An Introduction to Christian Theology

Höfundar: Richard J. Plantinga; Thomas R. Thompson; Matthew D. Lundberg (Útgáfa: 2)
An Introduction to Christian Theology

Kaup valmöguleikar

Far from being solely an academic enterprise, the practice of theology can pique the interest of anyone who wonders about the meaning of life. This introduction to Christian theology – exploring its basic concepts, confessional content, and history – emphasizes the relevance of the key convictions of Christian faith to the challenges of today's world. Part I introduces the project of Christian theology and sketches the critical context that confronts Christian thought and practice today.

Part II offers a survey of the key doctrinal themes of Christian theology, including revelation, the triune God, and the world as creation, identifying their biblical basis and the highlights of their historical development before giving a systematic evaluation of each theme. Part III provides an overview of Christian theology from the early church to the present. Thoroughly revised and updated, the second edition of An Introduction to Christian Theology includes a range of new visual and pedagogical features, including images, diagrams, tables, and more than eighty text boxes, which call attention to special emphases, observations, and applications to help deepen student engagement.

Nánar um bókina

Útgefandi
Cambridge University Press
ISBN
9781108848084
Print ISBN
9781108480048
Format
Page Fidelity (PDF)
Útgáfa
2
Höfundar
Richard J. Plantinga; Thomas R. Thompson; Matthew D. Lundberg
Tungumál
English
Útgefið
2022-11-03
Prent takmörkun á líftíma
100
Prent takmörkun
2
Afritunar takmörkun
2

