Carl Beckwith
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199551644
- eISBN:
- 9780191720789
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199551644.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Early Christian Studies
Hilary of Poitiers (c300–368), who was instrumental in shaping the development of pro-Nicene theology in the West, combined two separate works, a treatise on faith (De Fide) and a treatise against ...
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Hilary of Poitiers (c300–368), who was instrumental in shaping the development of pro-Nicene theology in the West, combined two separate works, a treatise on faith (De Fide) and a treatise against the “Arians” (Adversus Arianos), to create De Trinitate; his chief theological contribution to the 4th-century Trinitarian debates. Scholars have long recognized the presence of these two treatises in Hilary's De Trinitate but have been unable to settle the questions of when and why Hilary did this. This book addresses these questions concerning the structure and chronology of De Trinitate by situating Hilary's treatise in its historical and theological context and offering a close reading of the text. It is argued that De Fide was written in 356 following Hilary's condemnation at the synod of Béziers and prior to receiving a decision on his exile from the Emperor. When Hilary arrived in exile, he wrote a second work, Adversus Arianos. Following the synod of Sirmium in 357 and his collaboration with Basil of Ancyra in early 358, Hilary recast his efforts and began to write De Trinitate. He decided to incorporate his two earlier works, De Fide and Adversus Arianos, into this project. Toward that end, he returned to his earlier works and drastically revised their content by adding new prefaces and new theological and exegetical material to reflect his mature pro-Nicene theology. These revisions and textual alterations have never before been acknowledged in the scholarship on De Trinitate.Less
Hilary of Poitiers (c300–368), who was instrumental in shaping the development of pro-Nicene theology in the West, combined two separate works, a treatise on faith (De Fide) and a treatise against the “Arians” (Adversus Arianos), to create De Trinitate; his chief theological contribution to the 4th-century Trinitarian debates. Scholars have long recognized the presence of these two treatises in Hilary's De Trinitate but have been unable to settle the questions of when and why Hilary did this. This book addresses these questions concerning the structure and chronology of De Trinitate by situating Hilary's treatise in its historical and theological context and offering a close reading of the text. It is argued that De Fide was written in 356 following Hilary's condemnation at the synod of Béziers and prior to receiving a decision on his exile from the Emperor. When Hilary arrived in exile, he wrote a second work, Adversus Arianos. Following the synod of Sirmium in 357 and his collaboration with Basil of Ancyra in early 358, Hilary recast his efforts and began to write De Trinitate. He decided to incorporate his two earlier works, De Fide and Adversus Arianos, into this project. Toward that end, he returned to his earlier works and drastically revised their content by adding new prefaces and new theological and exegetical material to reflect his mature pro-Nicene theology. These revisions and textual alterations have never before been acknowledged in the scholarship on De Trinitate.
Elizabeth Teresa Groppe
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- July 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780195166422
- eISBN:
- 9780199835638
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195166426.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter provides an introduction to Congar’s life and work. It recounts Congar’s remarkable life story, describes his theological method, offers a brief overview of his vast corpus of writings, ...
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This chapter provides an introduction to Congar’s life and work. It recounts Congar’s remarkable life story, describes his theological method, offers a brief overview of his vast corpus of writings, and discusses some of the primary influences on his theology of the Holy Spirit, including Thomas Aquinas, Johann Adam Möhler, the ecumenical movement, and the Second Vatican Council.Less
This chapter provides an introduction to Congar’s life and work. It recounts Congar’s remarkable life story, describes his theological method, offers a brief overview of his vast corpus of writings, and discusses some of the primary influences on his theology of the Holy Spirit, including Thomas Aquinas, Johann Adam Möhler, the ecumenical movement, and the Second Vatican Council.
Paul C. Gutjahr
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199740420
- eISBN:
- 9780199894703
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199740420.003.0054
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Chapter fifty-four examines the crowning achievement of Hodge’s publishing career, his three-volume Systematic Theology. Rather than simply compile and edit his theological writings of the past half ...
