Douglas Kennard's "Petrine Theology"
A preview of my forthcoming review in The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society.
Petrine Theology. By Douglas W. Kennard. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2022, 352pp., $32.00; and Petrine Studies: Support and Ethical Expressions of Petrine Theology. By Douglas W. Kennard. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2022, 209pp., $32.00
In Petrine Theology (PT) and Petrine Studies (PS), Douglas Kennard attempts to provide a truly integrated Petrine theology by drawing on the sources traditionally associated with Peter, including the Gospel of Mark, Peter’s speeches in Acts, and both 1–2 Peter. On initial viewing the reader immediately notices that both books share identical introductions. I contacted the publisher about this unusual feature and learned that the pair of books were originally slated to be a single volume but the publisher determined that 550pp. might be too long, and Kennard chose to keep the same introductory material for both books. (Thanks to Matt Wimer at Wipf & Stock for responding to my query.) In any case, Petrine Theology does the bulk of the heavy lifting while Petrine Studies, in Kennard’s words, “[provides] important support material to complete a Petrine theology project” (PT, pp. 9–10). The review that follows will cover the material from Petrine Theology first, followed by the material from Petrine Studies.
Kennard’s project is a biblical theological one (PT, p. 9), tackling major themes as they appear across the aforementioned sources. (He defends the selection of these sources in PS, ch. 2.) Chapter 1 provides a brief history of Petrine theology; chapters 2–5 might be described as articulating a Petrine doctrine of God and its various sub-genres (“God”, “Christology”, “Missional Trinity”, and the “Holy Spirit”); and chapters 6–15 offer an eclectic mix of topics ranging from “God’s Word” to Exodus Following Jesus to Kingdom Virtues” and “Standing Against Satan and Exorcising Demons”, among others.
An extended glance at the details in the contents page of PT also reveals an unusual surprise. It turns out that not all chapters are created equal in PT. Two topics receive, to my mind, extremely short shrift in comparison to the rest of the book. The chapter on the Holy Spirit receives a mere 2 pages (pp. 58–60), while the chapter on “Suffering” receives just 10 pages (pp. 215–24). Meanwhile three other chapters (e.g., “Exodus Following Jesus…” pp. 137–75) receive treatments nearing 40 pages. Given the significance of the topics and the overall project at hand, one might expect a more balanced approach.
In ch. 2, Kennard essentially goes through Petrine material and describes how God is presented there. So, “God is the creator of everything through his word” (p. 11); God is sovereign in action (p. 12); “The sovereign Lord or God and Father is the one to whom Peter primarily prays” (p. 13); God is called the “Shepherd and Guardian…”, the “Majestic Glory”, and “holy” (p. 14), and so the chapter continues. As far as is possible, Kennard appears concerned to let the text speak for itself. A feature of this chapter that becomes a pattern for the rest of the book is that there is no genuine introduction or conclusion. Kennard launches into his topic giving the reader little, if any guidance as to what is to come. Similarly, there is no synthesis of material to wrap up a chapter. The result is each chapter begins and ends abruptly creating a somewhat jarring experience for the reader.
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When the full review drops, I’ll let you know. Cheers.