As a part of my intentions to become more familiar with New Covenant Theology (NCT), I have been reading materials by Tom Wells, Fred Zaspel, and John Reisinger. In addition to that I have also listened to a presentation by James Renihan given in a conferrence setting back in 2004. I hope, as did he back then, that the information being critiqued was current and representative of the majority of those in the movement. I thing that the case could be made that there isn't that distinction between popular and scholastic manifestations of the "system" as there exists in American Dispensationalism today because of the movement being still in its infancy.
Renihan makes his presentation in three parts: exegetical concerns, theological concerns, and historical concerns. The entire presentation is couched in a discussion of the Zaspel and Wells book, "New Covenant Theology". At the time it was the only formal published work. Renihan goes on to describe the movement as being largely an internet phenomenon.
The primary exegetical concerns Renihan has are that Wells and Zaspel use Christ's words in Matt. 5:17-20 as the pivotal means of understanding the Law in the entire Word of God. Secondly, Wells and Zaspel don't even address Jeremiah 31:31-34 in an exegetical manner, and if there was a pivotal passage in defining the terms of the New Covenant, this would certainly be it.
Renehan's second category of critique is that of theology. He mentions that one NCT adherents actually states that one's view of the Law is the defining element for one's hermeneutic, when in fact, as Renihan points out, the exact opposite should be true...one's hermeneutic should actually be used to drive one's systematic view of the Law.
And finally, he refutes the NCT assertion that the earliest Baptists were not Covenant Theologians, but were actually the forerunners to NCT.
I hope Jim McDermott will visit this site again and partake in a renewed discussion.
Renihan makes his presentation in three parts: exegetical concerns, theological concerns, and historical concerns. The entire presentation is couched in a discussion of the Zaspel and Wells book, "New Covenant Theology". At the time it was the only formal published work. Renihan goes on to describe the movement as being largely an internet phenomenon.
The primary exegetical concerns Renihan has are that Wells and Zaspel use Christ's words in Matt. 5:17-20 as the pivotal means of understanding the Law in the entire Word of God. Secondly, Wells and Zaspel don't even address Jeremiah 31:31-34 in an exegetical manner, and if there was a pivotal passage in defining the terms of the New Covenant, this would certainly be it.
Renehan's second category of critique is that of theology. He mentions that one NCT adherents actually states that one's view of the Law is the defining element for one's hermeneutic, when in fact, as Renihan points out, the exact opposite should be true...one's hermeneutic should actually be used to drive one's systematic view of the Law.
And finally, he refutes the NCT assertion that the earliest Baptists were not Covenant Theologians, but were actually the forerunners to NCT.
I hope Jim McDermott will visit this site again and partake in a renewed discussion.
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