A Place at the Table: George Eldon Ladd and the Rehabilitation of Evangelical Scholarship in America [Hardcover]

Fifty years ago, evangelicals were mired in endless debates over theories about the Last Days. Dispensational theology dominated the outlook of most evangelical scholarship and (for many) had become a key doctrine that determined whether one was orthodox or not.

Evangelical scholars found themselves largely ignored by the wider world of academia. Many happily ignored the academy in return. The scholarly dimension of evangelical identity was faltering as the movement was plagued by in-house squabbles and debates.

Into this defining era of evangelical controversy came George Eldon Ladd, professor of New Testament at Fuller Seminary from 1950-82 and one of the most important voices in 20th century evangelicalism. Though Ladd may remain unknown to most evangelicals in the pews, he left a legacy that continues to bear fruit within the evangelical academy. His theology also brought to many evangelical churches a new openness to different eschatological interpretations.

Ladd broke through the sterile debates about whether the kingdom of God was a present, spiritual reality or a future, earthly reality. He popularized a view of the kingdom as having two dimensions: "already/not yet." Ladd was also one of the first solid evangelical scholars to go outside the fundamentalist camp in order to interact with liberal scholars in the academy, men like Rudolph Bultmann.

John A. D'Elia has recently completed a fascinating biographical look at this evangelical theologian. A Place at the Table: George Eldon Ladd and the Rehabilitation of Evangelical Scholarship in America (Oxford University Press, 2008) details Ladd's early life, his conversion and his academic preparation. D'Elia describes the difficulty Ladd had in obtaining his own education. He shows how Ladd's childhood negatively affected his later life, specifically his marriage and family life.

A Place at the Table is much more than a biographical sketch of Ladd's life. D'Elia cautiously enters into the theological discussion he describes in order to spotlight Ladd's contributions to evangelical scholarship and his interactions with scholars from outside the evangelical world. Those who read D'Elia's book will receive an education, not merely regarding the historical aspects of Ladd's interesting life, but also regarding the theological debates of the time.

Readers like myself may be surpised by the fact that Dispensationalism was viewed as a test of orthodoxy for evangelicals in the 1950's. Ladd showed great courage in going against the Dispensational tide. His appeal to evangelicals to not blacklist each other over secondary issues is one of his most admirable qualities.

A Place at the Table is an educational look at Ladd's life and accomplishments - the good, bad, and the ugly. D'Elia does not shy away from describing Ladd's personal failures. Ladd lived many years with a crumbling marriage, a neglected family, and a heavy drinking problem. Obsessed with his desire to make a splash in the broader acadmic world, Ladd is crushed by another theologian's negative review of his work. In the last decade of his life, Ladd came to see his attempts at engaging scholarship outside of evangelicalism as a "fool's dream," and he entered a period of depression from which he never fully recovered.

And yet, D'Elia's biography shows rays of hope in Ladd's later life. As a scholar passionate about the Great Commission, Ladd would often get choked up when talking about the gospel. He deeply mourned the loss of his wife. Amazingly, some of his most difficult years personally were some of his most productive professionally.

A Place at the Table provides valuable lessons for seminary students or other evangelical scholars. Ladd's example serves to remind us of the importance of cherishing our families. Ladd's example also serves as a warning against overestimating the opinions of others. And D'Elia's description of the theological debates of the 1950's provides some needed perspective regarding the debates that are currently raging in evangelicalism today.

Readers of A Place at the Table may be disappointed to discover that Ladd is not a larger-than-life hero, but a flawed Christian whom God used mightily in spite of his sins and failures. One senses the "already/not yet" nature of the kingdom pulsating through the narrative of Ladd's life. Had Ladd's personal life demonstrated a little more of the "already," perhaps the story would have had a different outcome. After finishing the book, I felt a strange mixture of sadness and hopefulness, and a deep yearning for the "not yet" which Ladd so strongly proclaimed.

