James K. Mead's History Of Biblical Theology: Issues, And Themes

In “History of Biblical Theology,” chapter 2 of Biblical Theology: Issues, Methods, and Themes, James K. Mead provides the historical context to the development of biblical theology. The problem Mead highlights is that each era (non-critical or critical or post-critical) has its own issue and challenges in biblical theology, drawing attention for new methods to the Bible and its view on it. He also maintains that challenges of one era sometimes are repeated in the next era.

In order to address this problem, Mead employs seven questions arranged chronologically as the outline of his chapter, and the main point of each outline will be given in the report below. The questions are:
1. What kind of biblical theology existed before the discipline of that name arose?
2. Under what circumstances did the discipline of biblical theology develop?
3. Why did the division in the treatment of the testaments occur?
4. What intellectual movements influenced the methods of nineteenth- century biblical theology?
5. What is the difference between the history of religions and biblical theology?
6. Why is the middle of the twentieth century thought of as a great age of biblical theology?
7. What new
He explains this by following what Kevin Vanhoozer calls “Hermeneutics of humility” (34). Hermeneutics of humility is not about revelling at one’s own interpretative skills, or imposing interpretative theories on texts and the meanings. Rather, hermeneutics of humility helps us to “gain understanding–of God, texts, others, and ourselves–if we are willing to put ourselves second and our interpretative theories to the test of the text” (34). This leads to finding corrective for a weak and irrelevant pulpit. According to Lama, it is “a prophetic message that sapiently sets forth the whole counsel of God” (34). Interpreting Scripture in Northeast India needs to reflect