Stanley Grenz
Encyclopedia
Stanley James Grenz was an American
Christian theologian
and ethicist in the Baptist
tradition.
under the supervision of theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg
. He was ordained to pastoral ministry on June 13, 1976. He later worked within the local church context as youth director and assistant pastor (Northwest Baptist Church, Denver, Colorado
, 1971-1976), pastor (Rowandale Baptist Church, Winnipeg
, Manitoba
1979-1981), and interim pastor on several occasions. He served on many Baptist boards and agencies and also as a consulting editor of Christianity Today
.
and at Winnipeg Theological Seminary (now Providence Seminary). He served as Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at the North American Baptist Seminary, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
from 1981-1990. For twelve years (1990-2002), Grenz held the position of Pioneer McDonald Professor of Baptist Heritage, Theology and Ethics at Carey Theological College
and at Regent College
in Vancouver
. After a one-year sojourn as Distinguished Professor of Theology at Baylor University
and George W. Truett Theological Seminary
in Waco, Texas
(2002-2003), he returned to Carey in August 2003 to resume his duties as Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology. In fall 2004, he assumed an additional appointment as Professor of Theological Studies at Mars Hill Graduate School
, Seattle, Washington
. From 1996 to 1999 he carried an additional appointment as Professor of Theology and Ethics (Affiliate) at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Illinois
.
Grenz' primary contributions were made discussing how evangelical Christianity
ought to relate to the world. He wrote on a wide range of subjects, from sexuality to history to basic apologetics, and was one of North America's leading evangelical voices in the late 20th century and early 21st century.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Christian theologian
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
and ethicist in the Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
tradition.
Early years
Grenz earned his Doctor of Theology degree at University of Munich in GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
under the supervision of theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg
Wolfhart Pannenberg
Wolfhart Pannenberg is a German Christian theologian. His emphasis on history as revelation, centred on the Resurrection of Christ, has proved important in stimulating debate in both Protestant and Catholic theology, as well as with non-Christian thinkers.-Life and views:Pannenberg was baptized as...
. He was ordained to pastoral ministry on June 13, 1976. He later worked within the local church context as youth director and assistant pastor (Northwest Baptist Church, Denver, 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...
, 1971-1976), pastor (Rowandale Baptist Church, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
1979-1981), and interim pastor on several occasions. He served on many Baptist boards and agencies and also as a consulting editor of Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
.
Educator
While in the pastorate (1979-1981), Grenz taught courses both at the University of WinnipegUniversity of Winnipeg
The University of Winnipeg is a public university in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that offers undergraduate faculties of art, business and economics, education, science and theology as well as graduate programs. The U of W's founding colleges were Manitoba College and Wesley College, which merged...
and at Winnipeg Theological Seminary (now Providence Seminary). He served as Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at the North American Baptist Seminary, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
from 1981-1990. For twelve years (1990-2002), Grenz held the position of Pioneer McDonald Professor of Baptist Heritage, Theology and Ethics at Carey Theological College
Carey Theological College
Carey Theological College is an evangelical Christian seminary based in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is a ministry of the Baptist Union of Western Canada....
and at Regent College
Regent College
Regent College is an international graduate school of Christian Studies, located next to the campus of the University of British Columbia in the University Endowment Lands west of Vancouver, British Columbia, and is an affiliated college of that university....
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. After a one-year sojourn as Distinguished Professor of Theology at Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
and George W. Truett Theological Seminary
George W. Truett Theological Seminary
George W. Truett Theological Seminary is a Baptist theological seminary in Waco, Texas. The seminary, named after Southern Baptist preacher George Washington Truett, was founded in 1993 as part of Baylor University.-History:...
in Waco, Texas
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
(2002-2003), he returned to Carey in August 2003 to resume his duties as Pioneer McDonald Professor of Theology. In fall 2004, he assumed an additional appointment as Professor of Theological Studies at Mars Hill Graduate School
Mars Hill Graduate School
The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology is an accredited Christian graduate school offering master level degrees in Counseling Psychology, Divinity, and Christian Studies. They are located in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington...
, Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
. From 1996 to 1999 he carried an additional appointment as Professor of Theology and Ethics (Affiliate) at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, Lombard, Illinois
Lombard, Illinois
Lombard, "The Lilac Village", is a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County, Illinois. The population was 42,322 at the 2000 census. The United States Census Bureau estimated the population in 2004 to be 42,975.-History:...
.
Grenz' primary contributions were made discussing how evangelical Christianity
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:...
ought to relate to the world. He wrote on a wide range of subjects, from sexuality to history to basic apologetics, and was one of North America's leading evangelical voices in the late 20th century and early 21st century.
Personal
Married to Edna Grenz, a church musician, Grenz was the father of two children, Joel Grenz and Corina Kuban, and was grandfather to one grandchild, Anika Grace Kuban. Included in two editions of Who's Who in Religion, as well as in the 2002 edition of Who's Who in U.S. Writers, Editors and Poets, Grenz died in his sleep March 11, 2005 from a brain aneurysm.Selected works
- Prayer: The Cry for the Kingdom, 1988 (2005 Revised Edition) (ISBN 0-913573-92-2)
- Sexual Ethics: A Biblical Perspective, 1990 (ISBN 0-664-25750-X)
- Revisioning Evangelical Theology: A Fresh Agenda for the 21st Century, 1993 (ISBN 0-8308-1772-7)
- Women in the Church: A Biblical Theology of Women in Ministry, with Denise Muir Kjesbo, 1995 (ISBN 0-8308-1862-6)
- A Primer on Postmodernism, 1996, (ISBN 0-8028-0864-6)
- Created for Community: Connecting Christian Belief With Christian Living, 1996 (1998 Second Edition) (ISBN 0-8010-2125-1)
- 20th Century Theology: God & the World in a Transitional Age with Roger Olson, 1997 (ISBN 0-8308-1525-2)
- Welcoming but Not Affirming: An Evangelical Response to Homosexuality, 1998, (ISBN 0-664-25776-3)
- Theology for the Community of God, 2000, (ISBN 0-8028-4755-2)
- The Moral Quest: Foundation of Christian Ethics, 2000, (ISBN 0-8308-1568-6)
- Renewing the Center: Evangelical Theology in a Post-Theological Era, 2000 (ISBN 0-8010-2239-8)
- Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology in a Postmodern Context, with John Franke, 2000 (ISBN 0-664-25769-0)
- The Social God and the Relational Self: A Trinitarian Theology of the Imago Dei, 2001, (ISBN 0-664-22203-X)
- Rediscovering the Triune God: The Trinity in Contemporary Theology, 2004 (ISBN 0-8006-3654-6)