This witty and illuminating volume introduces the life and writings of the great American theologian and preacher Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758). The most widely studied figure in American religious history and an iconic figure of the American colonial period, Edwards is well known and highly regarded as a stalwart defender of Calvinist theology and his Puritan heritage. As James P. Byrd deftly reveals, however, Edwards was also a brilliant thinker and passionate pastor who wrestle...
Having grown out of a 2004 consultation sponsored by the John Knox International Reformed Center, the University of Geneva, and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the essays in John Calvin Rediscovered revive the social and economic thought of John Calvin, first exploring Calvin in his own time and then turning to Calvin's global influence.
In The Division of Christendom, revered historian Hans J. Hillerbrand details the events and ideas of the sixteenth century and contends that the Protestant Reformation must be seen as an interplay of religious, political, and economic forces in which religion played a major role. Hillerbrand tells the fascinating story of the ways in which theological disagreements divided the centuries-old Christian church and the roles that leading characters such as Luther, Zwingli, Anabaptists,...
Philosophy for Understanding Theology has become the classic text for exploring the relationship between philosophy and Christian theology. This new edition adds chapters on postmodernism and questions of the self and the good to bring the book up to date with current scholarship. It introduces students to the influence that key philosophers and philosophical movements through the centuries have had on shaping Christian theology in both its understandings and forms of expression.
In this, the first overview of biblical theology in nearly thirty years, James K. Mead addresses the core issues of biblical theology essential to both Old Testament and New Testament study. Can we draw theological principles from Scripture? What methods will give useful results for theological exploration of biblical texts? Aptly synthesizing classic and recent scholarship while asserting his own theological findings, Mead provides an excellent overview of the history of biblical t...
Unique for its breadth in studying theologians not only from Europe and North America but also from Latin America, Asia, and Africa, this landmark volume introduces the doctrine of the Trinity, examining the work and thought of contemporary theologians throughout the world. Veli-Matti Karkkainen provides an overview of the biblical roots of the doctrine, discussing both the idea of plurality in God in the Old Testament and the rise of Trinitarian understandings in the New Testament. ...
Written by almost sixty Latino scholars and edited by the renowned historian of doctrine Justo Gonzalez, The Westminster Dictionary of Theologians is global in scope, including theologians from around the world spanning the period from the early church to today. This monumental dictionary features entries on nearly thirteen hundred theologians, organized alphabetically, ranging in length from a paragraph to a full page, and including a list of each theologian's major works.
In this concluding volume of his magisterial trilogy, Gary Dorrien sustains his previous definition of liberal theology and his mixture of theological, philosophical, and historical analysis, while emphasizing the unprecedented diversity of liberal theology in the postmodern age. Dorrien argues that liberal theology has been in crisis for the past half-century, yet despite the crisis, and also because of it, it has also experienced a "hidden renaissance" of intellectual creativity. ...
This volume introduces readers to the life and thought of Karl Barth (1886-1968), one of the most important theologians since the Reformation era. Featuring the Armchair series' characteristic whimsical illustrations, Barth for Armchair Theologians surveys Barth's theology as it emerges and culminates in his monumental Church Dogmatics as well as how his theology continues to be interpreted in the present day.Written by experts but designed for the novice, the Armchair series pr...
In this seminal work, pioneering theologian Ernst Troeltsch raises the question, how can we pass beyond the diversity with which history presents us to norms for our faith and for our judgments about life? He trenchantly probes the issue of how one religion--when viewed historically in the context of other world religions--can be universally and absolutely true. Though many others since have explored the issue of historical relativism and religious truth, few have done so with Troel...
Wesley for Armchair Theologians engagingly presents the life and theology of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Written by prominent Wesley scholar William Abraham, who aimed to "make Wesley come alive for those who would truly love to become armchair theologians," the book is an excellent, entertaining, and expert guide to the work of this important Christian figure.Written by experts but designed for the novice, the Armchair series provides accurate, concise, and witty ov...
This complete yet concise reference work provides scholars and students with accurate interpretations of the ways in which Thomas Aquinas used important theological terms. Aquinas, a theologian and philosopher in the Roman Catholic Church, sought to reconcile faith and reason, philosophy and Christianity. He discussed many theological topics in his extensive writings and became one of the most important theologians of the Middle Ages. His influence continues to be pervasive today and...