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Chapter fifty-four examines the crowning achievement of Hodge’s publishing career, his three-volume Systematic Theology. Rather than simply compile and edit his theological writings of the past half century, Hodge took the opportunity to write his Systematic as an organic whole. Certain new stresses appear in the volumes. He emphasized Baconian scientific method and the role of the intellect in theological study to a degree that had not been the case in his theological lectures. He used his Systematic to argue for the importance of the intellect (over the emotions) in theological study, and he made his volumes and apologetic for God’s goodness and benevolent work in the world, even after the devastating events of the Civil War.Less
Chapter fifty-four examines the crowning achievement of Hodge’s publishing career, his three-volume Systematic Theology. Rather than simply compile and edit his theological writings of the past half century, Hodge took the opportunity to write his Systematic as an organic whole. Certain new stresses appear in the volumes. He emphasized Baconian scientific method and the role of the intellect in theological study to a degree that had not been the case in his theological lectures. He used his Systematic to argue for the importance of the intellect (over the emotions) in theological study, and he made his volumes and apologetic for God’s goodness and benevolent work in the world, even after the devastating events of the Civil War.
John Marenbon
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195134070
- eISBN:
- 9780199868094
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195134079.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
Gives detailed analyzes of Boethius’ five short theological treatises. In particular, it examines the use of Aristotelian physics in the treatise written against the Nestorian and Monophysite views ...
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Gives detailed analyzes of Boethius’ five short theological treatises. In particular, it examines the use of Aristotelian physics in the treatise written against the Nestorian and Monophysite views on Christology, the discussion of how far Aristotle's Categories can be used in talking about God and in analyzing the Trinity, and the ontological scheme, and argument about abstraction set out in Treatise III. Boethius is presented as an important innovator in theological method.Less
Gives detailed analyzes of Boethius’ five short theological treatises. In particular, it examines the use of Aristotelian physics in the treatise written against the Nestorian and Monophysite views on Christology, the discussion of how far Aristotle's Categories can be used in talking about God and in analyzing the Trinity, and the ontological scheme, and argument about abstraction set out in Treatise III. Boethius is presented as an important innovator in theological method.
Annette G. Aubert
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199915323
- eISBN:
- 9780199345540
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199915323.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Literature
This chapter asserts that any accurate interpretation of Charles Hodge’s theological method requires careful consideration of his wider intellectual and religious contexts, especially the time he ...
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This chapter asserts that any accurate interpretation of Charles Hodge’s theological method requires careful consideration of his wider intellectual and religious contexts, especially the time he spent in Germany and his engagement with German theology. It analyzes Hodge’s work in modern and post-Enlightenment contexts, explains Hodge’s scientific theology in relation to his exegetical theology, and explores his dialogues with August Tholuck and Ernst Hengstenberg. This chapter suggests that Hodge was neither a mediating nor a rationalistic theologian, but an eclectic thinker who readily drew from a variety of sources to defend Calvinist orthodoxy. It also shows that it is essential to recognize how Hodge’s work as a biblical theologian shaped his other theological works and epistemology. In view of the recent effort to redefine scholasticism, the chapter argues that Hodge might be considered a Reformed orthodox scholastic.Less
This chapter asserts that any accurate interpretation of Charles Hodge’s theological method requires careful consideration of his wider intellectual and religious contexts, especially the time he spent in Germany and his engagement with German theology. It analyzes Hodge’s work in modern and post-Enlightenment contexts, explains Hodge’s scientific theology in relation to his exegetical theology, and explores his dialogues with August Tholuck and Ernst Hengstenberg. This chapter suggests that Hodge was neither a mediating nor a rationalistic theologian, but an eclectic thinker who readily drew from a variety of sources to defend Calvinist orthodoxy. It also shows that it is essential to recognize how Hodge’s work as a biblical theologian shaped his other theological works and epistemology. In view of the recent effort to redefine scholasticism, the chapter argues that Hodge might be considered a Reformed orthodox scholastic.
Gerald O'Collins
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199605569
- eISBN:
- 9780191729454
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199605569.003.0013
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Theological method belongs to the agenda to fundamental theology. Hence this final chapter recognizes three styles of theology: (1) an academic style in search of truth that finds its sources in ...
