Top 5 Theologians of all time?

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PresbyDane

PresbyDane

Puritanboard Doctor
What is your opinion on the top 5 theologians of all time and would you list them and maybe give a reason for your choices.
 
Jonathan Edwards - I just think he had great insight into seeing the small parts of a complex system, and a keen ability to project small ideas into their natural conclusions, and thereby discern their validity. He had a geneous ability to think in the abstract, and to derive a formula that he could make life application with, and it would work.

John Owen - I just think he could exhaust an idea to its near fullest potential, and could cover it from all angles with extreme thouroughness. He is so thorough and complete, and yet he wouldn't venture off into unnecessary thoughts or statements. It's just that, when you've read Owen on a topic, you've pretty much covered the topic in every way possible.

John Calvin - I think he was the master at reducing complex concepts into as few words as possible, so as to grasp near their entire meaning into just the right words. He also had a great gift of sticking to the text, and to the context of the writer. I think probably his most often asked question to himself had to be, "why did the writer say this", as I remember him stressing this in one of his commentaries, saying that we should ask ourselves this question often in our study.

Martin Luther - My #1, because I think he has many of the strengths of the former mentioned along with a heavy dosage of practical experience. He brings theology to a down to earth, practical level, and spans that gap between theology and application that many theologians have a difficult time doing. I know of no other to bring more genuine experience to the table of theology than him. He also tends to see extremely clearly into the context of much of scripture. And, he lets context guide his interpretations well. He also builds few axioms, and defends those axioms to the death. He prioritzes them with all of his might, and hammers all contrary doctrines into the dust.

John Newton - Although not commonly regarded by others (or probably even by himself) as a strict theologian, I would say that he knew an extreme amount of theology, and applied it better than most others. I think he once said that he never had a pure thought of his own, but only restated what others before him have said. I don't think this makes him any less, for even the best of theologians stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before them. But, his life and his theology were bathed in experience, and his knowledge was suspended in the midst of an ocean of grace, which, to me, makes him stand out among the best. He knew grace more than most, I would imagine, which is why I would tend to prefer to read his theology imbedded in his sermons than I would to read a myriad of theology books of those who have little experience in grace and sin.

These are my favs........

Blessings!
 
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Martin Marsh said:
What is your opinion on the top 5 theologians of all time and would you list them and maybe give a reason for your choices.
Click to expand...

Martin,

Five is a short list; I'm consciously choosing non-inspired men :)

5. R.J. Rushdoony: he wrote in bite-sized pieces with very weighty content. Was able to weave a tapestry of all theological disciplines, and to make very insightful comments on a host of practical subjects.

4. Gordon Clark: readable, logical, exegetical, funny.

3. George Gillespie: wrote very little, but very well. Stretches the limits of my understanding, and makes me say (with Gordon Clark commenting on Gillespie) "God be merciful to me, an ignoramus!"

2. Augustine Aurelius: His influence on Christendom can't be overstated. Christian Realism owes its systematization to him. No Augustine, no Reformation.

1. John Calvin: theologian par excellance. Fresh, readable, practical, profound, and helpful. I fight with him while reading his commentaries every once in a while, but I learn a great deal from his writings.

Cheers,

Adam
 
Jonathan Edwards

John Owen (His book "The Death of Death in the Death of Christ is devastatingly great.)

Martin Luther (He opened up the world's eyes)

St Thomas Aquinas

R. C. Sproul (One should include someone that is still alive. )
 
R.C. Sproul - needs no reason

Schaeffer - Ditto's

Augustine - More Ditto's

Rushdoony - Yet again more Ditto's

Dabney - Mega Ditto's

I like all of the above because of the philosophical insights they give into the theological stuggles they each were facing. This list is by no means complete, but the ones that have had the biggest impact on me and how I think...Next to the Bible!
 
humm?

In no particular order but based on Topic:

Boldness: Martin Luther
Amount of Work: John Owen
Father for Reformers to build on besides Scripture (Apostles): Augustine
Most Reformation: John Calvin
Southern Presbyterian: R.L. Dabney

If I were to have six...wait...
I'm having six because this guy gets props for his work with a sickly wife, who he cared for greatly and Princetonian (Northern Presbyterian): B.B. Warfield
 
moral necessity said:
Jonathan Edwards - I just think he had great insight into seeing the small parts of a complex system, and a keen ability to project small ideas into their natural conclusions, and thereby discern their validity. He had a geneous ability to think in the abstract, and to derive a formula that he could make life application with, and it would work.

