Table Of Content“A stimulating discussion of the problems of general revelation--particularly de- T Thomas K. Johnson
h
signed for those engaged in the missionary task.” o
m
a
Dr John Warwick Montgomery s
K
PUrnoifveesrssoitry Eomf Bereidtufos,r dshire, England . Jo
h
n
s
“This is a significant book on one of the most important subjects confronting o
n
Cmhersisstaiagne sis t omdeaayn: inHgolwes tso o br rdinagn gthereo ubsib?l Tichaol mmaess Jsoahgnes toon ’as wexoprlods itthioant tohfi Rnoksm tahniss G
o
1-2 is a highly needed resource on general revelation, clearly written, eye-ope- d
ning, compelling. I recommend this book most strongly.” ‘s G The First Step in
e
Ron Kubsch ne
r Missions Training:
Lecturer in Apologetics and Contemporary Theology a
Martin Bucer European School of Theology and Research Institutes l R
e
v
e
la
Thomas K. Johnson received his Ph.D. in ethics from tio
the University of Iowa (1987) after a research fellow- n
ship at Eberhard-Karls Universität (Tübingen). He re- How our Neighbors
ceived a Master of Divinity (Magna Cum Laude) from
Covenant Theological Seminary (St. Louis, 1981)
and a BA from Hope College (Michigan, 1977). Af- are Wrestling with
ter serving as a church planter in the Presbyterian
Church in America he became a visiting professor of
philosophy at the European Humanities University God’s General Revelation
in Minsk, Belarus, 1994–1996. (EHU is a dissident,
anti-Communist university, forced into exile by the
Belarusian dictator in 2004.) Since 1996 he and his
wife have lived in Prague, where he taught philoso-
phy at Anglo-American University (4 years) and at Charles University (8 years).
He is now Vice President for Research, Martin Bucer European School of Theology
and Research Institutes; Academic Council, International Institute for Religious
Freedom (WEA); Professor of Philosophy, Global Scholars, and Senior Advisor to
the Theological Commission of the World Evangelical Alliance. His wife, Leslie P. W
Johnson, is director of the Christian International School of Prague. o
r
ld
o
f T
ISBN 978-3-86269-084-8 sponsored by: h
e
o
ISSN 1436-0292 (World of Theology Series) lo
g
y
S
e
r
ie
s
1
Verlag für Kultur und Wissenschaft
V
(Culture and Science Publ.) K World of Theology Series 1
Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher W
Thomas K. Johnson
The First Step in Missions Training:
How our Neighbors are Wrestling
with God’s General Revelation
World of Theology Series
Published by the Theological Commission
of the World Evangelical Alliance
Volume 1
Vol 1 Thomas K. Johnson: The First Step in Missions Training: How our
Neighbors are Wrestling with God’s General Revelation
Vol 2 Thomas K. Johnson: Christian Ethics in Secular Cultures
Vol 3 David Parker: Discerning the Obedience of Faith: A Short History of the
World Evangelical Alliance Theological Commission (in preparation)
Vol 4 Thomas Schirrmacher (Ed.): William Carey: Theologian – Linguist –
Social Reformer
Vol 5 Thomas Schirrmacher: Advocate of Love – Martin Bucer as Theologian
and Pastor
Vol 6 Thomas Schirrmacher: Culture of Shame / Culture of Guilt
Vol 7 Thomas Schirrmacher: The Koran and the Bible
Thomas K. Johnson
The First Step in Missions Training:
How our Neighbors are Wrestling
with God’s General Revelation
Verlag für Kultur und Wissenschaft
Culture and Science Publ.
Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher
Bonn 2014
Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbib-
liothek
The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available in the Inter-
net at http://dnb.d-nb.de
© Copyright 2014 by
Verlag für Kultur und Wissenschaft
(Culture and Science Publ.)
Prof. Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher
Friedrichstraße 38, D-53111 Bonn
Fax +49 / 228 / 9650389
www.vkwonline.de / [email protected]
ISSN 1436-0292
ISBN 978-3-86269-084-8
Printed in Germany
coverdesign and manufacturing:
BoD Verlagsservice Beese, Friedensallee 44, 22765 Hamburg
www.rvbeese.de / [email protected]
Publishing Distribution Center:
IC-Medienhaus
D-71087 Holzgerlingen, Tel. 07031/7414-177 Fax -119
www.icmedienhaus.de
catalog for book stores:
www.vkwonline.de/gesamtprospekt
Private costumers: in any book store or at www.vkwonline.de
“In a time when Euro-American culture has lost confidence in its rich her-
itage, we need more than ever a work such as this by a theologian such as
Thomas Johnson. This should be required reading in every seminary and
graduate program that deals with the meaning of culture.”
Gerald R McDermott
Jordan-Trexler Professor of Religion
Roanoke College, USA
“A stimulating discussion of the problems of general revelation--
particularly designed for those engaged in the missionary task.”
Dr John Warwick Montgomery
Professor Emeritus,
University of Bedfordshire, England
“A must read for all Christian students in higher education. Prof. Johnson
provides a biblical framework for the foundational philosophical questions
that every person wrestles with and the lacking but all-framing theological
idea for my own worldview. This book will contribute to the long needed
reversal in apologetics: from defense to offense!”
