God and the Teaching of Theology

Steven Edward Harris is a fellow of the Kirby Laing Institute for Christian Ethics and research scholar at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto.

"John Conley's beautifully written and cogently presented study, The Other Pascals, ambitiously and sensitively inscribes these gendered female theologians into their appropriate and well-earned historical, cultural, and religious context. In so doing, Conley adds immeasurably to our understandings of the history, philosophy, and theology of the seventeenth century." —Catharine Randall, Dartmouth College"Theology is too important to be understood as an object of study to be prodded at by experts; its true, abiding nature as doctrine, that is, teaching, needs to be recognized, and that within an optimal context of teachers modeling lives under transformation. What we get from this refreshing and stimulating book is not just how God was understood in 1 Corinthians 1–4 but how human biblical science as part of a living and faithful tradition gave access to divine wisdom. A crystal clear thesis is accompanied by beautifully readable prose drawing on the length, breadth, and depth of Christian scriptural interpretation." —Mark Elliott, University of Glasgow"Harris's book on God's pedagogy and its human mediators within the church is a treasure to be gratefully received and shared. This rich exploration into the history of interpretation demonstrates the power of the volume's thesis: God redemptively teaches divine truth in Christ through the faithful and humble teachers he gives us. In this case, Harris's synoptic and ordered study of past readers of 1 Corinthians 1–4 yields, not a scholarly archive, but a vivid disclosure of divine wisdom's formation of the Christian people. The result is a profound meditation, ecumenical in spirit, on theological learning and teaching that is incisively relevant to our own time. A remarkable achievement." —Ephraim Radner, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto"The book is a work of genius both in conception and execution. Steven Harris's idea of canvassing a large number of commentaries on 1 Corinthians 1–4 from the earliest patristic period through the Reformation era shows how deeply insightful these commentators were; he weaves them together skillfully. . . . Harris understands deeply both the biblical text and the theological issues involved, and his judgments—both theological and historical—are sage and balanced. The level of scholarship here is high indeed, and this kind of ecumenical reception history on a crucial theological topic is much needed." —Matthew Levering, James N. and Mary D. Perry, Jr. Chair of Theology, Mundelein Seminary"Harris writes in a Spirit-infused manner that brings conviction to theologians that their work is God's work and that it is for others." —Religious Studies Review

• AbbreviationsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Theologians in God's Plan1. God the Teacher of His Wisdom2. The Divine Pedagogy in History3. Wisdom, Divine and Human4. The Students of the Divine Wisdom5. The Position and Authority of God's Teachers6. The Method and Judgment of God's Teachers7. The End of the Divine PedagogyConclusion: Knowing GodAppendix. Chronological Table of CommentatorsBibliography