Abstract
As the subtitle shows, John Peckham in this work articulates a canonical theology which insists on the intrinsic canonicity of Holy Scripture, defends the authority of the canon of Scripture and develops the canonical approach to articulating systematic theology.
Peckham firstly demonstrates the intrinsic approach to biblical canon, which is in his view superior to the communitarian. For Peckham, Scripture is intrinsically canonical in virtue of God’s commission. This divine commission reflects the propheticity and apostolicity of Scripture and explicitly characterises the sixty-six books of Scripture (pp. 19, 33–7, 41, 44). The view of divine commission indicates that the canonicity has already established prior to the canon’s functioning within a community (pp. 48–53). In contrast with the communitarian canon model, moreover, the intrinsic canon model lays a firmer foundation of articulating theology. Hence, despite that there are various versions of the rule of faith since the early Christianity, the very one is the biblical canon (pp. 109–39).
Peckham then moves to defend the canonical sola Scriptura in the chapters 6–7. For Peckham, sola Scriptura reflects the infallibility, sufficiency, trustworthiness, unique authority of Holy Scripture (p. 141). The canonical sola Scriptura is not self-defeating insofar as Scripture announces the trustworthiness and authority of God’s word (pp. 145–51). The canonical sola Scriptura is not isolationist insofar as the tradition of Christianity is not neglected (pp.151–9). It is moreover not responsible for theological subjectivism and hyperpluralism insofar as both individual and corporate interpretations of Scripture should be subjected to the unique authority of Scripture (pp. 159–64). With these in mind, Peckham investigates the doctrine of the Trinity as a case for the canonical sola Scriptura (chapter 7).
Peckham lays out in chapters 8–10 how to shape systematic theology canonically. This means that the final-form biblical canon is the foundation of theology, which contributes to articulating a coherent theological system corresponding to the biblical text itself (pp. 197–212). This canonical approach adopts the humble, ethical and charitable canonical hermeneutics, which employs an analogical theological language to pursue a precise and clear theological construction (pp. 218–29). Furthermore, Peckham suggests an inductive reading of the biblical canon, which is followed by analysis and classification (pp. 248–53). Based on the grouped biblical data, a minimal model can then be built, which should be systematised further and remain open to be corrected via ongoing canonical investigation (pp. 255–7).
In this work, Peckham robustly demonstrates the intrinsic canonicity of Holy Scripture, which undergirds sola Scriptura. By so doing, he lays out a canonical approach to undertaking systematic theology, which upholds the unique authority of biblical canon and refrains from being dominated by extracanonical materials. In short, as Kevin Vanhoozer writes in endorsements, this book ‘is perhaps the best account to date of what canonical theology ought to mean and why it matters’.