Book Description

Dr. Paul Wells takes the reader deep into the thought of James Barr, the prominent and controversial Oxford professor known for his works on biblical semantics, interpretation, and authority. Barr's criticisms of both modern biblical theology and fundamentalism and his rejection of traditional views of inspiration and authority provide the background for his proposal to view the Bible as a progressing human tradition. In this radical alternative, Barr seeks a way of "encouraging the Scriptures to speak freely." Wells contends, however, that Barr's critique is not radical enough to solve a major remaining problem of the relation of Scripture's divine and human factors. Wells's own assessment of that problem and proposed solution are found in his conclusion.