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Overview
An accessible primer to theology through the prospective of Anglicanism.
Organized around the topics of systematic theology, Introduction to Theology begins with an exploration of Scripture, then moves through history and tradition to contemporary debates and reconstructions. As a textbook for introductory courses in seminaries of the Episcopal Church, this book also includes references to The Book of Common Prayer, which Anglicans consider a primary source for theology.
This edition pays detailed attention to the many developments in theology since its last revision: the emergence of new perspectives such as womanist, mujerista, narrative, and post-modern theology; the shift in theological methods to incorporate the human sciences, recent critical philosophies, and recent developments in the physical sciences; the ongoing revisions of The Book of Common Prayer and resultant shifts in Anglican identity; and the globalization of theological education, specifically the focus on the Episcopal Church as part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780819225450 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Morehouse Publishing |
| Publication date: | 07/01/2002 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 384 |
| File size: | 523 KB |
About the Author
Owen C. Thomas was Professor of Theology at Episcopal Divinity School from 1952-1993, and is current adjunct faculty at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.
Ellen K.Wondra is research professor emerita for the Bexley Hall Theological Seminary, and the author of more than 20 books and other publications. She has served the Episcopal Church at both the diocesan and national levels.
Read an Excerpt
INTRODUCTION TO THEOLOGY
By OWEN C. THOMAS, ELLEN K. WONDRA
Church Publishing Incorporated
Copyright © 2002Owen C. Thomas and Ellen K. WondraAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8192-2545-0
Excerpt
CHAPTER 1Introduction
Before we dig into the details of Christian theology, we should remind ourselves that we are not discussing detached theoretical propositions but the story of the Bible—the concrete, dramatic narrative of God and the people of God, the history of Israel, the events in which God is revealed for our salvation. The Bible is the story of creation, the rebellion of humanity, the election and covenant with Israel, the coming of the Messiah, the reconciliation of God and humanity, the birth of the church as God's instrument in the divine mission to the world, and the gift of the Spirit as the promise of final fulfillment. The Christian gospel and the Christian faith are based in these stories, and Christian theology attempts to understand and interpret these stories of what God has done and is doing.
Nature and Necessity of Theology
Systematic or dogmatic theology has many angles of approach, each casting a different light on Christian faith. In the classical approach still favored by many European and North American theologians, theology is the methodical investigation and interpretation of the content of Christian faith, the orderly clarification and explanation of what the Christian message affirms. From another angle, theology is an activity or function of the Christian church carried out by members of the church. It is faith seeking understanding, through which the church in every age reflects on the basis of its existence and the content of its message. From yet another angle, theology is "faith seeking the clarity of its cause." That is, it is reflection on Christian life amid struggles for freedom or liberation, for the full humanity of all persons, and for the transformation of human persons and societies as manifestations of and in expectation of the reign of God.
Christians and the church have to reflect on their faith and message in every age, so that the faith can be interpreted and presented, understood and affirmed in each new period. If the church tries too hard to make its message relevant, it may lose the message and become simply a sanctification of the culture around it. But the church may also be so concerned to maintain the purity of its message that the message becomes unintelligible to the contemporary age. To put this in another way, the church has a mission to speak about God to the world. It uses language about God in all of its activities, in worship, preaching, instruction, social action, pastoral care, prayer, and everyday life. The function and task of theology is to test, criticize, and revise the language that the church uses about God, to test it by its norm—namely, God's self-disclosure, to which the Bible gives testimony. This testing is necessary, because the church's language about God is fallible and can fall into error and confusion. This testing is possible, because God has promised that the Holy Spirit will preserve and lead the church into all truth. Furthermore, the church's understanding of God and the gospel is always being expanded and deepened. Finally, human language itself is constantly changing in meaning and thus must be revised regularly in order to maintain continuity. Therefore, theology is not a luxury or an academic game for those specially inclined. It is necessary in the life of the church.
