Chapter 14 The Tree of Life in Modern Theological Thought
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Abstract
This survey of the tree of life in modern theological thought traces its various appearances along four hermeneutical lines: (1) historical-critical scholarship, represented by James Barr along with Jewish and feminist exegetes; (2) “literal” reading, represented by Edward J. Young, John F. Walvoord, and “creation science”; (3) theological exegesis, represented by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Karl Barth, and Henri Blocher; and (4) symbolic uses, represented by feminist theologians among others. For the first three approaches, Genesis 1–3 plays a fundamental role in the tree’s appropriation, while the fourth category more freely treats the tree as a theological symbol, appropriating other canonical or cultural possibilities for its meaning.