John Owen - I just think he could exhaust an idea to its near fullest potential, and could cover it from all angles with extreme thouroughness. He is so thorough and complete, and yet he wouldn't venture off into unnecessary thoughts or statements. It's just that, when you've read Owen on a topic, you've pretty much covered the topic in every way possible.

John Calvin - I think he was the master at reducing complex concepts into as few words as possible, so as to grasp near their entire meaning into just the right words. He also had a great gift of sticking to the text, and to the context of the writer. I think probably his most often asked question to himself had to be, "why did the writer say this", as I remember him stressing this in one of his commentaries, saying that we should ask ourselves this question often in our study.

Martin Luther - My #1, because I think he has many of the strengths of the former mentioned along with a heavy dosage of practical experience. He brings theology to a down to earth, practical level, and spans that gap between theology and application that many theologians have a difficult time doing. I know of no other to bring more genuine experience to the table of theology than him. He also tends to see extremely clearly into the context of much of scripture. And, he lets context guide his interpretations well. He also builds few axioms, and defends those axioms to the death. He prioritzes them with all of his might, and hammers all contrary doctrines into the dust.

John Newton - Although not commonly regarded by others (or probably even by himself) as a strict theologian, I would say that he knew an extreme amount of theology, and applied it better than most others. I think he once said that he never had a pure thought of his own, but only restated what others before him have said. I don't think this makes him any less, for even the best of theologians stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before them. But, his life and his theology were bathed in experience, and his knowledge was suspended in the midst of an ocean of grace, which, to me, makes him stand out among the best. He knew grace more than most, I would imagine, which is why I would tend to prefer to read his theology imbedded in his sermons than I would to read a myriad of theology books of those who have little experience in grace and sin.

These are my favs........

Blessings!
Click to expand...

So I guess the lesson to be learned here is to name your sons John. :think:
 
Only 5 is not really easy, is it? :think:

Augustine and Thomas Aquinas
(Aug on sharpness, truthfulness and fighting error and Thom. on volume and system.)

Martin Luther and Jean Calvin (ML on discernment and boldness, JC by all reasons!)

Herman Witsius and John Owen (on Covenant Theology)

Schleiermacher and Karl Barth (not easy to acknowledge these 2 but how to ignore them?)

Herman Bavink and Geerhardus Vos (Dogmatics and Hermeneutics)

Robert L. Reymond (his ST is a great accomplishment)

Robert L. Reymond Ph.D, A New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998). Reviewed by W. Gary Crampton Th.D on Blue Banner - For Christ’s Crown & Covenant Vol. 8 nr. 2 February 1999 PDF attached

.
 
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Jesus, then...


1) John Calvin
2) Aurelius Augustine
3) Martin Luther
4) Anselm
5) RC Sproul
 
Here's my list (in the order in which they appeared):

Augustine
John Calvin
John Owen
John Gill
Jonathan Edwards

At least there seems to be a general consensus to include Calvin, Owen and Edwards. I personally think Gill was truly a genuis, although he had his own weaknesses (credo-baptism and hyper-calvinism). I like reading his works best, more than those of Calvin, which I find sometimes too concise and brief, or Owen, which I find too wordy, and Edwards' which I tend to find too philosophical.
 
Hamalas said:
moral necessity said:
Jonathan Edwards - I just think he had great insight into seeing the small parts of a complex system, and a keen ability to project small ideas into their natural conclusions, and thereby discern their validity. He had a geneous ability to think in the abstract, and to derive a formula that he could make life application with, and it would work.

John Owen - I just think he could exhaust an idea to its near fullest potential, and could cover it from all angles with extreme thouroughness. He is so thorough and complete, and yet he wouldn't venture off into unnecessary thoughts or statements. It's just that, when you've read Owen on a topic, you've pretty much covered the topic in every way possible.

John Calvin - I think he was the master at reducing complex concepts into as few words as possible, so as to grasp near their entire meaning into just the right words. He also had a great gift of sticking to the text, and to the context of the writer. I think probably his most often asked question to himself had to be, "why did the writer say this", as I remember him stressing this in one of his commentaries, saying that we should ask ourselves this question often in our study.

Martin Luther - My #1, because I think he has many of the strengths of the former mentioned along with a heavy dosage of practical experience. He brings theology to a down to earth, practical level, and spans that gap between theology and application that many theologians have a difficult time doing. I know of no other to bring more genuine experience to the table of theology than him. He also tends to see extremely clearly into the context of much of scripture. And, he lets context guide his interpretations well. He also builds few axioms, and defends those axioms to the death. He prioritzes them with all of his might, and hammers all contrary doctrines into the dust.

