An introduction to theologians who greatly affected Christian thought includes portraits of Paul, Origen, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Friedrich Schleiermacher, and Karl Barth
From Clement of Rome to today, the project of understanding the faith has engaged and impelled some of the West's greatest minds. Here Pope Benedict XVI accessibly and sympathetically reflects on the lives and works of Christianity's chief theologians, teachers, ascetics and mystics up to the end of the Middle Ages.
This book introduces twelve key Christians from the second and third centuries, a formative period for the Church. These figures are: Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tatian, Theophilus of Antioch, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Perpetua, Origen, Hippolytus, Cyprian, Gregory Thaumaturgos and Eusebius. Each chapter is self-contained and requires no preliminary knowledge of the figure under discussion, making this an ideal book for laity and for undergraduates studying Christian origins or Patristics.
ÒYou are in a Bible study, with a group of people. You are all studying the same passage. And someone points out something that you hadn't noticed before. New light is suddenly shed on familiar material. And you realize that, left to yourself, you'd have missed that. ÒOther people help us understand both Scripture and our faith more deeply. It helps to study Scripture and think about the gospel in good company -- and this book aims to put you in good company as you think through some key areas of the Christian faith. ÒReading about the great Christian thinkers of the past is like being at a really good Bible study. They can help you think through things you may have been puzzled by. They can cast new light on a familiar scriptural passage. They can inspire with their testimonies. They can stretch your thinking, helping you wrestle with important questions which you ought to think through at some point. What better way to begin, than to be introduced to a classic discussion of such questions?Ó --from the Introduction
Fifty Key Christian Thinkersprovides both valuable information and stimulating debate on the lives and work of fifty of the most important Christian theologians. This guide provides an overview of Christian theology from the emergence of the faith 2000 years ago to the present day. Among the figures profiled in this accessible guide are: * St Paul * Barth * Aquinas * Boethius * Niebuhr * Calvin * Luther * Feuerbach * Kierkegaard * Origen
"Here's a powerful, biblical antidote to despair!"--LEE STROBEL, New York Times bestselling author God's peace, his shalom, can penetrate every aspect of your life--spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Although the word shalom appears 550 times in the Scriptures and was a constant theme in Jesus' teachings, it is a neglected topic today. As a result, God's peace has been elusive to so many followers of Jesus. This book charts a course of shalom for you! As Greg Laurie writes in the foreword, since we are made in God's image, you could say we have been prewired for happiness. We are prewired for hope. We are prewired for peace. If you are longing for healing and wholeness, noted Bible scholar Jeremiah J. Johnston will help you discover how to · Unleash shalom in your life · Live and apply shalom in God's world · Protect your shalom in difficult times This uplifting book is also helpful for ministry leaders and everyone else who recognizes the church's incredible opportunity today to help individuals and families dealing with anxiety, worry, and mental pain. Let this be your guide into the peace that passes all understanding. Shalom! "This is more than surviving; we are offered the gift of truly flourishing."--SHEILA WALSH, author of Holding On When You Want to Let Go "In this reassuring meditation on Christian happiness... Johnston's mix of scholarly and uplifting notes will speak to solace seekers and their ministry leaders alike."--PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
There are special times of movement in the history of ideas, and one such time - as the author of this study shows - was the second half of the second century, when Christian thought showed fresh vigour. By concentrating on five seminal Christian thinkers of the second century (Justin, Athenegoras, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian), Eric Osborn illustrates how it was that Christianity made monotheism axiomatic to its central doctrinal claims while adapting, too, to the peculiar circumstances in which it developed. The stimulus for new thought came from the objections of the state, philosophers, Jews, Gnostics, and Marcion, who in different ways denied the Christian claim to faith in one God. In response, Christian thinkers argued for one God who was the first principle of being, goodness, and truth. In its presentation of the lively beginning which brought Christianity and classical thought together, this book casts light on the growth of the European intellectual tradition.
Religion journalist Rupert Shortt's lively interviews introduce readers to eighteen respected Christian thinkers who have contributed to the recent renaissance in theology.