• List of Illustrations
• Mission Statement
• Preface
• To the Student: How to Use this Work
• To the Teacher: How to Use this Book

For easy access to specific sections, please click on the Index below:

INDEX

Part I:
Landmarks: Periods, Themes, and Personalities of Christian Theology: Introduction

1. The Patristic Period, ca.100-451
2. The Middle Ages and the Renaissance, ca.1050-ca.1500
3. The Reformation and Post-Reformation Periods, ca.1500-ca.1750
4. The Modern Period, ca.1750 to the Present

Part II:
Sources and Methods:

5. Getting Started: Preliminaries
6. The Sources of Theology
7. Knowledge of God: Natural and Revealed
8. Philosophy and Theology: Introducing a Dialogue

Part III:
Christian Theology:

9. The Doctrine of God
10. The Doctrine of the Trinity
11. The Doctrine of the Person of Christ
12. Faith and History: A New Christological Agenda
13. The Doctrine of Salvation in Christ
14. The Doctrines of Human Nature, Sin, and Grace
15. The Doctrine of the Church
16. The Doctrine of the Sacraments
17. Christianity and the World Religions
18. Last Things: The Christian Hope

Part I:

Landmarks: Periods, Themes, and Personalities of Christian Theology: Introduction

1. The Patristic Period, ca.100-451

A Clarification of Terms
An Overview of the Patristic Period
Key Theologians
Justin Martyr
Irenaeus of Lyons
Origen Tertullian
Athanasius
Augustine of Hippo
Key Theological Developments
The Extent of the New Testament Canon
The Role of Tradition
The Relation of Christian Theology and Secular Culture
The Fixing of the Ecumenical Creeds
The Two Natures of Jesus Christ
The Doctrine of the Trinity
The Doctrine of the Church
The Doctrine of Grace
Key Names, Words, and Phrases
Questions for Chapter 1
Further Reading

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2. The Middle Ages and the Renaissance, ca.1050-ca.1500.

A Clarification of Terms
The Middle Ages
The Renaissance
Scholasticism
Humanism
Key Theologians
Anselm of Canterbury
Thomas Aquinas
Duns Scotus
William of Ockham
Erasmus of Rotterdam
Key Theological Developments
The Consolidation of the Patristic Heritage
The Exploration of the Role of Reason in Theology
The Development of Theological Systems
The Development of Sacramental Theology
The Development of the Theology of Grace
The Role of Mary in the Scheme of Salvation
Returning Directly to the Sources of Christian Theology
The Critique of the Vulgate Translation of Scripture
Byzantine Theology
Key Names, Words, and Phrases
Questions for Chapter 2
Further Reading

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3. The Reformation and Post-Reformation Periods,
ca.1500-ca.1750.

A Clarification of Terms
The Lutheran Reformation
The Calvinist Reformation
The Radical Reformation (Anabaptism)
The Catholic Reformation
Key Theologians Martin Luther
John Calvin
Huldrych Zwingli
Key Theological Developments
The Sources of Theology
The Doctrine of Grace
The Doctrine of the Sacraments
The Doctrine of the Church
Developments in Theological Literature
The Catechisms
Confessions of Faith
Works of Systematic Theology
Post-Reformation Movements
Protestant Orthodoxy
Roman Catholicism
Puritanism
Pietism
Key Names, Words, and Phrases
Questions for Chapter 3
Further Reading

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4. The Modern Period, ca.1750 to the Present

The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment and Protestantism
The Enlightenment Critique of Christian Theology: a General Overview
The Enlightenment Critique of Christian Theology: Specific Issues
Theological Movements Since the Enlightenment
Romanticism
Marxism
Liberal Protestantism
Modernism
Neo-Orthodoxy
Roman Catholicism
Eastern Orthodoxy
Feminism
Postmodernism
Liberation theology
Black Theology
Postliberalism
Evangelicalism
Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements
Theologies of the Developing World
Key Names, Words, and Phrases
Questions for Chapter 4
Further Reading

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Part II:

Sources and Methods:

5. Getting Started: Preliminaries

A Working Definition of Theology
The Development of Theology as an Academic Discipline
The Architecture of Theology
Biblical Studies
Systematic Theology
Historical Theology
Pastoral Theology
Philosophical Theology
Spirituality, or Mystical Theology
The Question of Prolegomena
Commitment and Neutrality in Theology
Orthodoxy and Heresy
Historical Aspects
Theological Aspects
Questions for Chapter 5
Further Reading