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Theological method belongs to the agenda to fundamental theology. Hence this final chapter recognizes three styles of theology: (1) an academic style in search of truth that finds its sources in writings from the past; (2) a practical style in search of justice that ‘consults’ the poor and suffering in matters of faith, doctrine, and morality; (3) a prayerful style in search of the divine beauty that nourishes a yearning for a final future through public worship. These styles, which, when developed unilaterally, can go astray, need and complement each other. The chapter ends with eight pieces of advice to theologians: be scriptural, historical, philosophical, provisional, ecumenical, local, converted, and prayerful.Less
Theological method belongs to the agenda to fundamental theology. Hence this final chapter recognizes three styles of theology: (1) an academic style in search of truth that finds its sources in writings from the past; (2) a practical style in search of justice that ‘consults’ the poor and suffering in matters of faith, doctrine, and morality; (3) a prayerful style in search of the divine beauty that nourishes a yearning for a final future through public worship. These styles, which, when developed unilaterally, can go astray, need and complement each other. The chapter ends with eight pieces of advice to theologians: be scriptural, historical, philosophical, provisional, ecumenical, local, converted, and prayerful.
Richard Lennan
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199552870
- eISBN:
- 9780191731037
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199552870.003.0027
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
The theologians of the ressourcement are often contrasted with Karl Rahner: the former based their work on biblical and patristic sources; Rahner focused on re‐receiving Thomism, via a dialogue with ...
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The theologians of the ressourcement are often contrasted with Karl Rahner: the former based their work on biblical and patristic sources; Rahner focused on re‐receiving Thomism, via a dialogue with modern philosophy and culture. While that characterization might be broadly true, it obscures the fact that Rahner and his contemporaries shared a commitment to recovering the dynamism of Christian faith from what they regarded as the stagnation brought about by neo‐scholasticism. This chapter explores the path that Rahner's work followed in the decades before the Second Vatican Council, with a particular focus on his theology of grace. In doing so, the chapter highlights the creative originality of Rahner's theological method. This creativity produced a theology distinct from, but sharing the same spirit as, those regarded as the prime representatives of the ressourcement.Less
The theologians of the ressourcement are often contrasted with Karl Rahner: the former based their work on biblical and patristic sources; Rahner focused on re‐receiving Thomism, via a dialogue with modern philosophy and culture. While that characterization might be broadly true, it obscures the fact that Rahner and his contemporaries shared a commitment to recovering the dynamism of Christian faith from what they regarded as the stagnation brought about by neo‐scholasticism. This chapter explores the path that Rahner's work followed in the decades before the Second Vatican Council, with a particular focus on his theology of grace. In doing so, the chapter highlights the creative originality of Rahner's theological method. This creativity produced a theology distinct from, but sharing the same spirit as, those regarded as the prime representatives of the ressourcement.
O. Ernesto Valiente
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780823268528
- eISBN:
- 9780823272549
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823268528.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
The third chapter argues that Sobrino’s approach to spirituality reflects both a general structure relevant to all human beings and a more specific Christian structure, namely the following of Jesus. ...
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The third chapter argues that Sobrino’s approach to spirituality reflects both a general structure relevant to all human beings and a more specific Christian structure, namely the following of Jesus. Focusing on the general structure, it examines the foundational anthropological elements that undergird Sobrino’s spirituality—that is, the human dispositions that enable the proper relationship between any human person and reality. This examination is complemented with an analysis of the presuppositions that ground his engagement of the theological task. Such analysis sheds light on how his spirituality enriches and organizes all of his theology and demonstrates how these same elements structure his understanding of the demands, concerns, and purpose of the theological enterprise.Less
The third chapter argues that Sobrino’s approach to spirituality reflects both a general structure relevant to all human beings and a more specific Christian structure, namely the following of Jesus. Focusing on the general structure, it examines the foundational anthropological elements that undergird Sobrino’s spirituality—that is, the human dispositions that enable the proper relationship between any human person and reality. This examination is complemented with an analysis of the presuppositions that ground his engagement of the theological task. Such analysis sheds light on how his spirituality enriches and organizes all of his theology and demonstrates how these same elements structure his understanding of the demands, concerns, and purpose of the theological enterprise.
John Allan Knight
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199969388
- eISBN:
- 9780199301546
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199969388.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
This chapter introduces the overall argument of the book. It describes the concerns that drive the divide between liberals and postliberals. Liberal theologians are concerned to validate theological ...
