If the only way you have ever seen theology done is Systematics, you need to read G.E. Ladd's New Testament Theology. Biblical Theology will look different from what you've seen in the past. But it emphasizes what the TEXT emphasizes, and no one did it as well as G.E.Ladd.

The additional chapters in this update are indeed helpful. The only distracting thing in this 2nd edition is the remarks made at times by the editor, who at points seems to be trying to explain away some of Ladd's theology. This is unfortunate, because in all of these occasions I find Ladd's exegesis more convincing than his.

But Ladd's Theology of the Kingdom, and his development of Salvation History are both exemplary. Systematic Theologians will be uncomfortable with the way he leaves tension between author's of Scripture at points. But Biblical Theology would resist the urge to "flatten" the distinctions that each individual author makes. If that is sometimes uncomfortable, so be it.

This is Biblical Theology at its finest, and needs to be in every serious scholar's library.

G. E. Ladd's classic text should be read by all evangelicals interested in New Testament theology. The scope of his work is comprehensive. And, while his interpretaion of the New Testament documents is certainly evangelical, it is by no means uncritical. His excellent overview illumiates many important topics in Biblical theology, and deals with each Biblical author individually. I am very pleased with his consistent emphasis on the eschatological focus of the New Testament. The chapter by R. T. France on the theology of the Evangelists was well done, and David Wenham's appendix on the unity and diversity of the New Testament is absolutely phenomenal. I heartily recommend this book!

Many people are unaware that there are several views of how we should interpret the New Testament's teaching about Christ's Second Coming. In many churches, only one view is ever presented, and often this is the most recent one, unknown in the history of the church until the mid-1800s.

Books like this one help you to see that evangelical Christians have different ways of interpreting the Bible's teaching about the end of the world. This may prove unsettling at first, but it is good to be aware of other people's views when the New Testament is not as clear as some would like us to believe.

It is also helpful to see that the main teaching, that Jesus is coming again to take those who believe in him to be with him forever, *is* clear.

Another helpful book, also available from Amazon, is Steve Gregg's Revelation: Four Views - a parallel commentary, which presents several of these views side by side, in their authors' own words.

Both books are warmly recommended.

Eschatological views within evangelicalism have long been a source of serious division between believers. This book, in a succinct way, offers the presentation of 4 major views of the millennium, each view represented by one scholar. Like other books of its kind, the book is presented in such a way that each eschatological position is presented by the scholar advocating such a position, and then the other 3 scholars representing other points of view have the opportunity to critique the presentation. Given that the four scholars represented in this book are all respected to varying degrees, I felt that this format worked quite well in this book.

I felt that the two views represented the best were by far the historic premil and amillennial views articulated by Ladd and Hoekema respectively. Both did a good job of providing a rather thorough presentation of their respective views. I also felt that Hoekema did the best job of critiquing the other 3 views in his short rebuttals to the other 3 proposals. Ladd certainly could have been better in this regard.

I frankly wasn't expecting much from Hoyt, and both his presentation of dispensational premil and his rebuttals were about what I expected - which was disappointing. As was pointed out in the rebuttals to his view, Hoyt did not even attempt to provide an exegesis of Rev. 20:1-6 in his proposal, which is a monumental deficiency in his presentation. In addition, Hoyt, like many dispensationalists unfortunately, had no effective way to defend their 'literal' interpretation technique against the many well argued points made against it by the other 3 scholars. Since interpretation technique is the central issue in each millennial view presented, Hoyt's inability to effectively defend the technique he is adopting to argue his position is another serious deficiency in his presentation.

But in my view, the biggest disappointment was Boettner's presentation on postmillennialism. Like Hoyt, no analysis of Rev. 20 is found in his proposal, and even worse, Boettner doesn't offer up any significant exegesis of any Biblical passages at all. Boettner's entire argument is not one that is Biblically based, but is one that tries to experientially look at the world and argue that it's getting better over time. As Ladd points out, this is a double edged sword, but even more than that, even if one accepts Boettner's premise, that doesn't automatically mean that postmillennialism is the correct eschatological view. His presentation was universally deficient, and that's a real shame coming from a scholar as respected as Boettner. And this is the main reason why I'm giving this book 4 stars instead of 5. As a view, postmillenialism was not represented well at all here, and that's unfortunate. Put simply, this view was not presented with any Scriptural basis at all.