Kaflar

  • Half-title
  • Praise for the First Edition
  • Title page
  • Copyright information
  • Dedication
  • Contents
  • List of Figures
  • List of Tables
  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • Abbreviations
  • Part I Introduction to Theology
  • Chapter 1 What Is Theology?
  • Introduction: The Quest(ions) of Human Existence
  • The Development of the Concept of Theology
  • Origin of the Term ''Theology''
  • Brief History of the Concept and Practice of Theology
  • Patristic Developments
  • Medieval and Reformation Developments
  • Modern and Contemporary Developments
  • The Architecture and Method of Theology
  • The Sources/Norms and Branches of Theology
  • The Tasks and Audiences of Systematic Theology
  • The Criteria of Systematic Theology
  • The Dynamics of Systematic Theology
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 2 The Critical Context of Theology Today
  • The Contextual Dimension of Theology
  • The Social Location and Identity of the Theologian
  • Modernity
  • The Enlightenment Project
  • Challenge to Christian Orthodoxy
  • Secularization and the Rise of Modern Atheism
  • Individualism and Dehumanization
  • The Problem of Evil
  • Postmodernity
  • The Crisis of Meaning
  • Historical Contingency
  • Epistemological Pluralism
  • Global Consciousness
  • Conclusion
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Part II Key Themes of Christian Theology
  • Chapter 3 Revelation and Knowledge of God
  • The Concept of Revelation
  • Knowing God and the Necessity of Revelation
  • The Meaning of Revelation
  • General Revelation
  • Biblical Themes
  • Natural Theology
  • Special Revelation
  • The Word of God
  • The Doctrine of Scripture
  • The Relationship of General and Special Revelation
  • General Revelation Alone
  • Special Revelation Alone
  • The Integration of General and Special Revelation
  • Speaking of God
  • Anthropomorphism
  • Accommodation
  • Analogy
  • Metaphor
  • Recent Challenges to God-Talk
  • Conclusion
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 4 A Tale of Two Theisms
  • Introduction
  • Biblical Foundations
  • Old Testament
  • New Testament
  • The Historical Development of Classical Theism
  • Christianity and Hellenistic Culture
  • The Patristic Legacy
  • Scholasticism and Thomas Aquinas
  • The Specter of Modern Atheism
  • Naturalistic Atheism
  • Humanistic Atheism
  • Apathetic Atheism
  • Protest Atheism
  • A Tale of Two Theisms
  • Classical Theism
  • Trinitarian Theism
  • Reconsidering Divine Attributes
  • Simplicity / Indivisibility
  • Immutability
  • Eternality
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 5 The Triune God
  • Introduction
  • The Biblical Basis of the Doctrine of the Trinity
  • Old Testament
  • New Testament
  • The Historical Development of Trinity Doctrine
  • The Earliest Church Fathers and the Heresy of Modalism
  • The Arian Controversy
  • The Cappadocians and the East
  • Augustine and the West
  • The Modern Demise of Trinity Doctrine
  • A Trinitarian Renaissance
  • A Systematic Consideration of the Trinity
  • A Typology of Models
  • The Western Paradoxical Trinity
  • The Neo-Modal Trinity
  • The Social Trinity
  • Forms of Unity
  • The Question of Tritheism
  • Trinitarian Mystery
  • Practical Advantages of the Social Model
  • Conclusion: The Question of ''God''
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 6 The World as Creation
  • Introduction
  • The Biblical Affirmation of Creation
  • Old Testament
  • New Testament
  • The Doctrine of Creation in Historical Perspective
  • Gnosticism and Creatio ex Nihilo
  • Geocentric Cosmology
  • Heliocentrism and the Rise of Modern Science
  • Creation and Evolution
  • Today's Ecological Crisis
  • A Systematic Consideration of Creation Doctrine
  • Implications of Creatio ex Nihilo Doctrine
  • ''God is the source of all that there is''
  • ''Creatures are dependent, yet real and good''
  • ''God creates in freedom and with purpose''
  • Divine Transcendence
  • Ontological Implications
  • Epistemological Implications
  • Divine Immanence
  • Retrieving Immanence in View of the Ecological Crisis
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 7 Humanity in the Image of God and the Disfigurement of Sin
  • The Question of Human Identity
  • The Image of God in the Biblical Text
  • Old Testament
  • New Testament
  • The Image of God in the History of Theology
  • Irenaeus
  • Thomas Aquinas
  • John Calvin
  • Emil Brunner
  • The Image of God: A Representational-Relational Conception
  • God and Humanity
  • The Human Community
  • Humanity and Nature
  • Sin and the Image of God
  • Defining Sin
  • Original Sin
  • Actual Sin
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 8 The Problem of Evil and the Question of Theodicy
  • The Nature and Reality of Evil
  • The Problem of Evil
  • Dimensions of the Problem
  • The Experiential Force of Evil
  • The Intellectual Conundrum of Evil
  • Twentieth-Century Intensification of the Problem of Evil
  • Theodicies in the Western Tradition
  • Evil as Inherent in Materiality
  • Evil as Non-Being
  • Evil as Condition for Human Becoming
  • Evil and Cosmic Beauty
  • Evil and Submission to the Divine Will
  • A Theological Response to the Problem of Evil
  • The Problem of Theodicy
  • The Free-Will Defense
  • The Origin of Evil
  • The Present and Future Status of Evil
  • Good Friday: Trinity and Cross
  • Easter Sunday: Resurrection and New Creation
  • Holy Saturday: Lament, Protest, and Hope
  • Conclusion
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 9 The Identity and Person of Jesus Christ
  • Introduction: The Quest(ion) of God
  • Biblical Foundations
  • Old Testament Messianic Expectations
  • New Testament Fulfillment
  • The Deity of Christ
  • Historical Development
  • The Long Road to Chalcedon
  • The Ebionitic Strain and the Council of Nicea (325)
  • The Docetic Strain and the Council of Constantinople (381)
  • The Alexandrian and Antiochene Schools and the Council of Chalcedon (451)
  • Modern Developments and Reaction
  • A Systematic Consideration of the Person of Christ
  • The Two-Natures Model
  • The Kenotic Model
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 10 The Reconciling Work of Jesus Christ
  • Introduction
  • Biblical Roots of the Christian Understanding of Reconciliation
  • Old Testament
  • New Testament
  • Root Metaphors and Images
  • Broader Biblical Perspectives
  • Traditional Christian Atonement Theories
  • Patristic Theology
  • Recapitulation
  • Deification
  • Ransom
  • Medieval and Reformation Theology
  • Satisfaction
  • Penal Substitution
  • Modern Theology
  • Exemplarism
  • Kingdom of God
  • A Narrative Proposal for Reconciliation Theology
  • Creation as Kingdom of God
  • Incarnation as Recapitulation
  • Crucifixion as Substitutionary Death