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This chapter introduces the overall argument of the book. It describes the concerns that drive the divide between liberals and postliberals. Liberal theologians are concerned to validate theological claims as being true, while postliberals are concerned with the Barthian project of preserving the lordship of Jesus Christ over all of theology, including method. This leads in turn to a concern to maintain the particularity of soteriological and Christological claims and to avoid systematizing. These concerns yield a postliberal theology that is essentially Wittgensteinian both in its understanding of the meaning of theological claims and in its antitheoretical bias. The liberal concern for validation, on the other hand, yields a theological method that accepts descriptivist requirements for successful reference and a descriptivist or truth-conditional understanding of the meaning of theological claims. Neither of these understandings of language are adequate, but recent developments in analytic philosophy of language make possible more adequate accounts of meaning and reference, which in turn can yield a more inclusive method that can lead beyond the liberal/postliberal divide.Less
This chapter introduces the overall argument of the book. It describes the concerns that drive the divide between liberals and postliberals. Liberal theologians are concerned to validate theological claims as being true, while postliberals are concerned with the Barthian project of preserving the lordship of Jesus Christ over all of theology, including method. This leads in turn to a concern to maintain the particularity of soteriological and Christological claims and to avoid systematizing. These concerns yield a postliberal theology that is essentially Wittgensteinian both in its understanding of the meaning of theological claims and in its antitheoretical bias. The liberal concern for validation, on the other hand, yields a theological method that accepts descriptivist requirements for successful reference and a descriptivist or truth-conditional understanding of the meaning of theological claims. Neither of these understandings of language are adequate, but recent developments in analytic philosophy of language make possible more adequate accounts of meaning and reference, which in turn can yield a more inclusive method that can lead beyond the liberal/postliberal divide.
Stephen H. Webb
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195152296
- eISBN:
- 9780199849178
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195152296.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
This chapter outlines the book's theological method, surveys the biblical record on the treatment of animals, and shows how there are surprising resources in Judaism and Christianity for an ethic of ...
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This chapter outlines the book's theological method, surveys the biblical record on the treatment of animals, and shows how there are surprising resources in Judaism and Christianity for an ethic of compassion toward animals. It then examines two theological approaches to animals, one based on the Bible and the other on an appropriation of philosophical rights language. It concludes that neither strategy is adequate to both the complexity of the issues involved and the particularity of our actual relationships with animals.Less
This chapter outlines the book's theological method, surveys the biblical record on the treatment of animals, and shows how there are surprising resources in Judaism and Christianity for an ethic of compassion toward animals. It then examines two theological approaches to animals, one based on the Bible and the other on an appropriation of philosophical rights language. It concludes that neither strategy is adequate to both the complexity of the issues involved and the particularity of our actual relationships with animals.
Christopher A. Stephenson
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199916795
- eISBN:
- 9780199980284
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199916795.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Chapter 5 is the author’s contribution to theological method in light of what that has not been sufficiently developed within the four methodological types. Specifically, it is an adaptation of the ...
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Chapter 5 is the author’s contribution to theological method in light of what that has not been sufficiently developed within the four methodological types. Specifically, it is an adaptation of the principle lex orandi, lex credendi called regula spiritualitatis, regula doctrinae, or, “the rule of spirituality and the rule of doctrine.” This principle (1) exhibits the traditional pentecostal emphasis on pneumatology and eschatology, (2) establishes a strong relationship between theology and spirituality in the process of formulating doctrine, (3) is attentive to the hermeneutical matrix constituted by pentecostal communities, and (4) gives a prominent place to biblical interpretation in systematic theology. An exercise in the Lord’s supper illustrates the salient points of the proposed method. After the pattern of lex orandi, lex credendi, some of the primary concerns of pentecostal spirituality are permitted to raise the theological questions addressed in a doctrine of the Lord’s supper. In turn, a doctrine of the Lord’s supper is permitted to inform aspects of pentecostal spirituality.Less
Chapter 5 is the author’s contribution to theological method in light of what that has not been sufficiently developed within the four methodological types. Specifically, it is an adaptation of the principle lex orandi, lex credendi called regula spiritualitatis, regula doctrinae, or, “the rule of spirituality and the rule of doctrine.” This principle (1) exhibits the traditional pentecostal emphasis on pneumatology and eschatology, (2) establishes a strong relationship between theology and spirituality in the process of formulating doctrine, (3) is attentive to the hermeneutical matrix constituted by pentecostal communities, and (4) gives a prominent place to biblical interpretation in systematic theology. An exercise in the Lord’s supper illustrates the salient points of the proposed method. After the pattern of lex orandi, lex credendi, some of the primary concerns of pentecostal spirituality are permitted to raise the theological questions addressed in a doctrine of the Lord’s supper. In turn, a doctrine of the Lord’s supper is permitted to inform aspects of pentecostal spirituality.