John Newton - Although not commonly regarded by others (or probably even by himself) as a strict theologian, I would say that he knew an extreme amount of theology, and applied it better than most others. I think he once said that he never had a pure thought of his own, but only restated what others before him have said. I don't think this makes him any less, for even the best of theologians stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before them. But, his life and his theology were bathed in experience, and his knowledge was suspended in the midst of an ocean of grace, which, to me, makes him stand out among the best. He knew grace more than most, I would imagine, which is why I would tend to prefer to read his theology imbedded in his sermons than I would to read a myriad of theology books of those who have little experience in grace and sin.

These are my favs........

Blessings!
Click to expand...

So I guess the lesson to be learned here is to name your sons John. :think:
Click to expand...

LOL! The best response I can come up with is...........probably not, as it didn't work too well for the Wesley family.
 
In no particular order:
5. J Gresham Machen
4. Martin Luther
3. Athanasius
2. Augustine
1. John Calvin

However I have to note that I framed this from those theologians who have had the most beneficial impact onto theology itself, not necessarily the most talented.
 
In order of chronology (after Jesus, Paul, and leaving out present company) . . .

* Augustine - no greater theologian in the first centuries
* Aquinas - the great systematizer of the middle ages
* Calvin - WOW!
* Owen - greatest English theologian of all time (although some of us who have read him might question how clearly he expressed himself!)
* Barth - sorry Grymir, like it or not, he was a giant who opposed liberalism (despite his MANY doctrinal errors and wrong-headed but right-hearted Christomonism)

Honorable mention . . .
* Athanasius - Mr. Contra Mundum himself!
* Anselm - Proslogian, Cur Deus Homo . . . duh!
* Luther - more of a change agent than a theologian, but WOW!
* Turretin - greatest systematics after Calvin until Hodge
* Perkins - THE theologian of the early English Reformation (listed also because I got to touch the first edition of his works at PRTS owned by Spurgeon and filled with marginalia by Pink)
* Edwards - greatest philosopher ever born in America and the inspiration for John Piper's MANY books)

Also rans and popularizers (only because they run in such rich company, these guys are ALL giants in my book) . . .

* Hodge - who was more read by English speaking students?
* Bavinck (and his English popularizer Berkhof)
* Warfield - the Lion of Princeton
* Schaeffer - brought theology down to the retail level
* Packer - gone a little squishy lately, but that preface to Death of Death by Owen was DYN-O-MITE!
* MacArthur - he came to the party late after years traveling on a curious dispensational detour, but the man knows how to teach the Bible
* Sproul - THE best popularizer of Reformed theology EVER! The man is a machine! Go R.C.!!!
* Piper - Who else could get so many young people so restless and Reformed?
* Beeke - a one man Puritan restoration project with hands in so many profitable endeavors that he may be forgiven his role in helping train Nathan Eschleman
* Michael Horton - worthy of note because of his wonderful scholarly and popular books and the importance of the White Horse Inn over the years
 
Argh! Barth? I was wondering if his name was going to show up...just when you think he's slipped under the radar, never to be heard from again. :lol:

I like Sproul being compared to a machine. :p
 
I was glad to see a couple people mention Athanasius (together with whom the Cappadocian Fathers should be named: Basil the Great, and the two Gregory's--of Nyssa and Nazianzus).

I would also include Geerhardus Vos on the list. His insights are profoundly deep and developed in a way that few other writers rival.
 
5. Luther

-----Added 12/27/2008 at 05:17:53 EST-----

4. Edwards
3.Owen
2. Augustine
1 Grudem Lol, j.k.
1. Calvin
 
1. John Calvin - I agree with Adam, nearly 5 centuries later he is still fresh and readable with remarkable insight, and synthesizes concepts from all parts of the Bible like no one else.

2. Jonathan Edwards

3. John Owen

4. Augustine

5. Martin Luther

If I had to choose a contemporary I would pick MacArthur (Dispensational errors duly noted) or R.C. Sproul.
 
No 20th century writer could make this list could he/she?

Augustine (sin and grace)

Anselm (atonement)

Thomas (most of our vocabulary including predestination)

Luther (the Reformation)

Calvin (more reformation, church, sacraments, Christology, inchoate covenant theology).