  • Resurrection for Liberation, Humanization, and Cosmic Shalom
  • Conclusion
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 11 The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
  • Introduction: The Cinderella of the Trinity?
  • Biblical Foundations
  • Spirit in the Old Testament
  • The Holy Spirit in the New Testament
  • The Personhood and Deity of the Holy Spirit
  • Historical Developments in Pneumatology
  • The Patristic Era to the Council of Constantinople
  • Augustine, the West, and the Filioque Clause
  • The Middle Ages and the Reformation
  • Modern Developments
  • Enlightenment Challenges and Critiques
  • Pentecostalism and Charismatic Movements
  • Systematic Considerations
  • The Filioque Clause
  • Trinitarian Appropriations
  • Recovery of the ''Creator Spirit''
  • Spirit and Flesh
  • Holistic Spirituality
  • The Creator Spirit and the Ecological Crisis
  • The Spirit and the World's Religions
  • The Spirit in Glorification
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 12 Dimensions of Salvation
  • Introduction
  • Salvation in Biblical Perspective
  • Old Testament
  • New Testament
  • Personal and Cosmic Salvation
  • The Saving Work of the Holy Spirit: Adoption into the Triune Life
  • Dimensions of Salvation in Historical and Systematic Perspective
  • Faith
  • Justification
  • Sanctification
  • Cosmic Salvation and Personal Vocation
  • Conclusion
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 13 The Church and Its Mission
  • Introduction
  • The Nature and Identity of the Church
  • The Biblical Witness
  • Old Testament
  • New Testament
  • Key Biblical Images
  • The Nicene Notes of the Church
  • Unity
  • Holiness
  • Catholicity
  • Apostolicity
  • The Mission of the Church
  • Tasks of the Church
  • Proclamation through Preaching
  • The Sacraments as Proclamation
  • The Embodied Proclamation of the Living Church Community
  • Mission and Election
  • Visible and Invisible Church
  • Reframing Election
  • Conclusion: A Church For the World
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 14 Christianity in a Global Context
  • Introduction: Two Theaters and Challenges to the Mission of the Church
  • Western Christianity
  • The Decline of Christianity in Recent Centuries
  • Heightened Awareness of the Complexity of Humanity's Religious History
  • Christian Responses to Religious Plurality
  • Biblical Perspectives
  • Historical Perspectives
  • A Typology of Approaches
  • World Christianity
  • The Recent Growth of ''Non-Western'' Christianity
  • Latin America
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • The Future of the Church
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 15 Hope and the Future
  • Introduction
  • Hope Springs Eternal
  • Biblical Eschatology
  • Old Testament Hopes
  • New Testament Realization
  • Historical Perspectives: The Waning and Waxing of Biblical Eschatology
  • A Systematic Consideration of Ecumenical Eschatology
  • The Second Coming of Christ
  • The Question of the Millennium
  • The Resurrection of the Dead
  • The Question of the Intermediate State
  • Final Judgment/Justice
  • The Question of Hell
  • The New Heaven and Earth
  • The Question of Hope
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Part III Historical Survey of Christian Theology
  • Chapter 16 Theology in the Patristic Era (c. 100-500)
  • The Birth of Christianity
  • The Jewish Roots of Christianity
  • The Greco-Roman World of Early Christianity
  • The Search for Christian Identity
  • The ''Apostolic Fathers''
  • Theology amid Persecution: Martyrdom and the Apologists
  • Heresy and the Checkered Path to ''Orthodoxy''
  • Three Formative Theologians
  • Irenaeus
  • Tertullian
  • Origen
  • The Development of Creeds
  • The Constantinian Shift
  • Conciliar Orthodoxy: Definitive Christian Identity
  • The New Testament Canon
  • The Trinitarian Controversy
  • The Christological Controversy
  • East And West and the Identity of Traditions
  • The Cappadocians
  • Augustine
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 17 Theology in the Middle Ages (c. 500-1400)
  • Introduction: Diverging Traditions
  • Byzantine Theology
  • Key Theological Accents
  • Continued Controversy and the Later Ecumenical Councils
  • The Filioque Controversy
  • Latin Theology
  • Early Medieval Theology
  • Early Scholasticism
  • Anselm of Canterbury
  • Peter Abelard
  • Peter Lombard
  • The School of St. Victor
  • High Scholasticism
  • The Mendicant Orders
  • Bonaventure
  • Thomas Aquinas
  • Late Scholasticism
  • John Duns Scotus
  • William of Ockham
  • Conclusion
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 18 Theology in the Reformation Period (c. 1400-1700)
  • The Late Medieval Context of Church and Society
  • The Lutheran Reformation
  • Martin Luther
  • Justification
  • Theology of the Cross
  • Law and Gospel
  • Sacraments
  • Philipp Melanchthon
  • Lutheran Controversies and the Formula of Concord
  • The Calvinist Reformation
  • Huldrych Zwingli
  • John Calvin
  • Knowledge of God
  • Providence and Predestination
  • Christ and Salvation
  • Sacraments
  • The English Reformation
  • The ''Radical'' Reformation
  • The Catholic Reformation
  • The Counter-Reformation
  • The Council of Trent
  • Post-Reformation Theological Currents
  • Protestant Orthodoxy
  • Puritanism
  • Pietism
  • Conclusion
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 19 Theology in Modernity (c. 1700-1960)
  • Introduction: Prelude to the Modern World
  • The Enlightenment
  • Basic Features of the Enlightenment
  • Philosophical Developments
  • Enlightenment Challenges to Christian Belief
  • Belief in God in General
  • Christian Belief in Particular
  • Theological Responses to the Enlightenment
  • Immanuel Kant
  • Georg W. F. Hegel
  • Friedrich Schleiermacher
  • Roman Catholicism and the First Vatican Council
  • Eastern Orthodoxy
  • Liberal Protestantism
  • Neo-orthodoxy
  • Karl Barth
  • Emil Brunner
  • Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  • Rudolf Bultmann
  • Reinhold Niebuhr
  • Paul Tillich
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Chapter 20 Theology in the Contemporary Period (c. 1960-Present)
  • Theology in the Turbulent 1960s
  • Death-of-God and Secular Theologies
  • Process Theology
  • Catholic Theology and Vatican II
  • Twentieth-Century Catholic Theological Reform
  • The Second Vatican Council
  • Eastern Orthodox Theology
  • History and Eschatology in Protestant Theology
  • Wolfhart Pannenberg
  • J├╝rgen Moltmann
  • Liberation Theologies
  • Latin American Liberation Theology
  • Black Theology
  • Feminist Theology
  • Postmodernity and Theology
  • Radical Postmodernism in Theology
  • Narrative and Post-liberal Theology
  • Global Christianity and the Shape of Theology
  • Conclusion
  • Sources and Further Reading
  • Glossary
  • Index