Christopher A. Stephenson
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199916795
- eISBN:
- 9780199980284
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199916795.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This book is the first critical study of the major academic theologians within pentecostalism, one of the fastest growing and influential religious traditions worldwide. As a typological study, it ...
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This book is the first critical study of the major academic theologians within pentecostalism, one of the fastest growing and influential religious traditions worldwide. As a typological study, it establishes four original categories that classify recent pentecostal theologians’ methodologies in systematic/constructive theology. After assessing the methodological types, the book offers a suggestion for pentecostal theological method that builds on the strengths of each methodological type, while also advancing an original constructive contribution. Specifically, it argues for a reciprocal relationship between pentecostal spirituality and doctrine that follows the pattern of lex orandi, lex credendi. The book then develops a doctrine of the Lord’s supper as an initial exercise in this reciprocal relationship. This book is concerned with such issues as the relationship between theology and philosophy, the dynamic between scripture and tradition, fundamental and philosophical theology, and similarities and differences between recent pentecostal theology and other currents in contemporary theology. As a synthesis and analysis of a large amount of primary source literature, this book introduces readers to the scholars leading current theological conversations within pentecostalism.Less
This book is the first critical study of the major academic theologians within pentecostalism, one of the fastest growing and influential religious traditions worldwide. As a typological study, it establishes four original categories that classify recent pentecostal theologians’ methodologies in systematic/constructive theology. After assessing the methodological types, the book offers a suggestion for pentecostal theological method that builds on the strengths of each methodological type, while also advancing an original constructive contribution. Specifically, it argues for a reciprocal relationship between pentecostal spirituality and doctrine that follows the pattern of lex orandi, lex credendi. The book then develops a doctrine of the Lord’s supper as an initial exercise in this reciprocal relationship. This book is concerned with such issues as the relationship between theology and philosophy, the dynamic between scripture and tradition, fundamental and philosophical theology, and similarities and differences between recent pentecostal theology and other currents in contemporary theology. As a synthesis and analysis of a large amount of primary source literature, this book introduces readers to the scholars leading current theological conversations within pentecostalism.
John Allan Knight
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199969388
- eISBN:
- 9780199301546
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199969388.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
This chapter describes Barth’s influence on postliberal theology. It does so by analyzing Hans Frei’s doctoral dissertation, which described Barth’s methodological break with liberal theology. Frei ...
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This chapter describes Barth’s influence on postliberal theology. It does so by analyzing Hans Frei’s doctoral dissertation, which described Barth’s methodological break with liberal theology. Frei elucidates three themes in Barth, all of which are designed to move Barth’s theological thinking away from its anthropological starting point. First, Barth prioritizes ontology over epistemology. In Barth’s view, one of the things that made liberal theology subject to Feuerbach’s critique was that it began with epistemological considerations, and then refused to make claims that could not meet its epistemic criteria. After the break, Barth insists that theology must begin with ontological affirmations about God, as these affirmations are given in the Incarnation and the testimony to it in the Bible. Second, after the break, Barth insists that theological method must be subordinate to and governed by positive ontological statements about God. This implies that theology cannot be systematic, because Barth believes that all true systematizing will be anthropologically and epistemologically driven. Third, Barth insists that interpretive method must be governed by his methodological commitments and his ontological affirmations about God. All these themes will drive Frei’s later work, as I’ll describe in subsequent chapters.Less
This chapter describes Barth’s influence on postliberal theology. It does so by analyzing Hans Frei’s doctoral dissertation, which described Barth’s methodological break with liberal theology. Frei elucidates three themes in Barth, all of which are designed to move Barth’s theological thinking away from its anthropological starting point. First, Barth prioritizes ontology over epistemology. In Barth’s view, one of the things that made liberal theology subject to Feuerbach’s critique was that it began with epistemological considerations, and then refused to make claims that could not meet its epistemic criteria. After the break, Barth insists that theology must begin with ontological affirmations about God, as these affirmations are given in the Incarnation and the testimony to it in the Bible. Second, after the break, Barth insists that theological method must be subordinate to and governed by positive ontological statements about God. This implies that theology cannot be systematic, because Barth believes that all true systematizing will be anthropologically and epistemologically driven. Third, Barth insists that interpretive method must be governed by his methodological commitments and his ontological affirmations about God. All these themes will drive Frei’s later work, as I’ll describe in subsequent chapters.