All the 20th century writers were simply re-hashing or making a hash out of the great ideas that were formed by the 17th century. I seriously doubt that Edwards should make a list like this. He wouldn't put himself on the list. Where he was orthodox, he was fine. Where he was unorthodox (ask Hodge) he was highly problematic. People are still arguing about whether he was orthodox on justification. Seems to me that being crystal clear on justification would be a prerequisite for being a good Protestant theologian. Then there's the problems of pantheism and neo-Platonism and his critique of the confessionalists in his own day. There's his legacy. Edwards is a very mixed bag indeed.

Being a good writer or being helpful cannot qualify one for a list like the top 5 of all time. Certainly no one as patently weird as Rushdoony, who was an amateur theologian at best and Gordon Clark was a philosopher, not a theologian. Gillespie is important as a window into a certain period but as to being foundational and formative? There are probably 5 or more other theologians in the period (Cocceius, Polanus, Owen, Turretin, Heidegger, Witsius, Voetius, Perkins, Van Mastricht) who were, objectively considered, more foundational.

These sorts of lists drive me crazy. Idiosyncratic writers from the 20th century displacing true giants! AAARRRGGGHHH.

I feel only slightly better.
 
R. Scott Clark said:
All the 20th century writers were simply re-hashing or making a hash out of the great ideas that were formed by the 17th century. I seriously doubt that Edwards should make a list like this. He wouldn't put himself on the list. Where he was orthodox, he was fine. Where he was unorthodox (ask Hodge) he was highly problematic. People are still arguing about whether he was orthodox on justification. Seems to me that being crystal clear on justification would be a prerequisite for being a good Protestant theologian. Then there's the problems of pantheism and neo-Platonism and his critique of the confessionalists in his own day. There's his legacy. Edwards is a very mixed bag indeed.
Click to expand...

Unless he changed his view either before or after writing his Systematic Theology, Hodge thought Edwards problematic in other areas than justification. In ST,Hodge thinks Edwards is both crystal clear and fully orthodox as far as justification is concerned.
In his Systematic Theology, Hodge calls Edwards "firm in his adherence" to the confessional view of justification (iii 101 http://www.ccel.org/ccel/hodge/theo...type=78a46024be12fc4773f9c2ff43eaca507aa21a37). He cites Edwards doctrine on this subject is approved by Hodge and presented as fully representative of "the doctrine of the Reformed and Lutheran churches on this important doctrine..."
 
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timmopussycat said:
R. Scott Clark said:
No 20th century writer could make this list could he/she?

Augustine (sin and grace)

Anselm (atonement)

Thomas (most of our vocabulary including predestination)

Luther (the Reformation)

Calvin (more reformation, church, sacraments, Christology, inchoate covenant theology).

All the 20th century writers were simply re-hashing or making a hash out of the great ideas that were formed by the 17th century. I seriously doubt that Edwards should make a list like this. He wouldn't put himself on the list. Where he was orthodox, he was fine. Where he was unorthodox (ask Hodge) he was highly problematic. People are still arguing about whether he was orthodox on justification. Seems to me that being crystal clear on justification would be a prerequisite for being a good Protestant theologian. Then there's the problems of pantheism and neo-Platonism and his critique of the confessionalists in his own day. There's his legacy. Edwards is a very mixed bag indeed.
Click to expand...

Edwards arguably should make your list as the theologian of Christian experience.

Where did Hodge claim that Edwards was problematic? Also where can one find the the best statement of the case against Edwards' orthodoxy on justification?

I don't think any of the writers you name would have put themselves on such a list. And I'm not convinced that one's legacy should keep one's name off the list. If legacy was a valid reason to exclude Edwards' then surely the same could be said of Augustine, Thomas, and even Luther, (and Baptists could add) Calvin?
Click to expand...

I agree, it's hard to leave Edwards off the list. And you are right, many of the great theologians' "legacy" could be seriously called into question (I'm thinking mainly of Augustine) - I don't think it's fair to single Edwards out. And I've never heard Edwards was unorthodox on justification - interested in seeing the source for that as well.
 
Edwards arguably should make your list as the theologian of Christian experience.
Click to expand...

That's my point exactly! What did Edwards write about religious experience that Bernard (or even Catherine of Sienna) did not anticipate? Calvin is much healthier in book 3 on religious experience than Edwards.

Where did Hodge claim that Edwards was problematic? Also where can one find the the best statement of the case against Edwards' orthodoxy on justification?
Click to expand...

See RRC, 71-116.
 
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