The Christian Theology Reader, 3rd Edition

by Editor: Alister E. McGrath (University of Oxford)

• ISBN13: 9781405153584
• ISBN10: 140515358X
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-12-01
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

"This volume is now available in a fully updated and expanded third edition, bringing together 361 readings drawn from 233 different sources, and charting the 2,000 years of Christian history."--BOOK JACKET.

Author Biography

Alister E. McGrath is Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford University, and Senior Research Fellow at Harris Manchester College, Oxford. He is a world-renowned theologian, and is the author of numerous bestselling titles available through Blackwell Publishing, including The Christian Theology Reader 3rd edition (2007), Theology: The Basics (2004), Christianity: An Introduction 2nd edition (2006), A Brief History of Heaven (2003), and Dawkins’ God (2004).

Table of Contents

Mission Statement	xv
Preface	xvi
Approaching the Readings	xx
To the Student: How to Use this Work	xxii
To the Teacher: How to Use this Book	xxv
The Development of Christian Theology: An Historical Overview	xxvii
Acknowledgements	xxxiv
Editor's Note	xlii
Getting Started: Preliminaries	1	(73)
Introduction	1	(2)
Justin Martyr on Philosophy and Theology	3	(1)
Clement of Alexandria on Philosophy and Theology	4	(2)
Tertullian on the Relation of Philosophy and Heresy	6	(1)
Augustine on Philosophy and Theology	7	(2)
The Nicene Creed	9	(2)
The Apostles' Creed	11	(1)
Anselm of Canterbury's Proof for the Existence of God	12	(2)
Gaunilo's Reply to Anselm's Argument	14	(1)
Thomas Aquinas on Proofs for the Existence of God	15	(4)
Thomas Aquinas on the Principle of Analogy	19	(3)
William of Ockham on Proofs of God's Existence	22	(3)
Martin Luther on the Theology of the Cross	25	(1)
John Calvin on the Nature of Faith	26	(1)
The Heidelberg Catechism on Images of God	27	(2)
John Locke on the Formation of the Concept of God	29	(1)
Rene Descartes on the Existence of God	30	(2)
Blaise Pascal on Proofs for the Existence of God	32	(1)
Blaise Pascal on the Hiddenness of God	33	(2)
Immanuel Kant on Anselm's Ontological Argument	35	(1)
Soren Kierkegaard on the Subjectivity of Truth	36	(2)
The First Vatican Council on Faith and Reason	38	(2)
John Henry Newman on the Grounds of Faith	40	(2)
Adolf von Harnack on the Origins of Dogma	42	(3)
Karl Barth on the Nature and Task of Theology	45	(2)
Ludwig Wittgenstein on Analogy	47	(2)
Ludwig Wittgenstein on Proofs for the Existence of God	49	(2)
Vladimir Lossky on Apophatic Approaches to Theology	51	(1)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer on God in a Secular World	52	(3)
Paul Tillich on the Method of Correlation	55	(4)
Sallie McFague on Metaphor in Theology	59	(3)
Gustavo Gutierrez on Theology as Critical Reflection	62	(4)
Brian A. Gerrish on Accommodation in Calvin's Theology	66	(1)
George Lindbeck on Postliberal Approaches to Doctrine	67	(3)
Dumitru Staniloae on the Nature of Dogma	70	(4)
For Further Reading	73	(1)
The Sources of Theology	74	(102)
Introduction	74	(3)
The Muratorian Fragment on the New Testament Canon	77	(2)
Irenaeus on the Role of Tradition	79	(1)
Hippolytus on Typological Interpretation of Scripture	80	(1)
Clement of Alexandria on the Fourfold Interpretation of Scripture	81	(1)
Tertullian on Tradition and Apostolic Succession	82	(2)
Origen on the Three Ways of Reading Scripture	84	(1)
Cyril of Jerusalem on the Role of Creeds	85	(1)
Augustine on the Literal and Allegorical Senses of Scripture	86	(1)
Jerome on the Role of Scripture	87	(2)
