The present volume is the first in a five-volume study of church doctrine. The multivolume set will cover the major parts of church doctrine: Canon, God, Creation, Reconciliation, and Redemption. This first volume begins with an introduction on why doctrine matters, which stresses the ecumenical, global, and above all biblical horizons of church doctrine as a primary expression of Christian witness. The purpose of this volume is to begin a search for an alternative to the many theologies available on the religious left and the religious right. Where doctrine is absent, the church is held captive to ideology; the same is as true among conservatives as it is among liberals. The present work is an attempt to struggle toward the meaning of orthodoxy in church doctrine--an orthodoxy that is never merely a given, but which always has to be sought and found again and again in each new generation of the church.Church doctrine is not a luxury, but a necessity for the living community of faith, by which its witness in word and deed is tested against the one true measure of Christ the risen Lord.
This volume offers patristic comment on the second half of the third article of the Nicene Creed. Readers will gain insight into the history and substance of what the early church believed about the nature of the church and the consummation of all things.
This volume offers partristic commentary edited by Gerald L. Bray on the first article of the Nicene Creed. Readers will gain insight into the history and substance of what the early church believed about God the Father.
A basic exposition of the Christian faith, with an emphasis on the vital role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Christian and in the worship and ministry of the church.
The Formation of Christian Doctrine is a high-level academic study of the history of Christian doctrinal development. The book distinguishes at length between the scholarly term “inventio” (making explicit what is implicit in the biblical revelation) and the idea of “invention” (presenting a novelty as Christian teaching that conflicts with the biblical revelation). Specifically, The Formation of Christian Doctrine identifies biblical inerrancy as an inventio but sees the “priesthood of believers” concept as a license to believe “whatever teaching seems right to me.” Sure to be of interest in academic circles, even to those who might disagree with the author, this book will appeal to three major groups: Evangelicals in relation to the twentieth-century development of a detailed doctrine of biblical inerrancy, Baptists in light of both biblical inerrancy and the seventeenth-century development of believer’s baptism, and Roman Catholics because of their respect for tradition and interest in such a challenging conservative Protestant perspective as is found here.
Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics for Everyone is a 5-volume tour guide to the greatest theological work of one of the greatest Christian theologians of the twentieth century. Each section contains insights for pastors and new theologians, including summaries of the section, contextual considerations, and other visually informative features.
The Foundations of Theology in Everyday Language Dallas Seminary professors Nathan Holsteen and Michael Svigel are passionate about the key doctrines of Christianity. They want readers to know why they're important and why they matter. This volume includes two parts: · How Firm a Foundation: Revelation, Scripture, and Truth · God in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit The authors explore these important topics in a concise and highly readable style that makes sense--whether you're a student of the Bible, a pastor, or someone who simply wants to know God better. For each topic you'll find · An introduction, overview, and review of the key points · Several applicable Bible texts, including verses to memorize · A quick-paced history of the doctrine · Distortions to be aware of and avoid · Reading lists for further study · A glossary of theological terms "Exploring Christian Theology is a wonderful doctrinal primer that teaches theology in a way that will engage you and cause you to reflect. . . . A great way to get acquainted with key biblical theological themes." --Darrell Bock, Senior Research Professor, Dallas Theological Seminary
“Thomas N. Finger has chosen an approach to the systematic presentation of Christian Theology which I also have taken since the publication of my Theology of Hope in 1964. He begins with the goal: with eschatology. With that goal in mind, a new light is cast on every single doctrine of Christian theology—the light of redemption—and the work of the theologian becomes a labor of hope. This is a ‘theology of the way.’ With the kingdom of God kept steadily in view, it becomes an invitation to walk the way of Jesus. “Tom Finger’s theological prospectus makes a brilliant contribution to ecumenical theological dialogue from the Anabaptist tradition. He offers an eschatologically oriented theology for which I can only congratulate him.” —Jürgen Moltmann, Professor of Theology, University of Tübingen While many systematic theological texts are shaped by academic discussion of ancient thought and/or modern philosophies, Finger centers on the kerygma of the biblical text: that the “last things,” or “eschatological” events expected at history’s climax had already occurred through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, though they were not yet fully realized. To present eschatology as a living hope that always has motivated, and still motivates, Christians and Christian communities in all things, Finger does not follow the discipline’s traditional order where eschatology appears last, but places it first. Volume II will culminate with the doctrine of God, which usually comes first. This is hardly to minimize God’s importance, but to maximize it as the Christian faith’s most profound mystery. Volume I begins with eschatology to present it as a dynamic, boundless atmosphere in which theological reflection unfolds. While this dynamism envelops Christian life and mission, it is not merely “subjective.” It is hope for the transformation of all creation. It is not only celebrative, for it also struggles against the gruesome evils that seek to dominate all things. From this vantage point, eschatology in Volume I seeks to articulate the significance of the resurrection, the last judgment, heaven and hell, the return of Christ, and the millenium’s coming. These reflections lead to revelation, beginning from the final revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3–13). Revelation’s dimensions are treated as personal; as historical, extending forwards from Genesis; and as propositional, or its way of converying its contents. These point theological reflection to revelation’s center, Jesus Christ, chiefly to his saving “work” in his life, death, and resurrection. Here the strengths and weaknesses of the traditional substitutionary and moral influence theories are examined. But when placed within their revelational or historical sequence, Jesus’ conflict with the powers of evil stands out. These prove to be gigantic systemic forces which have always ordered, but also imprisoned, humankind, such as the Roman Empire. Yet their horror and power stretch beyond any social or psychological explanation. In Jesus’ life and death, these powers appear to conquer him. But through his resurrection, Jesus conquers them. This drama is best articulated by the Christus Victor approach in which Jesus, with his Father and Spirit, defeats these powers, but does not totally destroy them. This is why their eschatological reign is “already” present, but evil is “not yet” destroyed until the end.
A new two volume anthology bringing together the best recent writing in the interdisciplinary field of philosophical theology. Volume 1 collects essays on three distinctively Christian doctrines: trinity, incarnation, and atonement. Volume 2 focuses on topics arising in all of the major theistic religions: providence, resurrection, and scripture.
