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Professor John Webster 
Chair of Systematic Theology

PhD, DD, FRSE

Biography

After studying English and Theology, I undertook doctoral work on the German Lutheran systematic and philosophical theologian Eberhard Jüngel. I taught in Durham and then in Canada as a professor at the Toronto School of Theology, and before coming to Aberdeen spent seven years as Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford. I have a range of interests in the fields of systematic, historical and moral theology; my current research has three foci.

• In the area of constructive Christian dogmatics, my research concerns both questions of the nature of dogmatic theology and of its material content as the rational articulation of the Christian gospel. My particular interests are in the doctrine of the divine attributes, Christology and soteriology, and in human response to the divine work (especially ecclesiology and ethics). My major long-term writing project is a multi-volume systematic theology. With Professor Torrance and Professor Tanner of the University of Chicago, I am editing the Oxford Handbook to Systematic Theology.
• Much of my work for the last two decades has been concerned with modern historical theology, and in particular the history of the migration of Christian theology to the margins of the dominant intellectual and cultural institutions of the West. This has involved particular attention to the career of modern Protestantism in the last two centuries. I have an especial research interest in a number of areas of the theology Barth, where I have developed a rather different account from that found in most interpreters, one which emphasises the central significance of biblical interpretation and the Reformed tradition in his work, and which views his ethical interests as an integral part of his theology throughout his career. I am currently researching Barth's theology in the 1920s.
• In recent years I have developed an interest in giving a doctrinal account of the nature and interpretation of Scripture, one which is not dominated by hermeneutical theory but which gives an account of Scripture and its readers through such doctrinal themes as revelation, salvation, sanctification and church. In this connection, I am am currently preparing a theological commentary on Ephesians.

I am a founding editor of the International Journal of Systematic Theology, and on the editorial board of the International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church and of the Scottish Journal of Theology Monographs; I am also a series editor of 'The Great Theologians' and 'Barth Studies' for Ashgate. I was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2005.