Paul Helm
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199255696
- eISBN:
- 9780191602429
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199255695.003.0003
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
Calvin's modest, Augustinian Trinitarianism is explored. His dislike of any subordination of the Son to the Father is emphasized. For Calvin, the Trinitarian dogma maybe seen as providing a set of ...
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Calvin's modest, Augustinian Trinitarianism is explored. His dislike of any subordination of the Son to the Father is emphasized. For Calvin, the Trinitarian dogma maybe seen as providing a set of rules enabling us to think of the divine mystery as Scripture reveals it rather than offering an explanation of it.Less
Calvin's modest, Augustinian Trinitarianism is explored. His dislike of any subordination of the Son to the Father is emphasized. For Calvin, the Trinitarian dogma maybe seen as providing a set of rules enabling us to think of the divine mystery as Scripture reveals it rather than offering an explanation of it.
Annette G. Aubert
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199915323
- eISBN:
- 9780199345540
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199915323.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Literature
This book explores the influences of German theology—especially mediating theology, or Vermittlungstheologie—Friedrich Schleiermacher, and Ernst Hengstenberg on nineteenth-century Reformed theology ...
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This book explores the influences of German theology—especially mediating theology, or Vermittlungstheologie—Friedrich Schleiermacher, and Ernst Hengstenberg on nineteenth-century Reformed theology in the United States. It pays particular attention to theological method and the doctrine of atonement in light of modernism and scientific theories. It examines German influences on the Mercersburg theologian Emanuel Vogel Gerhart (1817–1904) and Princeton’s Charles Hodge (1797–1878), and shows how they engaged with the ideas of their German counterparts to reformulate existing theological definitions and methods, resulting in an active period of cross-fertilization in theology. Its transatlantic perspective considers the nineteenth-century Protestant world during a time of significant theological development. The book is divided into two parts: the first looks at American and German intellectual and theological contexts, and the second examines Gerhart’s and Hodge’s respective methods and atonement theories.Less
This book explores the influences of German theology—especially mediating theology, or Vermittlungstheologie—Friedrich Schleiermacher, and Ernst Hengstenberg on nineteenth-century Reformed theology in the United States. It pays particular attention to theological method and the doctrine of atonement in light of modernism and scientific theories. It examines German influences on the Mercersburg theologian Emanuel Vogel Gerhart (1817–1904) and Princeton’s Charles Hodge (1797–1878), and shows how they engaged with the ideas of their German counterparts to reformulate existing theological definitions and methods, resulting in an active period of cross-fertilization in theology. Its transatlantic perspective considers the nineteenth-century Protestant world during a time of significant theological development. The book is divided into two parts: the first looks at American and German intellectual and theological contexts, and the second examines Gerhart’s and Hodge’s respective methods and atonement theories.
Sean Doherty
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780198703334
- eISBN:
- 9780191772542
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198703334.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, Religion and Society
This chapter introduces Luther’s sermon on usury, and situates it in the context of his day. It then gives a commentary on Luther’s method in the sermon, discussing inter alia such matters as its ...
