Goldingay on God: Addressing the Distinction between Biblical and Dogmatic Theology

In modern descriptions of biblical theology, attempts to distinguish it from dogmatic or systematic theology have often focused on the latter’s use of extrabiblical or “philosophical” concepts and categories in expounding Christian doctrine. In his recent volume entitled Biblical Theology: The God of the Christian Scriptures, John Goldingay initially affirms this method of distinguishing between the disciplines, but his subsequent treatment of the Bible’s teaching about God affords an excellent opportunity to discuss whether this approach to the distinction is in fact practicable. Through an appreciative engagement of Goldingay’s work, this essay will discuss (1) the need for an alternative way of distinguishing biblical theology from dogmatic theology and (2) how Goldingay’s treatment of scriptural teaching on God in particular might help to address perceived tensions between the Bible’s portrayal of God and classical accounts of God that are frequently viewed with suspicion in modern biblical scholarship.