The other major criticism I have of the book is Clouse's postscript which seems to heavily criticize premillennialism. I found Clouse's postscript to be flat out inaccurate in parts, or at the very least, seriously outdated in its criticisms. Premillennialists, as a group, do not shun the liberal arts as a legitimate and necessary field of study, nor do they shun social activism as a result of their eschatology. It is true that there are way too many end times hunters on the scene who repeatedly make themselves look bad by trying to predict certain end times events by interpreting supposed present day signs of the end of the world. I certainly agree that to the extent that these end times hunters are 'teachers' in the Biblical sense, they should be held to severe accountability when their teachings prove to be wrong, but that way too often, these guys are instead given a free pass to continue teaching error and that this is an embarassment to the entire Body of Christ. But Clouse's other negative contentions regarding premillennialism are decidedly out of place and inaccurate.

Overall, I think many readers will come away from reading this book with a much better understanding of what the points of contention are between the varying millennial views, and why such points of contention exist. While the postmillennial view clearly should have been presented better, the book still provides a solid basis to understand what each view is saying and why they are saying it. The reader may also conclude, as I did, that each view presented has certain strengths and weaknesses, and that no system of millennialism has been proposed that doesn't have weaknesses in it. But this book will provide a very good jumping off point for readers to further explore these views in more detail and reach their own convictions about which millennial view is most faithful to the entirety of Scriptural truth.

Like most modern evangelical Christians, I was brought up in the faith to believe that the bible taught that there would be a rapture, followed by a seven year tribulation period, followed by the second coming of Christ where He would set up a millennial kingdom in Jerusalem where he would reing for 1000 years, followed by a final coming where he would usher in the eternal state with a new heavens and a new earth.

Back in the early 90's I was studying for ministry and I figured that someone would probably ask me my view of the end times some day, so I decided I needed to study it for myself. So, I acquired a 28 tape set on the end times by one of the leading conservative scholars in America. I listened to all of them, as he explained and defended the above scheme and I came away from that thinking that I would never be able to persuade someone of that position unless they were already heavily predisposed to believing it. What I mean is that I couldn't find a rapture/tribulation, etc. in any of the Scriptures that this teacher used.

So, scratching my head, I did a little more research and came across this book. It opened my eyes to the fact that there were other views of the end times that were held by Christians who believed the Bible was the word of God. I had been told in the past that the only people who don't follow the rapture/tribulation etc., scheme were people who didn't believe the Bible.

I won't tell you what view I adopted, other than to say that I found that all of the views had much to commend them, from a Scriptural standpoint, except the one I formerly held.

This book does an excellent job of letting the representatives from the various schools of thought speak for themselves, and it allows critiques in a scholarly and irenic manner. I would urge anyone who feels strongly about their view of the end times to read this book. It may or may not change your mind, but hopefully it will at least open your mind to some new possibilities when it comes to end times scenarios.

The author is well-rounded in his theology - warning the church of the easy believism of a pre-trib rapture. This is my kind of book because he uses 'solid' scriptural reasoning to prove his points. If you're determined to believe in a pre or mid-trib rapture then this book is not for you, but if you want to read something that makes sense this is a good place to begin.

As a Christian raised in the Pre-Trib Rapture tradition, I thought I was losing my mind when I found myself becoming more and more convinced that the rapture of the church COULDN'T take place before the tribulation. I found a copy of The Blessed Hope and was so thoroughly convinced and put at ease that I have never questioned the subject again. Ladd's scholarship is awesome, especially his revelation of the seamy early history of pre-trib teachings. After reading where this teaching came from, its a wonder that anyone can believe it!