Some object that theology moves away from the directness and simplicity of faith and gets overly intellectual, lost in subtle distinctions and abstractions. Such objections fail to recognize that every Christian is a theologian. Every Christian thinks about her faith and decides how it relates to a particular situation—from choosing a career to deciding what theater performance to see on a Friday night. Every Christian struggles with how his faith helps him understand life's challenges and joys—from unjust suffering on a large scale to the birth of a longed-for child. All Christians express their faith in word, deed, and manner of life. Each of these activities is theological, because theology, at heart, is reflection on what we believe and on how it shapes our lives.
Beyond this first level of theology, but connected to it, is a second level at which the Christian faith is considered in a more disciplined manner. (This is the level covered in this book.) At this second level, the insights and practices of the Christian life are informed by and inform the formal study of Scripture, history, philosophy and theology, the human and natural sciences, and other disciplines. The purpose of this second level (or second-order) theology is basically the same as the first: the interpretation and application of the Christian faith in a particular time and place, with the context's own challenges and insights. This basic task is, at the second level, pursued with greater precision and greater resources. But the task is always pursued with attention to what it means for the thinking, praying, and living of everyday Christian life.
What, then, does second-order theology contribute to the life of the church? First, the Bible as the main source and standard of Christian teaching is not uniform. It does not present a unity of teaching but rather a multiplicity of different approaches that must be addressed by critical reflection, by theological work. Biblical scholars, making theological judgments, do some of this work. Some work is done by theologians, using methods of biblical study. Furthermore, the thought-categories, stories, and symbols in the Bible must be interpreted and recast into categories, narratives, and symbols accessible in the present. Our understanding of ourselves, our language and concepts, the issues we face, and the questions we raise about Christian faith change from age to age. Therefore, the work of theology is a continuing necessity in the life of the church.
Second, the Christian message, which is based on the Bible, must be distinguished from the scientific worldview of the first century. The geology, biology, and historiography of the Bible have no binding authority for us and must be distinguished from the faith testimony of the Bible. The same can be said for social arrangements such as slavery, the treatment of women and children as property, and the ordering of community life. The church has recognized this distinction throughout its history in understanding that revelation and Scripture are given for our salvation, which includes social transformation, and should be understood in this way.
Third, the church relies on preaching, teaching, and catechetical instruction to explain what the Christian faith means and requires. These activities and how they are received often raise further questions, which must be answered carefully. Liturgy is full of theological content. So is the simplest teaching of the youngest children. And so is every choice of church program, including the church's engagement with the community in which it is set.
Fourth, theology assists in determining what is essential to the Christian faith and message and what is not essential, what is central and what is peripheral. In a word, theology is necessary in order to determine what is and is not part of Christian faith. Misunderstandings and distortions of Christian faith arise in the church, and it becomes necessary to distinguish true from false worship, belief, doctrine, and practice. The only thing that saved the church from Gnosticism, Arianism, Apollinarianism, and so forth was hard theological work.
Each of these tasks requires that theology move away from the directness of faith toward more abstract conceptions. We can see this process taking place in the Bible. At Caesarea Philippi, Peter says to Jesus, "You are the Christ." This is direct personal confrontation and encounter
(Continues...)
Excerpted from INTRODUCTION TO THEOLOGY by OWEN C. THOMAS, ELLEN K. WONDRA. Copyright © 2002 by Owen C. Thomas and Ellen K. Wondra. Excerpted by permission of Church Publishing Incorporated.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Preface
1. Introduction
2. Revelation
3. Authority
4. Trinity
5. God
6. Creation
7. Providence
8. Humanity
9. Sin
10. Christ
11. Salvation
12. Justification
13. Election and Predestination
14. Holy Spirit and Sanctification
15. History
16. Eschatology
17. Church
18. Sacraments
19. Worship
20. Ministry
Notes
Selected References
Index of Names
Index of Subjects