This book gives a fascinating account of one of the twentieth century's most influential New Testament scholars. George Eldon Ladd had a sharp mind and a strong desire to influence the liberal scholarly community for the Kingdom of God. Though raised and brought to faith in a Dispensational church, Ladd grew up to reject Dispensationalism in favor of Historic Premillennialism, which differentiates from Dispensationalism in that it does not hold to a pre-tribulational rapture, nor a distinction between the nation of Israel and the Christian Church. Ladd was educated at Gordon College (today known as Gordon-Conwell); and after pastoring several New England Baptist churches, earned a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Though his doctoral studies were under the tutelage of a liberal advisor, Ladd retained his evangelical faith and sought to write a work, from a conservative theological perspective, that even the liberal's of the higher criticism camp, would have to appreciate. Unto this end, Ladd devoted his academic life, and in the process, sacrificed much of his family life.
In many ways, Ladd was a deeply troubled man, as D'Elia depicts in this work. Ladd had a cold relationship with his father, who appears to have been overbearing. And he was jealous of his younger brother, who was always more popular, athletic, and approved of by their father. Ladd eventually marries and has two children, but his commitment (obsession) with his studies leads to an alienation with his wife, and children. Beginning in the 1950's Ladd starts to struggle with alcoholism and eventually sexual sin (D'Elia implies that Ladd probably had an affair while on sabbatical in Germany and also made a pass at the wife of one of his students.) His alcoholism becomes worse, until eventually his employer, Fuller Theological Seminary has to reprimand and suspend him for one year. Ladd considers divorcing his wife, but never does. She dies in 1976. In 1980, Ladd, who by now is an uncontrollable alcoholic, has a stroke and spends his last two years in a nursing home, dying in 1982.
Though Ladd's psyche was always brittle, it seems that he was ultimately pushed over the edge in the 1960s shortly after completing his magnum opus. For ten solid years, he had worked on a book called "Jesus and the Kingdom" that was meant to be a work to engage the liberal scholars of the day. One book reviewer, Norman Perrin, panned the book in a theological journal, and Ladd absolutely fell apart. From that point on, he considered his life a failure and he slid deeper and deeper into emotional duress and alcoholism. Friends, colleagues, and family all tried to help him but he refused. Ultimately his behavior cost him numerous relationships, including those of his children who rarely spoke to him. This is the tragedy of Ladd's life, and a lesson for those who would put work, even God's work, ahead of their relationship with the Lord and the family he has given them to care for. But Ladd's academic achievements were indeed profound.
While dispensational theology was the predominant conservative view of the day, Ladd confronted it with some of its unbiblical and extreme tendencies. In so doing, he was much maligned by leading dispensationalists such as John Walvoord, but he added another, much needed perspective to the debate regarding eschatology. Ladd is still considered the most prominent twentieth century spokesman for the millennial view known as Historic Premillennialism, and is widely read on the subject even today.
Ladd also wrote a Theology of the New Testament, that some have considered on par with John Calvin's "Institutes of the Christian Religion" in its scope and influence. Clearly Ladd had something to offer the world of Christian scholarship. But sadly, his personal life didn't coincide with his stated, written beliefs.
My conclusion of this work is that it is a tremendous read for those interested in the theological academy, and for those who would like a glimpse into the personal life of this truly tragic figure. D'Elia does a masterful job of weaving the scholarly achievements of Ladd with his personal life in way that is interesting, albeit sad. Ladd's life and work have much to teach us in both positive and negative ways. D'Elia brings this out clearly in a book that is both intellectually challenging, and personally interesting. I recommend its reading, and the reading of Ladd's work, without reservation.

This is an important read for anyone interested in Evangelicalism in American society and academia, even more so for seminary grads or students in, from, or interested in American Evangelical traditions. D'Elia is exhaustive in his use of sources, but presents the material in a very readable narrative, telling Ladd's poignant story within the larger story of Evangelical scholarship in the mid to late 20th century. I've spent very little time studying Ladd's writing, but found his story fascinating.