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This chapter introduces Luther’s sermon on usury, and situates it in the context of his day. It then gives a commentary on Luther’s method in the sermon, discussing inter alia such matters as its genre, Luther’s moral understanding of ‘the gospel’ and its relation to financial and commercial matters, and the way in which Luther reads and deploys Scripture in social ethics. Also analysed are the ways in which Luther exploits particular doctrines (such as creation and justification by faith alone) with respect to a moral question, and his core theopolitical concept of the twofold government of God. This chapter analyses the way in which Luther brings these theological motifs to bear on a pressing economic question which confronted him: the rise of the Zinskauf, a method of lending money at interest which circumvented canonical prohibitions on usury.Less
This chapter introduces Luther’s sermon on usury, and situates it in the context of his day. It then gives a commentary on Luther’s method in the sermon, discussing inter alia such matters as its genre, Luther’s moral understanding of ‘the gospel’ and its relation to financial and commercial matters, and the way in which Luther reads and deploys Scripture in social ethics. Also analysed are the ways in which Luther exploits particular doctrines (such as creation and justification by faith alone) with respect to a moral question, and his core theopolitical concept of the twofold government of God. This chapter analyses the way in which Luther brings these theological motifs to bear on a pressing economic question which confronted him: the rise of the Zinskauf, a method of lending money at interest which circumvented canonical prohibitions on usury.
Brandy Daniels
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780823277513
- eISBN:
- 9780823280483
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823277513.003.0009
- Subject:
- Sociology, Gender and Sexuality
This chapter explores how the aims of feminist theological projects are (or are not) sought/accomplished through their methodologies, turning to futurity as a rubric and Sarah Coakley’s théologie ...
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This chapter explores how the aims of feminist theological projects are (or are not) sought/accomplished through their methodologies, turning to futurity as a rubric and Sarah Coakley’s théologie totale as a case study. This chapter argues that despite her laudable desire to reframe systematics under a formational frame that she sees as liberative, the teleological thrust and attendant onto-epistemological assumptions undergirding théologie totale (and the role of contemplation within it) betray and thwart precisely what her approach seeks to engender—the inculcation of un-mastery, attentiveness to otherness, and awareness of the complex interrelatedness of sexual and spiritual desires. In assuming and proffering a narratively-cohering and linear account of subjectivity that takes as given a clear telos of desire, Coakley’s methodology adheres to what José Esteban Muñoz calls “straight time’s choke hold.” The latter half of this chapter suggests that a feminist theological imagination (and method) that aligns with the aims of théologie totale approaches “the future” not by asking “how do we secure or obtain it?” but rather, “who are the ‘we’ that make up and enact it?” This chapter concludes by proposing potential hallmarks of a feminist theological method in a queer time and space.Less
This chapter explores how the aims of feminist theological projects are (or are not) sought/accomplished through their methodologies, turning to futurity as a rubric and Sarah Coakley’s théologie totale as a case study. This chapter argues that despite her laudable desire to reframe systematics under a formational frame that she sees as liberative, the teleological thrust and attendant onto-epistemological assumptions undergirding théologie totale (and the role of contemplation within it) betray and thwart precisely what her approach seeks to engender—the inculcation of un-mastery, attentiveness to otherness, and awareness of the complex interrelatedness of sexual and spiritual desires. In assuming and proffering a narratively-cohering and linear account of subjectivity that takes as given a clear telos of desire, Coakley’s methodology adheres to what José Esteban Muñoz calls “straight time’s choke hold.” The latter half of this chapter suggests that a feminist theological imagination (and method) that aligns with the aims of théologie totale approaches “the future” not by asking “how do we secure or obtain it?” but rather, “who are the ‘we’ that make up and enact it?” This chapter concludes by proposing potential hallmarks of a feminist theological method in a queer time and space.
Eric Daryl Meyer
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780823280148
- eISBN:
- 9780823281619
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823280148.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
The introduction outlines the structure of the “problem of human animality” in Christian theological anthropology and explains how it leads to ineradicable tensions and contradictions in Christian ...
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The introduction outlines the structure of the “problem of human animality” in Christian theological anthropology and explains how it leads to ineradicable tensions and contradictions in Christian accounts of human life that rely on anthropological exceptionalism. Prior to a summary of the book, the introduction also offers an explanation of its method with particular attention to the rationale behind the choice to focus on fourth-century Christian authors in conjunction with contemporary critical and constructive theology.Less
The introduction outlines the structure of the “problem of human animality” in Christian theological anthropology and explains how it leads to ineradicable tensions and contradictions in Christian accounts of human life that rely on anthropological exceptionalism. Prior to a summary of the book, the introduction also offers an explanation of its method with particular attention to the rationale behind the choice to focus on fourth-century Christian authors in conjunction with contemporary critical and constructive theology.
