These essays address the crisis of biblical authority and interpretation in the church, focusing in particular on the inadequacy of the historical-critical method of hermeneutics, addressing from various perspectives the notorious gap between the historical-critical approach to the study of the Bible and the church's liturgical and dogmatic transmission of biblical faith. The authors, following Childs' "canonical method" of biblical interpretation, argue that the historical-critical method should not of itself set the agenda for biblical reading. Contributors: Robert W. Jenson, Carl E....

Since Socrates, the effort to understand ourselves precisely as human has been the central occupation of Western thought. In this short, profound book Robert W. Jenson argues that not only are all philosophical attempts to accurately think the self doomed to failure, but also that the category "human" is"unthinkable"without reference to God. As Jenson says at the outset of the book, "our anthropological endeavors are at once impelled and checked by an epistemic quirk or set of quirks: notions we need to use and do use when we talk about ourselves as human resist being thought.""On Thinking...

Since the Council of Ephesus (a.d. 431), orthodox Christianity has confessed Mary as Theotokos, "Mother of God." Yet neither this title nor Mary's significance has fared well in Protestant Christianity. In the wake of new interest in Mary following Vatican II and recent ecumenical dialogues, this volume seeks to makes clear that Mariology is properly related to Christ and his church in ways that can and should be meaningful for all Christians. Written with insight and sensitivity by Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant scholars, these seven studies inquire into Mary's place in the story of...

In today's postmodern culture many people are turning to religion, but they are not necessarily finding their way back to the church. Most unbelievers in America and other Western countries are post-Christians. Though baptized and brought up in a church, they no longer believe and practice the Christian faith. In such a time, the great challenge facing the church is "re-evangelization.

This volume provides serious theological reflection on Christian missions within postmodern, post-Christian culture. Written by respected scholars representing the Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox...

As the title of this engaging book suggests, "catholicity" was the true intent of the Reformation. The Reformers did not set out to create what later came to be known as Protestant Christianity. Theirs was a quest for reformation and renewal in continuity with the "one holy catholic and apostolic church" of ancient times. The authors of the essays collected here demonstrate this catholicity of the Reformers and stress the importance of recovering the church's catholic tradition today. Contributors: Robert W. Jenson, David S. Yeago, Frank C. Senn, Carl E. Braaten, James R. Crumley, Robert L....

The chapters of this book offer informed perspectives on a "theology of the world," exploring the question: How does/should the church relate to the secular world? The standard dogma of the 1960s was Let the world set the agenda Such a perspective has often caused the American church merely to reflect, rather than to inform and lead, the society in which it lives. Surely, say the authors of this volume, it must be the other way around. Contributors: Robert Benne, Robert W. Jenson, Carl E. Braaten, Gilbert Meilaender, Christopher R. Seitz, Anthony Ugolnik, George Weigel, Robert L. Wilken

This book introduces the English-speaking world to the new Finnish interpretation of the theology of Martin Luther, initiated by the writings of Tuomo Mannermaa of Helsinki University. At the heart of the Finnish breakthrough in Luther research lies the theme of salvation. Luther found his answer to the mystery of salvation in the justifying work of Christ received through faith alone. But Protestant theology has never enjoyed a consensus on how to interpret the Reformation doctrine of justification by faith. In opposition to the traditional forensic understanding of justification, Mannermaa...

Martin Luther once listed seven "marks" of the church-those defining ecclesial features that show where the true church is to be found. This insightful volume brings together essays by ten leading Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and Orthodox theologians, each analyzing one of the seven traditional marks of the church and discussing how it is found, or not found, in today's churches. Writing about each "mark" of the church are these scholars: Gerhard O. Forde and Richard Lischer on proclamation; Susan K. Wood and John H. Erickson on baptism; K. Paul Wesche and Richard A. Norris Jr....

Sin, death, and the devil, called "the unholy trinity" by Martin Luther, are the classic biblical tyrants. This volume, which takes its cue from John Paul II's description of Western society as a "culture of death," unveils the faces of sin, death, and the devil in modern culture. Far from being pessimistic, however, these engaging chapters by eight recognized theologians take care to affirm God's victory over the diabolical forces that oppress humanity--a victory continually realized through the proclamation of the gospel and the sacraments of the church. Contributors: Gary A. Anderson, Carl...

Church Unity and the Papal Office provides the first theological and ecumenical response to Pope John Paul II's encyclical Ut Unum Sint ("That All May Be One"). Scholars representing Anglican, Orthodox, Lutheran, Methodist, and Evangelical churches offer fresh perspectives on this pivotal document calling for a "patient and fraternal dialogue" concerning the ministry of the papal office in the service of church unity. Contributors: Carl E. Braaten Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy Brian E. Daley, S.J. Joseph-Augustine DiNoia, O.P. Robert W. Jenson Richard J. Mouw Stephen W. Sykes Geoffrey...