A rather loose term used to describe the revival of interest in biblical theology as a disciple during the 1940-50's, when there was a profuse output of scholarly works on the subject. Though influenced by European scholarship, the 'movement' was seen as a largely North American phenomenon. Some of the common features of those identified as belonging to the movement is the belief in the unity of the testaments, revelation in history, continuity between biblical studies and theology (or exegesis and theology), and a distinctive biblical mentality.
As a loose term, it is impossible to pin down when the movement began though some scholars are prepared to assert that the movement began with the publication of Walter Eichrodt's first volume of this two volume Old Testament Theology in 1933 and ended with von Rad's second volume of his Old Testament Theology. Brevard Childs, on the other hand, dates its demise with the publication of John A. T. Robinson's Honest to God in May 1963. One of the movement's most monumental accomplishments was the publication of the 10-volume Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Unfortunately the movement was too much influenced by liberal and neoorthodox presuppositions and turned out to be rather un-biblical in much of its fruits.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
James Barr, The Semantics of Biblical Language. New York: Oxford University Press, 1961.
Brevard Childs, Biblical Theology in Crisis. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1970. Probably the most accessible and useful summary of what the movement consisted of, its strengths and weaknesses and the causes of its demise, but is not an easy read for beginners.
James Smart, The Past, Present, and Future of Biblical Theology. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1979.
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