Daniel Ellenberger
Director,
Martin Bucer Seminary, Zurich, Switzerland
“This important new book by Thomas K. Johnson casts new light on the
meaning of Romans 1. By treating the passage as a missions training man-
ual, he draws out surprising new interpretations for evangelism and apolo-
getics. Johnson shows how we can join Paul in being proud (‘not
ashamed’) of the gospel, full of confidence that it continues to speak to the
human condition even in a postmodern age.”
Nancy R. Pearcey
Director, Francis Schaeffer Center for Worldview and Culture
Professor and Scholar in Residence, Houston Baptist University
“This is a significant book on one of the most important subjects confront-
ing Christians today: How to bring the biblical message to a world that
thinks this message is meaningless or dangerous? Thomas Johnson’s expo-
sition of Romans 1-2 is a highly needed resource on general revelation,
clearly written, eye-opening, compelling. I recommend this book most
strongly.”
Ron Kubsch
Lecturer in Apologetics and Contemporary Theology
Martin Bucer European School of Theology and Research Institutes
“Prof. Thomas Johnson is a unique person, since he is first rate theologian,
a well-read philosopher, and a missionary at heart. In this latest book he
has borrowed from all three disciplines to form logical arguments for the
evangelical position on revelation. His involvement with the WEA has
been very much appreciated, as has his work in the doctoral program at
Olivet University. His book will definitively have far reaching influences
in the future.”
William Wagner
Co-president, Zinzendorf School of Doctoral Studies
Olivet University, California
“Thomas Johnson has written an excellent book on a subject that is very
important but so often ignored in recent Protestant theology. Johnson pre-
sents a clear introduction to Paul’s teaching on general revelation in Ro-
mans 1-2 and shows, so crucially, why general revelation does not reveal
the gospel of Christ but is absolutely foundational for understanding it.
Johnson’s years of experience in mission work and university teaching
shine through as he winsomely explains how God’s general revelation
haunts the unbeliever and provides the Christian evangelist with many op-
portunities to speak with them of the true human condition. I strongly rec-
ommend this fine volume.”
David VanDrunen
Robert B. Strimple Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics
Westminster Seminary California
Contents
Contents ....................................................................................................... 7
Part I: Wrestling with God in the Book of Romans ................................... 10
Introduction ............................................................................................... 10
Romans 1:16-2:5 (original translation) ................................................ 15
Chapter One: The Human Condition ......................................................... 17
The Content of General Revelation ..................................................... 21
The Normal Human Response to God’s General Revelation .............. 22
Internal Contradictions Resulting from Simultaneously Accepting
and Rejecting God’s General Revelation ...................................... 25
Religious Reversals .............................................................................. 28
Missions Training ................................................................................ 29
Chapter Two: The Human Condition, part 2 ............................................. 31
God’s common grace is his call to repentance. .................................... 38
The Solution: Thoughtful Pride in the Gospel ..................................... 43
Interlude on contemporary theology: representative distortions from the
twentieth century that Christians must avoid in the twenty first
century ................................................................................................. 45
Part II: Faith Seeks Understanding ............................................................ 51
A Missionary Philosophy of the Divine-Human Wrestling Match ............ 51
Chapter Three: Angst and General Revelation .......................................... 53
Chapter Four: Moral Angst ....................................................................... 63
Chapter Five: Existential Angst ................................................................. 67
Chapter Six: Ontological Angst ................................................................. 73
Chapter Seven: General Revelation and the Human Quest ....................... 79
8 General Revelation
Chapter Eight: Selected Questions in the Philosophy of Religion in
Light of God’s General Revelation ...................................................... 97
A. Religions as Replacements ............................................................. 97
B. General Revelation and “Proving God” ....................................... 100
C. General Revelation and Reason ................................................... 103
D. General Revelation and the Problem of Evil ................................ 106
E. General revelation provides the background for perceiving
special revelation and the reality of the Christian Life. ................ 108
F. The Rejection of General Revelation and False Absolutizing ...... 109
G. Absolutizing within a Particular Field of Learning ...................... 110
H. Conclusion: Who is wrestling with God’s general revelation? .... 112
Appendices for students of theology and the humanities ........................ 115
Appendix I: The Rejection of General Revelation and the Natural
Moral Law in Twentieth-Century Protestant Theology ............... 115
Appendix II: Types of Beliefs ............................................................ 130
Appendix III: The Missions Training Structure of the Epistle to the
Romans......................................................................................... 132
Questions for study and discussion ......................................................... 133
Introduction ........................................................................................ 133
Chapter One: The Human Condition, pages 17ff............................... 133
Chapter Two: The Human Condition, part 2, pages 31ff ................... 134
Interlude on Contemporary Theology, pages 45ff ............................. 135
Chapter Three: Angst and General Revelation, pages 53ff ................ 136
Chapter Four: Moral Angst, pages 63ff ............................................. 136
Chapter Five: Existential Angst, pages 67ff ...................................... 137
Chapter Six: Ontological Angst, pages 73ff ...................................... 138
Chapter Seven: General Revelation and the Human Quest, pages
79ff ............................................................................................... 138
Chapter Eight: Selected Questions in the Philosophy of Religion in
Light of God’s General Revelation, pages 97ff ............................ 139
About the Author ..................................................................................... 141
Contents 9
Biography .......................................................................................... 141
Publications by Thomas K. Johnson which are readily available
online, in libraries, or from the publisher: .................................... 142