This book is a keeper for any pastor or teacher wanting to understand an eschatology different than the popular dispensational premillennialism. Ladd draws upon his extensive knowledge of Scripture and church history to define what he sees as the church's "Blessed Hope." Obviously, he does not see that hope as a secret rapture of the church before seven years of tribulation. Ladd possesses a high view of the inspiration and authority of Scripture in this work. I recommend his book highly.

In the Gospel of Mark - perhaps the earliest Gospel - the first words of Jesus reported are the following: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand." The concept of the Kingdom of God (or the "Kingdom of Heaven," Matthew's circumlocution) is central to the New Testament. But if you asked the average Christian what the central teachings of the New Testament are, I wonder if "the Kingdom of God" would be one of the responses.

One of the most important Evangelical writers on this topic was the late George Eldon Ladd, long-time professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary. Perhaps more than any writer, it was Ladd who was instrumental in moving evangelical Protestantism in the US away from dispensationalism to historic premillenialism.

This little work contains a number of addresses that Ladd gave in the late 1950s on the Kingdom of God in the Bible. He discusses the Kingdom in terms of the parables, the millennium, Israel, and the Church, among other topics. I was particularly impressed with the discussion of the demands of the Kingdom on the life of the believer. It is quite a contrast from much of the touchy-feely Christianity that gets preached today.

This book should be read by all those wanting a good understanding of the Kingdom of God and the contents of the Gospel. Ladd's thesis is that the coming of Christ was the fulfillment of Israel's hopes for a Kingdom of power and glory. Jesus himself was the hope that the Israelites were looking for. The Kingdom wasn't a socio-political entity to put on earth during the first century but the spiritual reformation of those who became members of the Kingdom. The only problem I have with this book is that Ladd's view of the Gospel borders on works-salvation since he puts a lot of emphasis on the judgment theme. Overall, though, a good book for those trying to get a good understanding of the Kingdom of God.

So often, words like "Gospel" and "Kingdom" become so familiar to us that their full meaning escapes us. I found George Ladd's book to be a wonderfully insightful, inspiring and helpful look at the Gospel of the Kingdom. The book deepened and enriched my understanding and appreciation not only of the "Gospel" and the "Kingdom," but also of the Lord of all!

This is one of the better verse by verse commentaries on Revelation. It is very readable making it suitable for the layman and there is sufficient information to make it a good introduction for the student. He assumes the traditional late date and uses a mixture of the preterist and futurist interpretation in which the beast is both Rome and the eschatological Antichrist. He sees Revelation as a prophecy about the destiny of the church, the 144,000 being the church, although he sees the two witnesses as two eschatological prophets rather than the church. There is little or no Greek and footnotes are kept to a minimum.

George Eldon Ladd has written a highly informative and readable overview of Revelations in the form of a verse-by-verse commentary. While Ladd presents his understanding of Revelations from a non-dispensationalist premillenialist (and post-tribulationalist) position, there is no trace of polemics in his discussion of alternate interpretations of particular verses, or of the philosophies underlying different readings of the book as a whole.

The book opens with a brief introduction to the authorship, date, and setting of Revelations, then proceeds with a discussion of four possible methods of interpretation-preterist, historical, idealist, and futurist. While he describes his understanding as "a blending of the preterist and the futurist methods", those who consider themselves preterists might be surprised at Ladd's definition of preterism. Ladd describes preterism as the view that apocalyptic literature contains "tracts for hard times", but no prophecy, and that the apparent prophecies of Revelations neither were fulfilled, nor will be. Given this definition, it is difficult to understand why Ladd describes himself as a preterist-futurist in his understanding of Revelations. From his own definitions, it would be easier to see him as an idealist-futurist.

Following the introductory chapter, Ladd proceeds directly to a verse-by-verse commentary of Revelations. I am not usually fond of this format in theological works, but nevertheless found this book very stimulating. Clearly well versed in Greek and Hebrew, Ladd goes into depth on many specifics of theology contained in Revelations. Most satisfyingly, he constantly links his interpretations of the text to passages found elsewhere in Scripture, in the process offering a fresh new view of the message of the book as a whole.

