Through the Reformation to the Bible: Learning Theological Exegesis at Knox

Part Four in a five-week blog series on the Theological Exegesis track in the Doctor of Ministry program at Knox Theological Seminary.

Dr. Jonathan Linebaugh, Assistant Professor of New Testament, teaches one of the required courses in the newly-launched theological exegesis concentration of the Doctor of Ministry at Knox Theological Seminary.

Dr. Linebaugh’s teaching and writing ministry focuses largely on reading the epistles of the apostle Paul with the benefit of the witness of the Protestant Reformers. In his doctoral dissertation, published articles, and in forthcoming work, he tries to take Martin Luther seriously as a biblical interpreter before anything else and to listen attentively to Luther’s witness as a vibrant resource for reading the text of Scripture itself.

Dr. Linebaugh, along with Dr. Michael Allen, is currently editing a volume entitled Reformation Readings of Paul. This book will provide an introduction to the way the Protestant Reformers read some of the most influential Pauline texts, and it will then offer guidance in how to faithfully and critically appropriate their work in our own context. This kind of approach – renewing the church by retrieving her vital tradition of biblical exegesis – marks the way that the theological exegesis concentration seeks to shape men and women for contemporary biblical study.

One of the required classes in the concentration is called “Scripture and Doctrine,” and it is taught by Dr. Linebaugh. There he hopes to show students how doctrine is teased out from the Scriptures, yet it is also meant to lead back to and aid further reading of the Bible. Doctrine is not a surrogate for or supplement to the Bible; rather it is an aid and help in better engaging the Bible. By looking at various case studies, Dr. Linebaugh will help students grow in their facility to move from Bible to doctrine and back again.

You may find more resources about this exciting new program at Knox Theological Seminary here. If you are interested in the theological exegesis track with Logos Bible Software, please visit dmin.me.