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6. The Sources of Theology

Scripture
Old and New Testaments
The Word of God
Narrative Theology
Methods of Interpretation of Scripture
Theories of the Inspiration of Scripture
Reason
Reason and Revelation: Three Models
Deism
Enlightenment Rationalism
Criticisms of Enlightenment Rationalism Addition
A Single-Source Theory of Tradition
A Dual-Source Theory of Tradition
The Total Rejection of Tradition
Theology and Worship: the Importance of Liturgical Tradition
Religious Experience
Existentialism: a Philosophy of Human Experience
Experience and Theology: Two Models. Feuerbach's Critique of Experience-Based Theologies Questions for Chapter 6
Further Reading

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7. Knowledge of God: Natural and Revealed

The Idea of Revelation
Models of Revelation
Revelation as Doctrine
Revelation as Presence
Revelation as Experience
Revelation as History
Natural Theology: Its Scope and Limits
Thomas Aquinas on Natural Theology
Calvin on Natural Theology
The Reformed Tradition on Natural Theology
Approaches to Discerning God in Nature
Objections to Natural Theology
A Theological Objection: Karl Barth
A Philosophical Objection: Alvin Plantinga
Questions for Chapter 7
Further Reading

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8. Philosophy and Theology: Introducing a Dialogue

Some Philosophical Influences, Issues and Debates
Platonism
Aristotelianism
Rationalism and Empiricism
Realism and Idealism
Logical Positivism: The Vienna Circle
The Demand for Falsification: Karl Popper
The Nature of Faith
Faith and Knowledge
Faith and Salvation
Aquinas and Luther Compared
Can God's Existence be Proved? The Ontological Argument
Thomas Aquinas' Five Ways
The Cosmological Argument
The Kalam Argument
The Teleological Argument: William Paley
The Nature of Theological Language
Analogy
Metaphor
Accommodation
A Case Study: the Copernican Debate
Questions for Chapter 8
Further Reading

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Part III: Christian Theology:

9. The Doctrine of God

Is God Male?
A Personal God
Defining "Person"
Dialogical Personalism
Can God Suffer?
The Classic View: the Impassability of God
A Suffering God
The Death of God?
The Omnipotence of God
Defining Omnipotence
The Two Powers of God
The Notion of Divine Self-Limitation
God's Action in the World
Deism: God Acts Through the Laws of Nature
Thomism: God Acts Through Secondary Causes
Process Theology: God Acts Through Persuasion
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin: Point Omega
Theodicies: The Problem of Evil
Irenaeus of Lyons
Augustine of Hippo
Karl Barth
Recent Contributions
God as Creator
Development of the Doctrine of Creation
Implications of the Doctrine of Creation
Models of God as Creator
Creation and Time
Creation and Christian Approaches to Ecology
Creation and the Relation of Theology and the Natural Sciences
The Holy Spirit
Models of the Holy Spirit
The Debate over the Divinity of the Holy Spirit
Augustine of Hippo: the Spirit as Bond of Love
The Functions of the Spirit
Questions for Chapter 9
Further Reading

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10. The Doctrine of the Trinity

The Biblical Foundations of the Trinity
The Historical Development of the Doctrine: The Terms
The Historical Development of the Doctrine: The Ideas
Perichoresis. Appropriation
Two Trinitarian Heresies
Modalism
Tritheism
The Trinity: Six Models
The Cappadocians
Augustine of Hippo
Karl Barth
Karl Rahner
Robert Jenson
John Macquarrie
The Filioque Controversy
Questions for Chapter 10
Further Reading

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11. The Doctrine of the Person of Christ

The Relation between Christology and Soteriology
The Place of Jesus Christ in Christian Theology
Jesus Christ is the Historical Point of Departure for Christianity
Jesus Christ Reveals God
Jesus Christ is the Bearer of Salvation
Jesus Christ Defines the Shape of the Redeemed Life
New Testament Christological Affirmations
Messiah
Son of God
Son of Man
Lord
God
The Patristic Debate over the Person of Christ
Early Contributions: From Justin Martyr to Origen
The Arian Controversy
The Alexandrian School
The Antiochene School
The "Communication of Attributes"
Adolf von Harnack on the Evolution of Patristic Christology
Models of Divine Presence in Christ
The Example of a Godly Life
A Symbolic Presence
Christ as Mediator
Presence of the Spirit
Revelational Presence
Substantial Presence
Kenotic Approaches to Christology
Questions for Chapter 11
Further Reading

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12. Faith and History: A New Christological Agenda

