Biblical Critical Theory

“I am so thankful to God that this long-awaited book has finally arrived at this particular moment in our late modern world. For those of us who have been advocating the imperative of biblically faithful cultural critique and construction, Chris Watkin has taken away our blunt machete and given us a scalpel; indeed, he’s given us a whole set of diagnostic and surgical tools. Biblical Critical Theory will become a seminal text for us: part manifesto, part Bible overview (the most maximal one imaginable), part blueprint for civilization. It’s a revelation about the implications and applications of God’s revelation and how Jesus Christ is the subversive fulfillment of all and every culture. In terms of Christian doctrine, Watkin admits that he is saying nothing new, but the arrangement of the material is menthol fresh, his interlocutors are the heavyweights, and his writing is a model of elegance, engagement, and empathy. From first steps in Christian discipleship, through catechesis and seminary, and to the highest level of academic research, Watkin’s work in Biblical Critical Theory will be a foundation and frame for years to come. Absolutely essential reading”

Dan Strange, Crosslands Forum

'A book that I have been eagerly anticipating for years. ... My prayers are that this book will bear much intellectual and spiritual fruit in many lives over the decades ahead.'

TIMOTHY KELLER, founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York

“Biblical Critical Theory is an ambitious, comprehensive, and thrilling work of Christian apologetics. Written by a scholar of French thought who has built his career not in the seminary but in secular institutions, this book moves well beyond a run-of-the-mill account of the West’s seminal thinkers. Rather, the intellectual architects of modernity are expounded by someone with a subtle, first-hand grasp of their power. The result is a rich, sympathetic, and critical engagement with the gospel’s most powerful rivals. Refusing to abstract a “biblical worldview” from the actual phenomenon of Scripture, Watkin tethers his material to the storyline of the Bible, engaging with Scripture’s own language and thought-forms. Armed with this dual-attentiveness to Scripture and contemporary thought, the result is a vast and breathtaking work of Christian cultural engagement. The book’s structural coherence and biblical-narrative approach makes a cover-to-cover read a rich experience. But having read it, it ought to stay on a shelf with other often-used reference books, within reach for anyone who wants to understand the Bible, contemporary culture, or the relation between the two. It is probably, in my opinion, the most significant work of its kind to appear in a decade.”

Rory Shiner, Providence City Church, Perth

Table of Contents