Fifteen years after its original publication comes a thoroughly revised edition of the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology. Every article from the original edition has been revisited. With some articles being removed, others revised, and many new articles added, the result is a completely new dictionary covering systematic, historical, and philosophical theology as well as theological ethics.
Originally written for his students, this well-known 19th century Baptist minister turned out a proven classic of Theology. His orderly statements of the evidence prove that the Scriptures are a trustworthy revelation of Divine Will. The logical presentation of the blessed truths taught by the Scriptures has stood the test of time.The treatment of nearly every topic is biblical, rather than philosophical, and will be found useful in proportion to the care with which the Bible is consulted.
Parables were used by Jesus to reveal to us the kingdom of God and to move us from being bystanders to active recipients of God's work of revelation. However, parables are constantly at risk of being buried as 'mummies of prose', as George MacDonaldputs it. We become so familiar with the language of Scripture that Jesus' parables no longer work on us in this revelatory and transforming way. George MacDonald, the Victorian poet and theologian, observed this very process at work in Victorian society. It was a culture saturated with Christian jargon but often devoid of a profound understanding of the gospel for its own time and culture. The language of Scripture no longer penetrated people's hearts, imaginations, and attitudes; it no longer transformed people's lives. MacDonald, called to be a pastor, turned a story and more specifically the 'parabolic' as a means of spiritual awakening. He created fictive worlds in which the language of Jesus would find a new home and regain its revelatory power for his particular Victorian audience.