In Christendom at the Crossroads, the introductory book in the Westminster History of Christian Thought series, J. A. Sheppard explores the development of Christian theology in the medieval period. Expertly leading readers through the major theological controversies and issues of the era, Sheppard highlights why those particular questions were so important for Christian believers at that time.Designed particularly for undergraduate courses in theology and religion, the Westminster H...
In Essential Theological Terms, renowned church historian Justo Gonzalez provides students with accessible discussions of over three hundred theological terms. Each entry in this two-column work gives more detail than those typical of a dictionary, introducing the meaning of the term, its importance, and ways it has been understood in both historical and contemporary theology. These reliable discussions of the most common ideas and concepts encountered in theological studies will ma...
This is a thorough study of Calvin's conception of Christian philosophy, his exposition of insights of classical philosophy, and his evaluations of classical philosophers. Special attention is given to the doctrines of providence and predestination.
Common wisdom concerning Luther and Calvin suggests that these two theologians do not relate the testimony of Christ to the conscience in the same way. Randall Zachman undertakes the long-overdue comparison of their theologies, especially the ways in which Luther and Calvin define and describe the conscience and relate this to the testimonies of the Word and the Spirit. While remaining critical of the distinction that both Luther and Calvin sought to maintain between the foundation ...
T his readable, accessible narrative story of the Protestant Reformation is written for lay audiences. It is part of the popular Westminster John Knox Press Armchair series and is illustrated with memorable cartoons by Ron Hill. The chapters of the book are suitable for use in church adult education settings to provide a solid grounding in the history of the Reformation and its leading ideas. Questions for discussion and suggestions for further reading provided for each chapter mak...
This is a compact introduction to the work of Philo (c. 20 BCE-50 CE), the important Jewish thinker and scriptural interpreter. Kenneth Schenck provides a guide for understanding Philo's complex works, a roadmap for topics and contents of Philo's writings, and a description of contemporary research so students can easily find their ways into Philo study.
In an inclusive reading of Augustine, Mark Ellingsen reveals a patterned conceptual richness in Augustine's thought. The Richness of Augustine is a wonderful introduction and a rich ecumenical and historical resource. It is the first introduction that places in focus the significance of Augustine's African cultural and ethnic roots.
First published in 1960, Paul Minear's classic work identifies and explicates ninety-six images for the church found in the New Testament. Comprehensive and accessibly written, it has been used in seminary classes for over thirty years. Its range of reach and incredibly rich discussions of the many images and metaphors make this book a splendid resource for students and pastors.The New Testament Library offers authoritative commentary on every book and major aspect of the New Testam...
Now, forty years since its original publication, Hans Kung's groundbreaking study--acclaimed as a model for ecumenical discussion--has become a classic work. Looking at the doctrine of justification as understood by the Protestant theologian Karl Barth in comparison to classic Roman Catholic theology, Kung found that the two had similar ideas about the main elements of justification. He argued there is fundamental agreement between Catholicism and Barth's doctrine and that the somew...
This masterful study of the early centuries of Christianity vividly brings to life the religious, political, and cultural developments through which the faith that began as a sect within Judaism became finally the religion of the Roman empire. First published in 1970, Grant's classic is enhanced with a new foreward by Margaret M. Mitchell, which assesses its importance and puts the reader in touch with the advances of current research.
Scott Hendrix argues in this book that the sixteenth century reformers all shared the same goal: to Christianize Christendom, that is, to replant authentic Christianity in the vineyard of the Lord, in the same European Christendom which they believed had been devastated by the medieval church. He believes it is more accurate and useful to speak of one Reformation and to locate its diversity in the various theological and practical agendas that were developed to realize the goal of C...
The Westminster Handbook to Evangelical Theology is a comprehensive critical survey of the main persons, events, controversies, concepts, and institutions of twentieth-century evangelical theology. It will introduce readers to and be a reference work for the study of evangelicalism's distinctive theological vision in its unity and diversity. Roger Olson explores evangelical theology through five lenses: The Story of Evangelical Theology, Movements and Organizations Related to Evange...
Martin Luther started a reformation movement that revolutionized Europe in the sixteenth century. His far-reaching reforms of theological understanding and church practices radically modified both church and society in Europe and beyond. Steven Paulson's discussion of Luther's thought, coupled with Ron Hill's illustrations, provides an engaging introduction to Luther's multifaceted self and the ideas that catapulted him to fame. Written by experts but designed for the novice, ...
