Faith Seeking Understanding Fourth Ed

An authoritative and beloved textbook, updated for the current generation of theology students. Daniel L. Migliore’s classic theology textbook returns in a new edition, revised and supplemented with fresh material. Faith Seeking Understanding covers fundamental topics for budding theologians, from biblical hermeneutics to the incarnation to the life of faith. As in previous editions, the material culminates in four imaginative dialogues between prominent thinkers to illustrate major theological debates. In addition to updates throughout the text, the fourth edition also includes a new introduction and an additional chapter on Christology. Students will appreciate the textbook’s accessible style, comprehensive reading recommendations, and glossary of theological terms.

In this concise presentation of evangelical theology -- the theology that first received expression in the New Testament writings and was later rediscovered by the Reformation--Barth discusses the place of theology, theological existence, the threat to theology, and theological work.

A superb, standard Christian theology text for nearly a quarter century, Daniel Migliore's Faith Seeking Understanding explores all of the major Christian doctrines in freshly contemporary ways. This third edition offers new FOR FURTHER READING suggestions at the end of each chapter, a substantial expansion of the glossary, and new material incorporated throughout, including a section on Christians and Muslims. Further, the three imaginary theological dialogues culminating the book -- pointedly playful exchanges that have delighted countless readers -- are here joined by a fourth dialogue, between Karl Barth and Friedrich Nietzsche, on atheism. All in all, a new generation of students, pastors, and Christian educators, eager to better understand the rich heritage, central themes, and contemporary challenges of Christian theology, will find both guidance and stimulation in Migliore's updated work.

Daniel Migliore's Faith Seeking Understanding has been a standard introduction to Christian theology for more than a decade. The book's presentation of traditional doctrine in freshly contemporary ways, its concern to hear and critically engage new voices in theology, and its creative and accessible style have kept it one of the most stimulating, balanced, and readable guides to theology available. This second edition of Faith Seeking Understanding features improvements from cover to cover. Besides updating and expanding the entire text of the book, Migliore has added two completely new chapters. The first, "Confessing Jesus Christ in Context," explores the unique contributions to Christian theology made by recent theologians working in the African American, Asian American, Latin American, Hispanic, feminist, womanist, and mujerista traditions. The second new chapter, "The Finality of Jesus Christ and Religious Pluralism," addresses the growing interest in the relationship of Christianity to other religions and their adherents. Migliore's three delightful theological dialogues are followed by a new appendix, an extensive glossary of theological terms, making the book even more useful to students seeking to understand the history, themes, and challenges of Christian belief.

In this volume, highly esteemed scholar Kevin Vanhoozer introduces readers to a way of thinking about Christian theology that takes the work he began in the groundbreaking 2005 book, The Drama of Doctrine, to its next level. Vanhoozer argues that theology is not merely a set of cognitive beliefs, but is also something we do that involves speech and action alike. He uses a theatrical model to explain the ways in which doctrine shapes Christian understanding and forms disciples. The church, Vanhoozer posits, is the preeminent theater where the gospel is "performed," with doctrine directing this performance. Doctrines are not simply truths to be stored, shelved, and stacked, but indications and directions to be followed, practiced, and enacted. In "performing" doctrine, Christians are shaped into active disciples of Jesus Christ. He goes on to examine the state of the church in today's world and explores how disciples can do or perform doctrine. Written in an accessible and engaging style, Faith Speaking Understanding sets forth a compelling vision of what the church is and what it should be doing, and demonstrates the importance of Christian doctrine for this mission. Disciples who want to follow Christ in all situations need doctrinal direction as they walk onto the social stage in the great theater of the world. The Christian faith is about acknowledging, and participating in, the great thing God is doing in our world: making all things new in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Doctrine ministers understanding: of God, of the drama of redemption, of the church as a company of faithful players, and of individual actors, all of whom have important roles to play. In an age where things fall apart and centers fail to hold, doctrine centers us in Jesus Christ, in whom all things hold together.

"This volume presents various writings of Fr Matthew Baker: scholarly articles, sermons, interviews, and personal correspondence. Fr Matthew was poised to become of the the leading experts on Fr Georges Florovsky before his untimely death. This collection bears witness to Fr Matthew's broad theological vision, which draws upon the tradition of the Church Fathers but also brings them into dialogue with contemporary concerns and problems, the much-discussed "neo-patristic synthesis" of Fr Georges Florovsky"--

These inspired meditations reveal the true heart of God's love for us, and will help us understand some of the deeper mysteries of his nature.Says Colin Urquhart: 'The Lord wanted to open his heart to me about himself, revealing several aspects of his nature - not only about love, grace and mercy, but also about wrath, justice and judgement. I now have a greater understanding of who God is and the nature of his love for each of his children. Through this book I believe many will experience God speaking to their hearts concerning issues which are of deep and immediate concern to them.'

How did it all begin? How do we even start to engage the differences between creation narratives in the Christian Bible and modern scientific theory? The authors of this book explore hermeneutic approaches and developments in biblical studies to set the scene for a religious approach. This approach is open to the possibility that a literalist approach to Scripture is, in fact, the most unjustifiable reading of the Bible. This may profoundly affect how we view God, the cosmos, and even ourselves. To be able to read the Bible from the perspective of an open present and future paves the way for suppressed uncertainties to be liberated. This paves the way for humankind to freely question all things without being enslaved by imposed religious dogma. This is not to say that religion has served its purpose, but it is far from it. With the rise of technological advancements come other social and anthropological problems, not to mention the challenge we face on a global scale with climate change, et cetera. Just as we dare to peek over the edge of a future without religion, the authors bring us back to the fundamental teachings of faith traditions, Christianity in particular. They remind us that the solutions to these challenges are to be found in us becoming ‘better humans’. Becoming ‘better humans’ brings us back into the arena of faith traditions. When technology may lead to social disconnection and narcissism, religion calls for love of self and neighbour. Where greed-inspired advancements threaten the future of our planet, religion teaches us to be in relationship with our environment and to be custodians of it.

Since the first edition of Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity was published in 2004, this has become the standard textbook on the topic. Now in its fully revised fourth edition, Dr. Entwistle’s book elucidates historical, philosophical, and practical issues in the integration of psychology and Christianity. As in previous editions, the current text provides an introduction to many of the worldview issues and philosophical foundations that frame the relationship of psychology and theology, includes scholarly reflection on the integration literature, and surveys six models of possible relationships between psychology and Christianity, ranging from those that are completely opposed to either religion or psychology, to intermediate models that assert that some limited interaction between them is possible, to viewpoints which suggest that a Christian worldview approach can be used to provide a context for exploring areas of overlapping interest between psychology and Christianity. The current edition considers recent advances in both Catholic and Protestant thinking on integration, including contemporary questions about what evangelicalism is (and is not) that shape evangelical reactions to the integration debate. New content ranges from information about the contrasting views of Tertullian and Augustine, to insights from contemporary psychology about factors that adversely affect the quality and reliability of human thinking, to how conflict over COVID-19 has entered contemporary religious debate. The book is designed to help readers become aware of the presuppositional backdrops that each of us brings to these issues. Questions at the end of each chapter are included to help readers evaluate both the material and their own burgeoning approach to integration. This book is ideal as a textbook for students of psychology and other behavioral and social sciences (social work, sociology, theology, counseling, pastoral counseling) at both the graduate and undergraduate level. It is also written for the broader readership of psychologists, counselors, pastors, and others who are interested in integration.