It is possible that some readers, accustomed to a highly literal reading of Revelations, might find this book troubling. Pointing to "the fluidity of apocalyptic language", Ladd interprets the visions of John as representing real future (or in some cases past) events, but visions to be understood more in terms of their underlying meaning, than in terms of specific details. In additon, at a number of points, Ladd is also critical of the underlying Greek text or English translation of the Authorized Version, preferring the Revised Standard Version or in some cases the NEB. While these factors may displease some, I came away from the book with the impression of an author convinced of the truth and importance of Scripture, and a man with important theological insights. Certainly I plan to read more of his books!

The author says that Jesus didn't clarify what he meant exactly by the 'the kingdom of God', Jesus just assumed we should know what it means. The author then gives scripture verses to explain what he, the author, 'thinks' Jesus meant. I somehow don't think the Lord would be so vague about such an important issue. Stranger still is the Lord's words in the gospels. Speaking to the Pharisees, He says "the kingdom of heaven is within you". Jesus told the Pharisees the kingdom of heaven was 'within' them. What's with that??? I believe the author also mis-read the intent of many of the scripture verses. For example, when quoting Habbakuk, "God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mt. (?), His glory covered the heavens..." This verse is referring to the return of Christ but the author says it is related to an Old Test. dispensation happening.
All in all I found this book a little hard to read. I stumbled over the big words which only distracted me and I lost the flow of what the author was trying to say. I gave the author 2 stars just for trying to explain this difficult subject.

George Eldon Ladd, former Professor of New Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary (now dececesed) has written the foremost work on an already/not yet eschatology. His approach has been adopted by other covenant premills like D. A. Carson and the like, and even some progressive dispensationalists like Darrell Bock and Craig Blaising. While there are some heavy hitters out there who advocate a already/not yet view, the question arises if this is the best view.

Ladd, developed his view while interacting with various neo-orthodox authors of works on the Kingdom. He relied heavily on Barth, Scweitzer and others. He did differ significantly though as he did not advocate a full inaugerated eschatology like some men did. But, as some may know, based on a debate in Christianity Today, Ladd's biggest foe was Alva J. McClain.

McClain was President and Professor of Systematic Theology at Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, IN. He published a monumental work entitled, "The Greatness of the Kingdom." It is currently available from BMH Books. McClain advocated the "postponed" kingdom view of many traditional dispensationalists of his time. What made McClain's book different was his amazing understanding of the Kingdom in the Old Testament. His book looked at the teaching of the Kingdom of God from Genesis all the way to Revelation and showed, with little doubt, that indeed Jesus never did change His view of the Kingdom. McClain also proved that you could not read the New Testament back into the Old Testament (as Ladd did).

Ladd reviewed the book and all he could muster against McClain was that he did not cite that many modern sources. Well, when that's all you got going, it's time to sit back and realize defeat.

So yes, Ladd's book is quite good, and informative. But, it should never be read by itself. It should be read along with McClain's excellent work to see the other side of the Kingdom of God issue. There are many of us today that follow McClain's view. It is not dead as many already/not yet people would like you to believe. It's still alive and kicking, and the critics of it have yet to explain it away. I recommend both books (but McClain's all the more).

This book is a book that should be read by all who are interested in eschatology and redemptive-historical themes. Ladd does an excellent job demonstrating that God's promised Kingdom had already come in Jesus Christ. He uses ample Scripture verses and uses very scholarly secondary sources to back up his points. He interacts with many scholars who have written books and articles on this subject. His main focus is that God's kingdom has already come, yet is awaiting a future consummation. He distinguishes between apocalyptic and eschatological imagery used in the Bible. He shows the fallacies of both Covenant Theology and Classical Dispensationalism. As a Progressive Dispensationalist I do agree with a lot of things that Ladd writes about in the book, though not everything. Ladd is considered a Kingdom Theologian (no wonder Bock says that PD and Ladd's view have a lot in common). Without becoming so dogmatic in the Reformed/Covenant tradition or Classical Dispensationalism, Christians should read this book and try to understand that God's Kingdom has both a present and future aspect to it.