This fourth edition of the international bestseller is the ideal introduction for those who are new to Christian theology. In this revised and expanded edition, the author introduces readers to the central ideas and beliefs, the key debates and the leading thinkers of Christianity. Throughout, the aim is to bring clarity and brevity to the central ideas of theology, both traditional and contemporary.
The text comprehensively covers the individual doctrines that form the Christian belief system, weaving together these doctrines, their history, and the intellectual nuance behind them into an inter-connected web. All major Christian denominations are explored, as are their differences and shared customs and beliefs. This rich tapestry results in a clear view of Christianity, providing a coherent vision of the religion in its main forms.
List of Illustrations xi
Preface xiii
The Development of Christian Theology: A Short
Historical Overview xviii
The Apostles Creed xxvi
Getting Started xxviii
1 Faith 1
What is faith? 1
Can Gods existence be proved? 3
Are proofs of Gods existence of any use? 7
Faith is beyond reason but not contrary to reason 8
Faith and Gods promises 10
Faith and doubt: the problem of suffering 13
Engaging with a text 16
2 God 19
Analogies in theology 21
God as father 24
A personal God 28
God as almighty 32
Can God suffer? 35
Engaging with a text 37
3 Creation 39
Creation in the Old Testament 39
The concept of creation out of nothing 41
Creation and dualism 43
Implications of the doctrine of creation 44
Models of God as creator 46
Humanity and creation: the image of God 48
Creation and natural theology 51
Creation and creationism 57
Engaging with a text 59
4 Jesus 61
Jesus as Messiah 62
Jesus as Lord 64
Jesus as Son of God 65
Jesus as Son of Man 66
Jesus as God 67
Functional statements about Jesus 68
Early Christological models 71
The Council of Chalcedon 73
The incarnation and icons 74
Jesus as mediator 76
The debate about the Historical Jesus 78
Engaging with a text 80
5 Salvation 82
Pauline images of salvation 83
The problem of analogy: salvation as ransom 84
The cross as a sacrifice 88
The cross as a victory 91
The cross and forgiveness 93
Salvation, sin, and Christ 97
An Orthodox perspective: salvation as deification 100
Salvation as being righteous in the sight of God 101
Salvation, Christ, and the redeemed life 102
Engaging with a text 103
6 Spirit 105
Biblical models of the Holy Spirit 105
Irenaeus on the role of the Holy Spirit 109
The debate over the divinity of the Holy Spirit 111
Thefilioquedebate 114
The functions of the Spirit 117
The symbols of the Spirit: a dove, fire, and oil 123
Engaging with a text 124
7 Trinity 127
The grounds of the doctrine of the Trinity 128
The development of the doctrine of the Trinity 131
A trinitarian heresy: modalism 135
Visualizing the Trinity 137
The Trinity and the naming of God 138
Communicating the Trinity: hymns 142
The social Trinity: Jürgen Moltmann 143
Engaging with a text 146
8 Church 150
The church: local or universal? 150
Only one church? 152
The catholicity of the church 154
The church: holy or just human? 156
The church as constituted by the Word of God 161
Pure or mixed body: what difference does it make? 163
Ministry within the church: the Second Vatican Council 164
Engaging with a text 167
9 Sacraments 170
What is a sacrament? 171
What is the function of the sacrament? 174
What factors affect the effectiveness of sacraments? 177
Is infant baptism justified? 179
In what way, if any, is Christ present at the eucharist? 184
Engaging with a text 189
10 Heaven 191
The New Testament 191
Augustine: the two cities 194
Medieval debates about the resurrection body 195
Modernity: criticism and recovery of eschatology 196
Jürgen Moltmann: the theology of hope 198
Spe Salvi: Benedict XVI on the Christian hope 199
The last things 201
Engaging with a text 207
Moving On 210
Audio and Video Resources for
This Textbook 213
Brief Glossary of Theological Terms 214
Details of Theologians Cited 223
Sources of Citations 232
Index 245