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Selected Publications

Essays, Articles and Chapters in Books

•   'Eberhard Jüngel on the Language of Faith', Modern Theology 1 (1985), pp. 253-76
• 'Atonement, History and Narrative', Theologische Zeitschrift 42 (1986), pp. 115-31
• 'The Imitation of Christ', Tyndale Bulletin 27 (1986), pp. 95-120
• 'Christology, Imitability and Ethics', Scottish Journal of Theology 39 (1986) pp. 309-26
• '"On the frontiers of what is observable": Barth's Römerbrief and Negative Theology', Downside Review 105 (1987), pp. 169-80
• 'Ministry and Priesthood' in S.W. Sykes, J.E. Booty, ed., The Study of Anglicanism (SPCK, London, 1988), pp. 285-96
• '"The firmest grasp of the real": Barth on Original Sin' Toronto Journal of Theology 4 (1988), pp. 21-31
• 'The Christian in Revolt: Barth on the Christian Life' in N. Biggar, ed., Reckoning with Barth. Essays in Commemoration of the Centenary of Karl Barth's Birth (Mowbray, Oxford, 1988), pp. 119-44
• 'Eberhard Jüngel' in D.F. Ford, ed., The Modern Theologians. An Introduction to Christian Theology in the Twentieth Century, vol. 1 (Blackwell, Oxford, 1989), pp. 90-106
• 'Ministry, Threefold' in N. Lossky, J.M. Bonino et al., ed., Dictionary of the Ecumenical Movement (World Council of Churches Publications, Geneva/Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1991), pp. 687-8
• 'Eschatology, Ontology and Human Action', Toronto Journal of Theology 7/1 (1991), pp. 4-18
• 'Locality and Catholicity: Reflections on Theology and the Church', Scottish Journal of Theology 45 (1992), pp. 1-17
• 'The Church as Theological Community', Anglican Theological Review 75/1 (1993), pp. 102-15.
• 'Eberhard Jüngel' in D. Ford, ed., Theologen der Gegenwart (Schoningh, Paderborn, 1993), pp. 89-102
• '"Assured and patient and cheerful expectation": Barth on Christian Hope as the Church's Task', Toronto Journal of Theology 10 (1994), pp. 35-52
• 'Justification, Analogy and Action. Passivity and Activity in Jüngel's Anthropology' in J. Webster, ed., The Possibilities of Theology. Essays on the Theology of Eberhard Jüngel in his Sixtieth Year (T & T Clark, Edinburgh, 1994), pp. 106-42
• 'Jesus in the Theology of Eberhard Jüngel', Calvin Theological Journal 32 (1997), pp. 43-71.
• 'Reading Theology', Toronto Journal of Theology 13 (1997), pp. 53-63
• 'God and Conscience', Calvin Theological Journal 33 (1998), pp. 104-124.
• 'Conscience' in Y. Lacoste, ed., Dictionnaire critique de théologie (Presses Universitaires de France, Paris, 1998), pp. 176-9.
• 'Hermeneutics in Modern Theology: Some Doctrinal Reflections', Scottish Journal of Theology 51 (1998), pp. 307-41.
• 'England, Theologie in' in Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Handwörterbuch für Theologie und Religionswissenschaft, 4th ed. (Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck) 1999), vol. 2, pp. 1308-1312.
• 'Postmodern Eschatology?', Toronto Journal of Theology 15 (1999), pp. 167-81.
• 'Eschatology, Anthropology and Postmodernity', International Journal of Systematic Theology 2 (2000), pp. 13-28.
• '"Fides et Ratio", articles 64-79', New Blackfriars 81 (2000), pp. 68-76.'
• 'Barth and Postmodern Theology: a Fruitful Confrontation?' in G. Thompson, C. Mostert, ed., Karl Barth: A Future for Postmodern Theology (Sydney; Australian Theological Forum, 2000), pp. 1-69.
• 'Theologische Theologie', Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche 97 (2000), pp. 238-58.
• 'The dogmatic location of the canon', Neue Zeitschrift für Systematische Theologie 43 (2001), pp. 17-43.
• 'Güte (Gottes) II. Dogmatisch' in Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Handwörterbuch für Theologie und Religionswissenschaft, 4th ed. (Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck, 2001), vol 3, pp. 1342f.
• '"In the Shadow of Biblical Work": Barth and Bonhoeffer on Reading the Bible', Toronto Journal of Theology 17 (2001), pp. 75-91.
• 'Canon and Criterion: Some Reflections on a Recent Proposal', Scottish Journal of Theology 54 (2001), pp. 221-37.
• 'Kenotische Christologie' in Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Handwörterbuch für Theologie und Religionswissenschaft, 4th ed. (Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck, 2001), vol. 4, pp. 929-31.
• 'Article Review: David F. Ford: Self and Salvation', Scottish Journal of Theology 54 (2001), pp. 548-59.
• 'Confession and Confessions' in C. Seitz, ed., Nicene Christianity. The Future for a new Ecumenism (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2001), pp. 119-31
• 'What's Evangelical about Evangelical Soteriology?' in J.G. Stackhouse, ed., What Does it Mean to be Saved? Expanding Evangelical Horizons of Salvation (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002), pp. 179-84
• 'Discovering Dogmatics' in D.C. Marks, ed., Shaping a Theological Mind. Theological Context and Methodology (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2002), pp. 129-136.
• 'The Self-Organizing Power of the Gospel of Christ: Episcopacy and Community Formation' in R. Longenecker, ed., Community Formation in the Early Church and the Church Today (Peabody, MA: Hendriksen, 2002), pp. 179-93.
• 'Introduction: Philosophy and the Practices of Christianity' in G. Schner, Essays Catholic and Critical ed. P.G. Ziegler, M. Husbands (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2003), pp. xi-xix.
• 'A Great and Meritorious Act of the Church'? The Dogmatic Location of the Canon' in J. Barton, M. Wolter, ed., Die Einheit der Schrift und die Vielfalt des Kanons/The Unity of Scripture and the Diversity of the Canon (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2003), pp. 95-126.
• 'The Ethics of Reconciliation' in C. Gunton, ed., The Theology of Reconciliation (London: T&T Clark, 2003), pp. 109-124.
• 'The Church as Witnessing Community', Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology 21 (2003), pp. 21-33.
• 'The human person' in K. Vanhoozer, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Postmodern Theology (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2003), pp. 219-34.
• 'Reading Eschatologically (1)' in D. Ford, G. Stanton, ed., Reading Texts, Seeking Wisdom. Scripture and Theology (SCM Press, London, 2003), pp. 245-56.
• 'Evangelical Freedom' in C. Sider-Hamilton, ed., The Homosexuality Debate. Faith Seeking Understanding. Fidelity Essays (Toronto: Anglican Book Centre, 2003), pp. 109-23.
• 'Shapers of Protestantism: Karl Barth' in A.E. McGrath, D.C. Marks, ed., The Blackwell Companion to Protestantism (Oxford: Blackwell, 2004), pp. 83-95.
• 'Incarnation' in G. Jones, ed., The Blackwell Companion to Modern Theology (Oxford: Blackwell, 2004), pp. 204-226.
• 'The Goals of Ecumenism', in P. Avis, ed., Paths to Unity. Explorations in Ecumenical Method ( London : Church House Publishing, 2004), pp. 1-12.
• 'Balthasar and Karl Barth', in D. Moss, E. Oakes, ed., The Cambridge Companion to Hans Urs von Balthasar ( Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2004), pp. 241-55.
• 'The Holiness and Love of God', Scottish Journal of Theology 57 (2004), pp. 249-68.
• 'On Evangelical Ecclesiology', Ecclesiology 1 (2004), pp. 9-35.
• 'Response to "What Wondrous Love is This?"', in G. Hunsinger, ed., For the Sake of the World. Karl Barth and Ecclesial Theology ( Grand Rapids : Eerdmans, 2004), pp. 159-64.
• '"There is no past in the Church, so there is no past in theology": Barth and the History of Modern Protestant Theology', in J.C. McDowell, M Higton, ed., Conversing with Barth ( Aldershot : Ashgate, 2004), pp. 14-39.
• 'The Immensity and Ubiquity of God', in I.U. Dalferth, J. Fischer, H.-P. Großhans, eds., Denkwürdiges Geheimnis. Beiträge zur Gotteslehre. Festschrift für Eberhard Jüngel zum 70. Geburtstag (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2004), pp. 539-556.
• 'Biblical Theology and the Clarity of Scripture' in C. Bartholomew et al, ed., Out of Egypt. Biblical Theology and Biblical Interpretation (Carlisle: Paternoster Press, 2004), pp. 352-84.
• 'The Church and the Perfection of God' and '"The Visible Attests the Invisible"', in M. Husbands, D. Treier, ed., The Community of the Word. Toward an Evangelical Ecclesiology (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2005), pp. 75-95, 96-113.
• 'Systematic Theology after Barth: Jüngel, Jenson and Gunton', in D. Ford, ed., The Modern Theologians. An Introduction to Christian Theology since 1918 (3 rd edition; Oxford: Blackwell, 2005), pp. 249-64.
• 'Hope', in G. Meilaender, W. Werpehowski, ed., The Oxford Handbook of Theological Ethics (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005), pp. 291-306.
• 'Purity and Plenitude: Evangelical Reflections on Congar's Tradition and Traditions ', International Journal of Systematic Theology 7 (2005), pp. 399-413.
• 'Discipleship and Calling', Scottish Bulletin of Evangelical Theology 23 (2005), pp. 133-47.
• 'Prolegomena to Christology', in S. Holmes, M. Rae, eds., The Person of Christ (London: T&TClark, 2005), pp. 19-36.
• 'Barth and the Reformed Confessions', Zeitschrift für dialektische Theologie 20 (2005), pp. 6-33.
• 'Karl Barth', in J.P. Greenman, T. Larsen, eds., Reading Romans through the Centuries: from the Early Church to Karl Barth (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2005), pp. 205-23

