Postliberal Theological Method is a fresh, critical analysis of one of today's most influential theological movements. Drawing on recent thinking in analytic philosophy, particularly Donald Davidson's work on truth and meaning, Vidu raises questions about the linguistic turn in the theology of Hans Frei, George Lindbeck, John Milbank and others.
This groundbreaking work lays the foundation for a theology based on a cultural-linguistic approach to religion and a regulative or rule theory of doctrine. Although shaped intimately by theological concerns, this approach is consonant with the most advanced anthropological, sociological, and philosophical thought of our times.
The book provides an original analysis of the central philosophical differences between liberal and postliberal theology. Knight argues that important developments in philosophy of language reveal serious problems with the central methodological commitments of liberalism and postliberalism and suggest ways in which the divide can be bridged.
Voted one of Christianity Today's 1997 Books of the Year! Ours is an age of profound cultural change, in which new categories and alliances are bound to arise. In theology, the liberal strategy has lost support, having degenerated into mere anthropology and succumbed to the political agendas of its proponents. And while the evangelical movement appears to be gaining ground, it is simultaneously suffering an acute identity crisis.Currently the postliberal (or "Yale school") movement has found a strong resonance in some mainline denominational circles. Its emphasis on the biblical text and Jesus Christ--through which all other reality needs to be construed--may turn out to be the most significant theological realignment in more than a century.Are we witnessing a paradigm shift? Can evangelicals and postliberals make common confession? Might they even combine forces to reinvigorate the church--its theology and its mission--for a new era? In this groundbreaking book, creative evangelical and postliberal thinkers explore exactly how they agree and disagree along a range of issues, from epistemology and theological method to doctrinal concerns.Evangelical contributors include such significant theologians as Alister McGrath and Gabriel Fackre. Postliberal contributors include George Lindbeck, a "founding father" of postliberalism, and George Hunsinger, the former student and major interpreter of the late Hans Frei, another "founder" of postliberalism.In The Nature of Confession we are presented with the beginnings of a robust discussion of real importance to both the academy and the church.
Sound theological method is a necessary prerequisite for good theological work. This accessible introduction surveys contemporary theological methodology by presenting leading thinkers of the 20th and 21st centuries as models. The book presents the strengths and weaknesses in each of the major options. Rather than favoring one specific position, it helps students of theology think critically so they can understand and develop their own theological method.
Postliberal theology is a movement in contemporary theology that rejects both the Enlightenment appeal to a 'universal rationality' and the liberal assumption of an immediate religious experience common to all humanity. The movement initially began in the 1980's with its association to Yale Divinity School. Theologians such as Hans Frei, Paul Holmer, David Kelsey, and George Lindbeck were influential and were significantly influenced by theologians such as Karl Barth, Clifford Geertz, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Postliberalism uses a narrative approach to theology, such as developed by Hans Frei, and argues that all thought and experience is historically and socially mediated. Michener provide the reader with an accessible introductory overview of the origins, current thought, potential problems, and future possibilities of postliberal theology. The basic philosphical and theological background are be briefly discussed, along with the seminal and predominant theologians identified with the movement. Michener shows how postliberalism emerges from the context of the postmodern critique of Enlightenment rationalism and empiricism. Postliberal theology is extremely critical of classical liberal theology, rather than an advancement of its agenda.
Since the 1970s exciting new directions in the study of culture have erupted to critique and displace earlier, largely static notions. These more dynamic models stress the indeterminate, fragmented, even conflictual character of cultural processes and completely alter the framework for thinking theologically about them. In fact, Tanner argues, the new orientation in cultural theory and anthropology affords fresh opportunities for religious thought and opens new vistas for theology, especially on how Christians conceive of the theological task, theological diversity and inculturation, and even Christianity's own cultural identity.
The much-discussed notion of Postliberal theology developed from the writings of two theologians at Yale University, Hans Frei and George Lindbeck. An analysis and critique of the much-discussed idea of postliberal theology Provides an overview of postliberalism and the controversies which resulted Compares the writings of theologians Hans Frei and George Lindbeck, from which postliberal theology developed, and uncovers important differences in their thought Reconceptualizes these thinkers’ contributions to contemporary theological discussion Published in the prestigious Challenges in Contemporary Theology series.
Examines the Roman Catholic roots of postliberal theology via conversations with three seminal postliberal theologians: George Lindbeck, David Burrell, and Stanley Hauerwas.
