The Neo Orthodox Theology Of Ww Bryden

Walter W. Bryden was Principal of Knox College, Toronto, after the Second World War, and one of the leading Presbyterian theologians of the period from the 1920s to the 1950s. In The Neo-Orthodox Theology of W.W. Bryden, John Vissers makes an important contribution by analysing Bryden's thought, placing it in the context of contemporary European and American theology. Vissers emphasises in particular Bryden's role in introducing and popularising the ideas of Karl Barth in North America prior to the translation of Barth's Commentary on Romans into English, and his Neo-Orthodox theology owed much to Barthian ideas. In his most important work, The Christian's Knowledge of God, Bryden challenged the modernist emphasis on the rational, arguing for a Christocentric doctrine of Revelation. Vissers brings a wealth of scholarship and research to his subject, revealing Bryden's pivotal role in the development of neo-orthodoxy within the Protestant tradition in North America, a role that previous studies have often failed to explore.

Douglas Jon Hall demonstrates the continuing relevance of several of last century's greatest theologians-Karl Barth, Paul Tillich, Reinhold Niebuhr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Emil Brunner, H. Richard Niebuhr, and Suzanne de Dietrich-suggesting that their neo-orthodox roots have much more in comomon than is traditionally acknowledged.

The current debate on religious pluralism pits exclusivism against inclusivism, with "pluralism" an uncertain alternative. The thesis of this book is that a new theory is required to relate world religions positively, without reducing them to a lowest common denominator. Thus the question "what is comparable" needs to be re-examined. While a "theory of everything" is not possible for religious data, a "modal" approach allows each religion its own integrity. The traditional Christian claim of uniqueness is balanced by more open resources from within the tradition itself, such as Logos Christology. This has potential cosmic or properly "universal" (as distinct from global) presence. Dogma is examined through scientific and aesthetic models, resulting in a more open approach to world religions. Each may be regarded as a "mode of being" related to transcendence in non-adversarial terms. Joseph C. McLelland is J.W. McConnell Professor of Philosophy of Religion Emeritus at McGill University and Robert Professor of History and Philosophy of Religion Emeritus at The Presbyterian College, Montreal. From 1975 to 1985 he also served as Dean of the Faculty of Religious Studies at McGill University. He is the author of numerous books and articles on philosophical and historical theology, and is the founding editor of The Peter Martyr Library. Among his writings are "Prometheus Rebound: the irony of Atheism, The Clown and the Crocodile, " and most recently, "Understanding the Faith: Essays in Philosophical Theology." Dr. McLelland is a former President of The Canadian Theological Society and Editor-in-Chief of " Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses."

Modern Orthodox theology represents a continuity of the Eastern Christian theological tradition stretching back to the early Church and especially to the Ancient Fathers of the Church. This volume considers the full range of modern Orthodox theology. The first chapters of the book offer a chronological study of the development of modern Orthodox theology, beginning with a survey of Orthodox theology from the fall of Constantinople in 1453 until the early 19th century. Ladouceur then focuses on theology in imperial Russia, the Russian religious renaissance at the beginning of the 20th century, and the origins and nature of neopatristic theology, as well as the new theology in Greece and Romania, and tradition and the restoration of patristic thought. Subsequent chapters examine specific major themes: - God and Creation - Divine-humanity, personhood and human rights - The Church of Christ - Ecumenical theology and religious diversity - The 'Christification' of life - Social and Political Theology - The 'Name-of-God' conflict - The ordination of women The volume concludes with assessments of major approaches of modern Orthodox theology and reflections on the current status and future of Orthodox theology. Designed for classroom use, the book features: - case studies - a detailed index - a list of recommended readings for each chapter

Reprint of the original, first published in 1881.