Veeneman, Mary M. Introducing Theological Method: A Survey of Contemporary Theologians and Approaches. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2017.
Summary
Mary Veeneman’s Introducing Theological Method: A Survey of Contemporary Theologians and Approachesprovides a valuable resource for advancing students of theology who need to gain an understanding of the important “work of prolegomena”[1] preceding their own theological work. The author begins with some brief introductory material, drawing the reader’s attention to the book’s major objective, learning to identify and recognize the critical methodological concerns which she carefully includes in each following chapter. The three primary concerns that Veeneman emphasizes are: indicating which sources are to be used, identifying which questions are to be answered, and establishing the contextual starting point for the work which follows. The seven chapters which follow, each focusing on a key modern theological development, show how important scholars associated with each used these three methodological concerns to form the basis of their framework.
Because this is a work limited to a survey of contemporary theologians, Veeneman sets her scope’s point of beginning in the twentieth century. The theologians considered represent a good mix of Catholic and Protestant thinkers, and ethnically diverse male and female scholars. Importantly, Veeneman’s concern is with Christian theology, and her examples have all identified the Bible as an important source in building their respective methodologies. Selected topics include neo-orthodox, postliberal, evangelical, political, and feminist theologies. It should be noted that the “book isn’t interested in telling students which theological commitment to take up”[2], and the author does a fair job overall in representing vastly different approaches while maintaining scholarly detachment.
Evaluation
Veeneman does an excellent job providing data to show how “theological work has been shaped by the historical location of those who do theology.”[3] Beginning with the first featured theologian, Avery Dulles, to the last, Delores Williams, the reader is provided with important historical context to show how this has shaped the questions being answered, and for setting the contextual starting point for the theological work. Veeneman does not limit her chapter development to examples featuring individual theologians, but also incorporates a good mix of wider dialogue surrounding theological concepts and the cultural and historical settings of which they were the result. This is useful for ingraining in students the ability to recognize and reflect on these core concepts as critical to the work of theology. In addition, this data serves to strengthen an understanding for the place of these methodological concerns, and how they have served as important headsprings in the development of theological concepts with which they may already be familiar.
The major weakness of the book is the inconsistent approach to organization that occurs too often throughout. Because Veeneman does not organize her chapters by following one established pattern, the reader is forced to do more work to place the information being provided into the book’s larger framework and purpose. This lack of pattern is evident even within the most structured sections which focus on particular theologians. While some receive quite lengthy biographical information, others receive almost no such attention to detail.
Reflection
Going beyond a special attention to historical setting, and the role it played in the context for the work of the book’s highlighted individuals and wider dialogues, Veeneman goes on to further show how creativity played an important factor in certain efforts attempting to advance a particular framework of understanding. Because the book does not attempt to evaluate the appropriateness or merit of any framework, readers tied to more traditional views might encounter strong theological tension at some of the apparent liberties taken in these examples. As it stands, the weak identity of any important guardrails serving as constraints on such creative innovation might give pause to those committed to more orthodox views of interpretation and application of Biblical texts. This is another reason the book is most appropriate for advancing theological students who will have had greater exposure and more resources at their disposal for dealing with such encounters.
There is a predominant emphasis throughout the book which portrays cultural context as a driving factor for theological work. This emphasis could have benefited from a more balanced portrayal of the Christian religion itself as culture building within whatever cultural context it is placed. Larry Hurtado points out that from its beginning stages, Christianity was “transethnic and translocal, addressing males and female of all social levels and generating circles of followers who were expected to commit to particular beliefs and behavior… [these] distinctive features of early Christianity have also shaped our world.”[4] Historian Tom Holland likens this effect of Paul’s teaching in particular to a depth charge which “sets up ripple effects of revolution throughout Western history”[5] that continue to this day.
Finally, it seems clear that there is useful background data which the author had in mind at times but did not communicate to the reader. It is apparent that Veeneman made intelligent and informed choices in deciding what to include, but it too often felt that useful data was inadvertently withheld, preventing a clearer picture to the reader on a particular point of interest. These sections might have been better served by providing just a few more particulars.[6]
It might be overly harsh to criticize Veeneman’s failures on these points given the limited content which the book covers, and the theological neutrality the book intends to deliver. Attempting to fit the scope of theological method from the twentieth century through our modern era in such a compact volume (190 pages) necessarily means that there will be gaps of all kinds in its content. All things considered, Introducing Theological Method may be the best resource for university classroom purposes simply because at this time it uniquely fills a niche that is valuable for theological students. Other volumes that might be considered as alternatives for class use, such as Ford and Muers’ The Modern Theologians or McCormack and Kapic’s Mapping Modern Theology, are considerably larger in scope and would require a great deal of parsing effort on the part of students to surface the same points which Veeneman brings to the fore. An impressive array of scholars commends this work including Fred Sanders, Lynn Cohick, and Scot McKnight. For students beginning their own independent theological inquiry, Veeneman’s book offers a valuable resource for better understanding the task at hand by emphasizing the methodological principles essential to the work of theology.
Bibliography
Hurtado, Larry W. Destroyer of the Gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2016.
Veeneman, Mary M. Introducing Theological Method : A Survey of Contemporary Theologians and Approaches. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2017.
[1] Mary M. Veeneman, Introducing Theological Method : A Survey of Contemporary Theologians and Approaches (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2017), 2.
[2] Veeneman, 190.
[3] Veeneman, 10.
[4] Larry W. Hurtado, Destroyer of the Gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2016), 186,89.
[5] Tom Holland, “Tom Holland tells NT Wright: Why I Changed My Mind about Christianity,” interview by N.T. Wright, SPCK Publishing, YouTube video, 3:35-4:10, January 29, 2020, https://youtu.be/AIJ9gK47Ogw?si=QdUyEbjItKKFCgWH&t=215.
[6] For example, Stanley Grenz is located in the chapter on Evangelical Theologies but is provided no biographical information to help place his work in the wider context.