The problem of creationand grace has a long history of contention within Protestant and Catholic theology, involving not only internecine conflict within the traditions but fueling, as well, ecumenical debates that have continued a dogmatic divide. This volume traces out that conflict in modern Catholic and Protestant dogmatics and provides a historical genealogy that situates the origin of the problem within different emphases in the thought of St. Augustine. The author puts forward an argument and reconstruction of the problem that overcomes the longstanding abstractions, elisions, and...

As one of the pillars of the nouvelle theologie movement, a main influence upon the Second Vatican Council, and one of the few figures to complete a full-scale multi-volume systematics, Hans Urs von Balthasar is undoubtedly one of the towering figures of twentieth-century theology. Until now, the structural undergirding of von Balthasar's main contribution, a weighty 15-volume, three-part "triptych" dogmatics, has not been assessed. In this volume, the author presents an analysis of von Balthasar's work in dogmatics and provides the structural linchpin for understanding the whole of this...

Scholars are now at work not only rethinking Schleiermacher's relation to the modern and contemporary theological tradition, but re-examining the dogmatic intricacies and commitments within his texts. Situated within this revisionist milieu, the author takes up the important issue of the coordination of grace and history in Schleiermacher, arguing for its significance in understanding the dynamics of Schleiermacher's dogmatics and its grounding and realization in Christology. The project not only continues the recasting of Schleiermacher's work in its wider context, but unpacks the dogmatic...

The doctrine of the Trinity is the keystone of Christian faith and teaching, yet most of the secondary accounts on the development of this crucial doctrine do not extend beyond Nicaea and pay scant attention to vital cultural traffic. In this volume, the author examines the exposition of the doctrine of the Trinity in a set of texts from key Arabic Christian thinkers from the eighth and ninth centuries and demonstrates that fresh thinking of this cornerstone doctrine occurred in the new context of a regnant Islamic culture; in this context, Christian theologians discovered the salience of the...

The theology of the sacraments is one of the most contested parts in Barth's theology, none more so than the doctrine of baptism. Barth's proposals on baptism have generated intense conversation and disagreement, not only on its application to Protestant and ecumenical theology but even on its own consistency with Barth's larger dogmatic project. McMaken takes up this controversial question, sets it in its proper context within the history of doctrine and Barth's systematic work, and argues for a constructive reclamation of infant baptism that accords with Barth's overarching theological...

This book offers a critical analysis and reinterpretation of Karl Barth's theology of culture - the least studied aspect of his work - revealing his significance for contemporary work in theology of culture by applying his approach to the study of popular culture and entertainment. Grounding the study in Barth's eschatology, which proves more amenable to secular culture than other models, DeCou shows that Barth's approach recognized that the freedom of theology is qualified by the freedom of the Word and the freedom of secular culture. Barth therefore offers a "middle way" for evaluating and...

Addressing a critical problem in theology and the interpretation of scripture raised by modern historical consciousness, Fulford argues for a reading of scripture centered in a Christological rubric and a pattern of triune action and presence, one which draws readers into fuller participation in the shaping of history in Christ. Comparing the theologies of Gregory of Nazianzus and Hans Frei, the book addresses the challenge of historicity and historical consciousness, argues for the relevance of pre-modern approaches to scripture, and enacts a theology of retrieval as a resource for...

At the heart of the biblical myth of chosenness is the idea that God has blessed a people to be a blessing to others. It is a mission of solemn responsibility. The six British and American thinkers examined in this study embraced the myth of chosenness for their countries, believed that the liberties they enjoyed were inherently tied to their Protestant faith, and that it was their mission to protect and spread that faith, and its democratic fruit, at home and abroad.Each theologian in this study - Robert William Dale, Hugh Price Hughes, and Brooke Foss Westcott in England; Walter...

Melvin traces the emergence and development of the motif of angelic interpretation of visions from late prophetic literature (Ezekiel 40 - 48; Zechariah 1 - 6) into early apocalyptic literature (1 Enoch 17 - 36; 72 - 82; Daniel 7 - 8). Examining how the historical and socio-political context of exilic and post-exilic Judaism and the broader religious and cultural environment shaped Jewish angelology in general, Melvin concludes that the motif of the interpreting angel served a particular function. Building upon the work of Susan Niditch, Melvin concludes that the interpreting angel motif...

Memory and Covenant combines a close reading of texts in the deuteronomic, priestly, and holiness traditions with analysis of ritual and scrutiny of the different terminology used in each tradition regarding memory. Ellman demonstrates that the exploration of the concept of memory is critical to understanding the overall cosmologies, theologies, and religious programs of these distinct traditions. All three regard memory as a vital element of religious practice and as the principal instrument of covenant fidelity - but in very different ways. Ellman shows that for the deuteronomic tradition,...