A record crowd of more than 2,500 turned out in Atlanta this week for the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, focused on “Justification By Faith.” The conference’s main event—three papers and debate over justification between New Testament scholars Frank Thielman, Tom Schreiner, and N. T. Wright—might be about three years too late to slow the spread of controversy over justification that has gripped evangelicals. Unfortunately, a planned face-to-face discussion between John Piper and Wright fell through when Piper took an extended sabbatical. But the novelty of pairing Wright on a panel with Schreiner, another key critic, still riveted an audience that enjoyed more than two hours of sustained debate over New Testament texts, Greek terminology, and ancient Near Eastern and Roman society.
An important and continuing conversation. The question is what is the scope and location of the theological tenet of justification? This would have been reason enough to be at the this years ETS conference.
So, what do you make of it? I read the article and I must admit it’s all a little over my head. I guess I am left with the feeling that both options (Wright or Schreiner/Piper) are a little limiting and strain scripture. I doubt seriously if there is one theology of salvation which does justice to all scripture and sits in tension with none of scripture.