God's Wider Presence: Reconsidering General Revelation Paperback – October 21, 2014

You may not agree with all of Johnston's conclusions (though be careful; he has been extremely careful to articulate his positions), but one can't argue with how fully Johnston has investigated the topic. A must read for Christians who live in an increasingly pluralistic world.

A little bit heavier than anticipated

That is a big question. Theologians typically have two big categories for revelation: general and special. Johnston wants us to consider whether our understanding of general revelation is too narrow. Does God reveal Himself through things like movies and poetry? Johnston believes he does and argues his case accordingly.I heard Johnston give some lectures that piqued my interest, so I grabbed his new book.The section on the famous debate between Barth and Brunner is extremely helpful. Johnston is at his best here. Both sides receive a favorable look. It seems they may have been talking past each other when it came to the topic of general revelation.Johnston’s treatment of Friedrich Schleiermacher was perhaps my favorite. The author clearly does not agree with Schleiermacher’s unorthodox theology. However, the gracious care Johnston gives to Schleiermacher’s approach, especially with respect to “general revelation,” is terrific and provides much food for thought.Johnston is too sanguine on what I label the “ironic and sardonic approach” of Peter Rollins. Johnston is also much more favorable than me when it comes to the approach of feminist scholar, Elizabeth Johnson. Even so, Johnston’s handling of Johnson made me think harder about “Lady Wisdom” and related matters.A beginning student of theology would probably be a bit lost with this book, but for those who have some background, there are riches to be had.