John Allan Knight
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199969388
- eISBN:
- 9780199301546
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199969388.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
The divide between liberal and postliberal theology is one of the most important and far-reaching methodological disputes in twentieth-century theology. Their divergence in method brought related ...
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The divide between liberal and postliberal theology is one of the most important and far-reaching methodological disputes in twentieth-century theology. Their divergence in method brought related differences in their approaches to hermeneutics and religious language. The split between liberals and postliberals in their understanding of religious language is widely acknowledged, but rigorous philosophical analysis and assessment of these divergent understandings is seldom seen. Liberalism vs. Postliberalism provides just such analyses, using remarkable developments in analytic philosophy of language over the past forty years. The book provides an original analysis of the “theology and falsification” debates of the 1950s and 60s, placing them in the context of developments in analytic philosophy of language out of which they arose. These debates then supply the philosophical lens that brings into focus the centrality of the issue of religious language in the methodological dispute between liberal and postliberal theologians in the latter part of the twentieth century. Knight argues that recent developments in analytic philosophy of language reveal serious problems with both positions. In the course of the argument, the author makes important recent work in analytic philosophy accessible to theologians, religious studies scholars and their students. This philosophical work clears the ground for a more inclusive method that takes seriously the aspirations of both liberal and postliberal theologians. The book thus makes an important contribution to contemporary theological method, to the understanding of liberal and postliberal theologies in their similarities and differences, and to our understanding of the role of analytic philosophy in contemporary theology and religious studies.Less
The divide between liberal and postliberal theology is one of the most important and far-reaching methodological disputes in twentieth-century theology. Their divergence in method brought related differences in their approaches to hermeneutics and religious language. The split between liberals and postliberals in their understanding of religious language is widely acknowledged, but rigorous philosophical analysis and assessment of these divergent understandings is seldom seen. Liberalism vs. Postliberalism provides just such analyses, using remarkable developments in analytic philosophy of language over the past forty years. The book provides an original analysis of the “theology and falsification” debates of the 1950s and 60s, placing them in the context of developments in analytic philosophy of language out of which they arose. These debates then supply the philosophical lens that brings into focus the centrality of the issue of religious language in the methodological dispute between liberal and postliberal theologians in the latter part of the twentieth century. Knight argues that recent developments in analytic philosophy of language reveal serious problems with both positions. In the course of the argument, the author makes important recent work in analytic philosophy accessible to theologians, religious studies scholars and their students. This philosophical work clears the ground for a more inclusive method that takes seriously the aspirations of both liberal and postliberal theologians. The book thus makes an important contribution to contemporary theological method, to the understanding of liberal and postliberal theologies in their similarities and differences, and to our understanding of the role of analytic philosophy in contemporary theology and religious studies.
Andrew Moore
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- December 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780198709565
- eISBN:
- 9780191779794
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198709565.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology, Philosophy of Religion
This chapter looks at the way in which experience is used as a source and norm of the Christian doctrine of God. The discussion is focused by a description and analysis of the appeal to experience ...
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This chapter looks at the way in which experience is used as a source and norm of the Christian doctrine of God. The discussion is focused by a description and analysis of the appeal to experience found in Fiddes’s work—in particular in his vision of Baptist theological method—and it sets out an account of the sources and norms of theology in dialogue with Aquinas and Calvin. In dialogue with Karl Barth, who is a strong influence on Fiddes, the chapter examines the relationship between revelation and experience, and how these may be coordinated with Christology and Christian teaching about the Word of God. It concludes that, although experience is a vital element in Christian faith, appeal to it should not occlude the way in which it is shaped by the Word of God in Christ and Scripture, or the normative role that these have.Less
This chapter looks at the way in which experience is used as a source and norm of the Christian doctrine of God. The discussion is focused by a description and analysis of the appeal to experience found in Fiddes’s work—in particular in his vision of Baptist theological method—and it sets out an account of the sources and norms of theology in dialogue with Aquinas and Calvin. In dialogue with Karl Barth, who is a strong influence on Fiddes, the chapter examines the relationship between revelation and experience, and how these may be coordinated with Christology and Christian teaching about the Word of God. It concludes that, although experience is a vital element in Christian faith, appeal to it should not occlude the way in which it is shaped by the Word of God in Christ and Scripture, or the normative role that these have.