 Books

• Eberhard Jüngel. An Introduction to his Theology (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1986; second edition, 1991)
• (translated with an introduction) Eberhard Jüngel, Theological Essays (T & T Clark, Edinburgh, 1989; second edition as Theological Essays I, 1998)
• (ed) The Possibilities of Theology. Studies in the Theology of Eberhard Jüngel in his 60th Year (T & T Clark, Edinburgh, 1994)
• (translated with an introduction) Eberhard Jüngel, Theological Essays II (T & T Clark, Edinburgh, 1995)
• Barth's Ethics of Reconciliation (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1995)
• Barth's Moral Theology. Human Action in Barth's Thought (T & T Clark, Edinburgh; Wm B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1998)
• (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Karl Barth (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2000)
• (ed., with G.P. Schner) Theology after Liberalism. A Reader (Blackwell, Oxford, 2000)
• Barth (Continuum, London and New York, 2000)
• (translated with an introduction) Eberhard Jüngel, God's Being is in Becoming. The Trinitarian Being of God in the Theology of Karl Barth (T & T Clark, Edinburgh, 2001)
• Word and Church. Essays in Christian Dogmatics (T & T Clark, Edinburgh, 2001)
• Holiness (SCM Press, London, 2003)
• Holy Scripture. A Dogmatic Sketch (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2003)
• Barth's Early Theology (T & T Clark International, 2004)
• Confessing God. Essays in Christian Dogmatics II (T & T Clark International, London , 2005)

Two of these works Word and Church and Barth's Moral Theology have recently been made available in new electronic editions.  Follow the links for details.

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