The Enlightenment and Christology
The Critique of Miracles
The Development of Doctrinal Criticism
The Problem of Faith and History
The Chronological Difficulty
The Metaphysical Difficulty
The Existential Difficulty
The Quest of the Historical Jesus
The Original Quest of the Historical Jesus
The Quest for the Religious Personality of Jesus
The Critique of the Quest, 1890-1910
The Retreat from History: Rudolf Bultmann
The New Quest of the Historical Jesus
The Third Quest of the Historical Jesus
The Resurrection of Christ: Event and Meaning
The Enlightenment: the Resurrection as Non-Event
David Friedrich Strauss: the Resurrection as Myth
Rudolf Bultmann: The Resurrection as an Event in the Experience of the Disciples
Karl Barth: The Resurrection as an Historical Event Beyond Critical Inquiry
Wolfhart Pannenberg: The Resurrection as an Historical Event Open to Critical Inquiry Resurrection and the Christian Hope
Questions for Chapter 12
Further Reading

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13. The Doctrine of Salvation in Christ

Christian Approaches to Salvation
Salvation is Linked with Jesus Christ
Salvation is Shaped by Jesus Christ
The Eschatological Dimension of Salvation
The Foundations of Salvation: The Cross of Christ
The Cross as a Sacrifice
The Cross as a Victory
The Cross and Forgiveness
The Cross as a Moral Example
The Nature of Salvation in Christ
Some Pauline Images of Salvation
Deification
Righteousness in the Sight of God
Authentic Human Existence
Political Liberation
Spiritual Freedom
The Scope of Salvation in Christ
Universalism: All will be Saved
Only Believers will be Saved
Particular Redemption: Only the Elect will be Saved
Questions for Chapter 13
Further Reading

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14. The Doctrines of Human Nature, Sin, and Grace

The Place of Humanity within Creation
The Pelagian Controversy
The "Freedom of the Will"
The Nature of Sin
The Nature of Grace
The Basis of Salvation
The Concepts of Grace and Merit
Grace
Merit
The Doctrine of Justification by Faith
Martin Luther's Theological Breakthrough
Luther on Justifying Faith
The Concept of Forensic Justification
Calvin on Justification
The Council of Trent on Justification
Justification in Recent New Testament Scholarship
The Doctrine of Predestination
Augustine of Hippo
John Calvin
Reformed Orthodoxy
Arminianism
Karl Barth
Predestination and Economics: The Weber Thesis
Questions for Chapter 14
Further Reading

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15. The Doctrine of the Church

The Early Development of Ecclesiology
The Donatist Controversy
The Reformation Controversies
Martin Luther
John Calvin
The Radical Reformation
Christ and the Church: Some Twentieth-Century Themes
Christ is Present Sacramentally
Christ is Present Through the Word
Christ is Present Through the Spirit
Vatican II: on the Church. The Church as Communion
The Church as the People of God
The Church as a Charismatic Community
The Notes of the Church
"One"
"Holy"
"Catholic"
"Apostolic"
Questions for Chapter 15
Further Reading

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16. The Doctrine of the Sacraments

The Development of Sacramental Theology
The Definition of a Sacrament
The Donatist Controversy: Sacramental Efficacy
The Function of the Sacraments
Sacraments Convey Grace
Sacraments Strengthen Faith
Sacraments Enhance Unity and Commitment Within the Church
Sacraments Reassure Us of God's Promises Toward Us
The Eucharist: The Question of the Real Presence
The Ninth Century Debates over the Real Presence
Transubstantiation
Transignification and Transfinalization
Consubstantiation
A Real Absence: Memorialism
The Debate Concerning Infant Baptism
Infant Baptism Remits the Guilt of Original Sin
Infant Baptism is Grounded in the Covenant Between God and the Church
Infant Baptism is Unjustified
Questions for Chapter 16
Further Reading

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17. Christianity and the World Religions

Western Pluralism and the Question of the Religions
Approaches to Religions
The Enlightenment: Religions as a Corruption of the Original Religion of Nature
Ludwig Feuerbach: Religion as an Objectification of Human Feeling
Karl Marx: Rreligion as the Product of Socio-Economic Alienation
Sigmund Freud: Religion as Wish-Fulfilment
Emile Durkheim: Religion and Ritual
Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Religion as a Human Invention
Christian Approaches to Other Religions
Particularism
Inclusivism
Pluralism
Questions for Chapter 17
Further Reading

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18. Last Things: The Christian Hope

Developments in the Doctrine of the Last Things
The New Testament
Augustine: The Two Cities
The Middle Ages: Joachim of Fiore and Dante Aligheri
Hope in the Face of Death: Jeremy Taylor
The Enlightenment: Eschatology as Superstition
The Rediscovery of Eschatology
Demythologization: Rudolf Bultmann
The Theology of Hope: Jürgen Moltmann
Ethics and Eschatology: Helmut Thielicke. Dispensationalism
The Last Things
Hell
Purgatory
Heaven
Questions for Chapter 18
Further Reading

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Glossary of Theological Terms
Theological Resources on the Internet
Sources of Citations
Index