Craig Blomberg
Encyclopedia
Craig L. Blomberg is an American New Testament
scholar. Since 1986 he has been Distinguished Professor of the New Testament at Denver Seminary
in Colorado
.
, Scotland
; his M.A. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
, and completed his B.A., Summa Cum Laude, at Augustana College
. He was an assistant professor of Religion at Palm Beach Atlantic College from 1982–85 and took a leave of absence to accept a one-year research fellowship in Cambridge, England with the British wing of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
from 1985-86. During this time, he co-edited Gospel Perspectives, vol. 6: The Miracle of Jesus and wrote The Historical Reliability of the Gospels.
Blomberg stands in the conservative
evangelical
tradition, but has been known for his wide interaction with mainstream scholarship and his willingness to challenge the evangelical status quo. For example, he chided some evangelicals for their blanket condemnation of Liberation Theology
, in " 'Your Faith Has Made You Whole’: The Evangelical Liberation Theology of Jesus,” in Jesus of Nazareth, Lord and Christ, ed. Joel B. Green and Max Turner (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994), 75-93. and he controversially fostered a dialogue with Mormon
professor Stephen E. Robinson
of BYU
, which resulted in the book How Wide the Divide? An Evangelical and a Mormon in Conversation (see the bibliography below). He was also one of several scholars interviewed for The Case for Christ, a popular book by Lee Strobel
, and has served on translation committees or as a consultant for the New Living Translation, the English Standard Version, the Holman Christian Standard Bible and the updated New International Version.
Blomberg has written on a diverse range of issues including wealth and poverty, parables, eschatology, hermeneutics, and women in ministry. However, his academic work has tended to focus on the Historical Jesus
and Gospels research (see the bibliography below).
He regularly speaks and teaches at home and overseas at a variety of churches and educational institutions. In Denver, he is involved with Scum of the Earth Church, where his wife Fran Blomberg also volunteers her time while also pursuing a doctorate in missiology and teaching occasionally as an adjunct in that field at Denver Seminary. The Blombergs have two grown daughters.
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
scholar. Since 1986 he has been Distinguished Professor of the New Testament at Denver Seminary
Denver Seminary
Denver Seminary is an accredited, graduate-level institution in Littleton, Colorado. It offers a wide range of degrees not typically associated with other accredited seminaries. It is also known for its emphasis on training and mentoring as integral to seminary education...
in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
Life
He received his Ph.D. from University of AberdeenUniversity of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
; his M.A. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School is an evangelical Christian seminary located in Deerfield, Illinois. TEDS is one of the largest seminaries in the world, enrolling more than 1,200 graduate students in professional and academic programs, including more than 150 in its PhD programs...
, and completed his B.A., Summa Cum Laude, at Augustana College
Augustana College (Illinois)
Augustana College is a private liberal arts college located in Rock Island, Illinois, United States. The college enrolls approximately 2,500 students. Covering of hilly, wooded land, Augustana is adjacent to the Mississippi River...
. He was an assistant professor of Religion at Palm Beach Atlantic College from 1982–85 and took a leave of absence to accept a one-year research fellowship in Cambridge, England with the British wing of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA is an inter-denominational, evangelical Christian, student-led ministry which for the past 70 years has been dedicated to establishing witnessing communities on U.S. college and university campuses...
from 1985-86. During this time, he co-edited Gospel Perspectives, vol. 6: The Miracle of Jesus and wrote The Historical Reliability of the Gospels.
Blomberg stands in the conservative
Conservative Christianity
Conservative Christianity is a term applied to a number of groups or movements seen as giving priority to traditional Christian beliefs and practices...
evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
tradition, but has been known for his wide interaction with mainstream scholarship and his willingness to challenge the evangelical status quo. For example, he chided some evangelicals for their blanket condemnation of Liberation Theology
Liberation theology
Liberation theology is a Christian movement in political theology which interprets the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions...
, in " 'Your Faith Has Made You Whole’: The Evangelical Liberation Theology of Jesus,” in Jesus of Nazareth, Lord and Christ, ed. Joel B. Green and Max Turner (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1994), 75-93. and he controversially fostered a dialogue with Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
professor Stephen E. Robinson
Stephen E. Robinson
Stephen Edward Robinson is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Mormon scholar and apologist.- Biography :...
of BYU
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, which resulted in the book How Wide the Divide? An Evangelical and a Mormon in Conversation (see the bibliography below). He was also one of several scholars interviewed for The Case for Christ, a popular book by Lee Strobel
Lee Strobel
Lee Patrick Strobel is a writer, creationist, former journalist and former megachurch pastor. He is the author of several books, including four which received ECPA Christian Book Awards and a series which addresses challenges to a Biblically inerrant view of Christianity...
, and has served on translation committees or as a consultant for the New Living Translation, the English Standard Version, the Holman Christian Standard Bible and the updated New International Version.
Blomberg has written on a diverse range of issues including wealth and poverty, parables, eschatology, hermeneutics, and women in ministry. However, his academic work has tended to focus on the Historical Jesus
Historical Jesus
The term historical Jesus refers to scholarly reconstructions of the 1st-century figure Jesus of Nazareth. These reconstructions are based upon historical methods including critical analysis of gospel texts as the primary source for his biography, along with consideration of the historical and...
and Gospels research (see the bibliography below).
He regularly speaks and teaches at home and overseas at a variety of churches and educational institutions. In Denver, he is involved with Scum of the Earth Church, where his wife Fran Blomberg also volunteers her time while also pursuing a doctorate in missiology and teaching occasionally as an adjunct in that field at Denver Seminary. The Blombergs have two grown daughters.
Works
- Gospel Perspectives, vol. 6, The Miracles of Jesus (co-ed. with D. Wenham), 1986, repr. 2004
- The Historical Reliability of the Gospels, 1987, rev. 2007
- Interpreting the Parables, 1990
- Matthew - The New American Commentary, 1992
- Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, with W. W. Klein and R. L. Hubbard, 1993, rev. 2004
- 1 Corinthians - The NIV Application Commentary, 1994
- Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey, 1997, rev. 2009
- How Wide the Divide?: A Mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation, with S. Robinson, 1997
- Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Material Possessions, 1999
- Heart, Soul and Money, 2000
- The Historical Reliability of John's Gospel: Issues and Commentary, 2001
- Two Views on Women in Ministry, co-ed. with J. R. Beck, 2001, rev. 2005
- Making Sense of the New Testament: Three Important Questions, 2004
- Preaching the Parables: From Responsible Interpretation to Powerful Proclamation, 2004
- Contagious Holiness: Jesus' Meals With Sinners, 2005
- From Pentecost to Patmos: An Introduction to Acts Through Revelation, 2006
- James - Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, with M. J. Kamell, 2008
- A Case for Historical Premillennialism, co-ed. with S. W. Chung, 2009
- A Handbook of New Testament Exegesis, with J. F. Markley, 2010
External links
- Craig Blomberg's Blog: New Testament Musings
- Denver Seminary
- A video interview with Craig Blomberg on why he is an Evangelical on Patheos
- Craig Blomberg (Theopedia)
- TNIV: The Untold Story of a Good Translation by Craig Blomberg
- Dr. Craig Blomberg on the Bones of Jesus Controversy
- An Interview with Craig Blomberg