Martin Downes posts his interview with Professor Greg Beale on inerrancy:
- Part 1: The exegetical foundations of inerrancy
- Part2: Dealing with denials and criticisms of the doctrine of inerrancy
- Part 3: The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism
Here are the questions:
- Why do you believe the Bible, as originally given, is not only inspired but also inerrant?
- What are some of the principal exegetical foundations of inerrancy?
- What are some of the consequences of denying inerrancy?
- The doctrine of inerrancy has been criticized as “practically worthless” because it requires so much qualifying. Andrew McGowan has recently questioned it on those grounds. Is it a fair criticism?
- Another objection to inerrancy is that it is really a nineteenth-century invention that was forged in the conflict with liberal theology and higher criticism. How do you respond to that claim?
- What have been some of the contributing factors to what you have called the “erosion” of inerrancy in evangelicalism?
- How do you assess the status of inerrancy today among evangelical theologians and biblical scholars? Is the doctrine in good health?
For more interviews like this, see the the excellent collection published as Risking the Truth: Handling Error in the Church (Christian Focus, 2009).
For more on Beale’s views, see his book The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism: Responding to New Challenges to Biblical Authority (Crossway, 2009).
