topic.
While neither the variety of topics nor their discussions are exhaustive, Boyd and Eddy have prudently chosen from among some of the most active debates within the evangelical community today. Their topics were selected from issues the authors deemed to be debatable—falling outside the common evangelical “commitment to the core beliefs of historic, orthodox Christianity as expressed in the ecumenical creeds and to the primacy of Scripture in all matters of faith and practice.”[1] Topics covered by the authors are wide-ranging and include inerrancy, foreknowledge, sanctification, charismatic gifts, women in ministry, and hell. In the second edition, an appendix is included which presents brief summaries of the issues surrounding other topics which are not covered in the main chapters.
Evaluation
In Across the Spectrum, the debate format chosen by the authors provides the reader with a good example of how one might present arguments from differing viewpoints on theological disagreements in a respectfully balanced way. More theologically developed readers will almost certainly have a studied viewpoint for each of the subjects covered, but because the majority of space provided for each supporting argument is spent presenting the case from biblical evidence for that view’s conclusions, the reader has an opportunity to evaluate the considerations that those who support opposing viewpoints have in mind. In this way, disagreements between parties holding opposing views may engage more effectively through better informed approaches to the argument, suspicions of motive which are too often the common human experience may be better tempered, and a more charitable dialogue may be encouraged overall.
The biggest weakness of the book, the short, and too often diluted and repetitive responses provided in the “Responding to Objections” section of each argument, may be due to its concise nature for presenting a survey of so many topics. Boyd and Eddy do helpfully provide a list of resources for looking deeper into the topic at the end of each chapter, but the space constraints in the chosen format for the book may contribute to a second notable weakness—the material is not adequately annotated. By providing more extensive references to help readers locate more information on particular points within an argument, the usefulness for a wider and more varied audience could have been supported. In its current format, it seems most useful for the common audience noted in the featured reviews from the book’s back cover, undergraduate students of theology who have a professor to guide them in the questions they will undoubtedly encounter in their readings.
Reflection
Reading Across the Spectrum confirmed my belief that a healthy dose of intellectual humility is essential for anyone attempting to engage in substantial theological reflection, especially for those who teach others or plan to do so, as I believe the authors of this book assume for a significant portion of their audience. While the book does not devote the sort of space one would imagine as necessary to convince an individual to switch allegiance from one viewpoint to another, the book often provides enough good supporting biblical arguments from a specifically evangelical perspective to at least encourage a more respectful engagement in debate on some of the controversial topics covered. Relatedly, newer students of theology may be helped to discover a broader vision for how the significant inter-connections between many of the topics inform one another. In these ways, as a textbook for theological students, the format is suitable for clarifying a vision regarding the advantages and effectiveness of continued spiritual growth through meaningful debate with others holding different biblically oriented viewpoints.
Because Boyd and Eddy model their debates from the perspective of Christians who hold to the same core essentials expressed in the basic creeds, whose faith is shaped by the orthodox traditions they outline, and who seek to establish a set of reasoned viewpoints based on evidence which relies on the authority of Scripture, the authors provide space for thinking about the nature of theological certainty, and its ecumenical implications in how one’s viewpoint is conducted in the sphere of non-essentials when encountering those holding opposing views. Newer readers of theology will also get a taste for questions regarding what role tradition should play in the making of informed theological conclusions, the broader historical setting for the viewpoints presented, and influence culture plays many times in the conclusions being made.
Overall, the book would be most useful in a setting where the reader is guided by a well-informed tutor to help ensure these important takeaways are not missed. The book presents a thoughtful guide the opportunity to show readers just how each person brings a certain amount of bias to interpretation. Ultimately, as an aid to college theological course readings, the book will provide students the opportunity to gain a deeper appreciation towards understanding the active role theological stances play in Christian practice. The breadth of material covered shows that these theological formulations are not merely for those doing work in academic centers of learning, but have very real and often far-reaching consequences in the Church, where these and other points of faith interact and are lived out in the Christian community based on the shared beliefs we hold.
[1] Gregory A. Boyd, and Paul R. Eddy, Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009), 12.