Vincent of Lerins on the Role of Tradition	89	(2)
Bernard of Clairvaux on the Allegorical Sense of Scripture	91	(1)
Stephen Langton on the Moral Sense of Scripture	92	(1)
Ludolf of Saxony on Reading Scripture Imaginatively	93	(2)
Jacques Lefevre d'Etaples on the Senses of Scripture	95	(2)
Martin Luther on the Fourfold Sense of Scripture	97	(1)
Martin Luther on Revelation in Christ	98	(2)
John Calvin on the Natural Knowledge of God	100	(2)
John Calvin on the Relation between Old and New Covenants	102	(1)
The Council of Trent on Scripture and Tradition	103	(1)
The Gallic Confession on the Canon of Scripture	104	(2)
The Belgic Confession on the Book of Nature	106	(1)
Melchior Cano on the Church as Interpreter of Scripture	107	(2)
The Formula of Concord on Scripture and the Theologians	109	(1)
King James I on the Relation of Old and New Testaments	110	(1)
Roberto Bellarmine on Protestant Biblical Interpretation	111	(2)
The King James Translators on Biblical Translation	113	(2)
Sir Thomas Browne on the Two Books of Revelation	115	(2)
Francis White on Scripture and Tradition	117	(1)
Philip Jakob Spener on Scripture and the Christian Life	118	(2)
Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf on Reason and Experience	120	(2)
Jonathan Edwards on the Beauty of Creation	122	(1)
William Paley on the Wisdom of the Creation	123	(4)
Johann Adam Mohler on Living Tradition	127	(2)
John Henry Newman on the Role of Tradition	129	(3)
Archibald Alexander Hodge on the Inspiration of Scripture	132	(3)
Benjamin Jowett on the Interpretation of Scripture	135	(2)
Gerard Manley Hopkins on God's Grandeur in Nature	137	(1)
Charles Gore on the Relation of Dogma to the New Testament	138	(2)
James Orr on the Centrality of Revelation for Christianity	140	(3)
Wilhelm Herrmann on the Nature of Revelation	143	(3)
Karl Barth on Revelation as God's Self-Disclosure	146	(2)
Emil Brunner on the Personal Nature of Revelation	148	(2)
Rudolf Bultmann on Demythologization and Biblical Interpretation	150	(2)
Karl Rahner on the Authority of Scripture	152	(4)
Phyllis Trible on Feminist Biblical Interpretation	156	(5)
Donald G. Bloesch on Christological Approaches to Biblical Hermeneutics	161	(4)
John Meyendorff on Living Tradition	165	(1)
James I. Packer on the Nature of Revelation	166	(2)
Thomas F. Torrance on Karl Barth's Criticism of Natural Theology	168	(4)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church on Scripture and Tradition	172	(4)
For Further Reading	175	(1)
The Doctrine of God	176	(81)
Introduction	176	(2)
Athenagoras of Athens on the Christian God	178	(1)
Irenaeus on the Origin of Evil	179	(1)
Irenaeus on the Trinity	180	(1)
Tertullian on Creation from Pre-existent Matter	181	(2)
Origen on Creation from Pre-existent Matter	183	(1)
Origen on the Relation of God and Evil	184	(1)
Origen on the Suffering of God	185	(1)
Origen on the Changelessness of God	186	(1)
Gregory of Nyssa on Human Analogies of the Trinity	187	(3)
Basil of Caesarea on the Work of the Holy Spirit	190	(2)
Gregory of Nazianzus on the Gradual Revelation of the Trinity	192	(1)
Hilary of Poitiers on the Trinity	193	(1)
Augustine on the Trinity	194	(5)
Augustine on the Relation of God and Evil	199	(1)
Augustine on the Holy Spirit	200	(4)
Epiphanius of Constantia on Sabellianism	204	(1)
Cyril of Alexandria on the Role of the Holy Spirit	205	(1)
Tulgentius of Ruspe on the Holy Spirit and Eucharist	206	(1)
John of Damascus on the Holy Spirit	207	(1)
The Eleventh Council of Toledo on the Trinity	208	(2)
Anselm of Canterbury on the Compassion of God	210	(1)
Richard of St Victor on Love within the Trinity	211	(1)
Alexander of Hales on the Suffering of God in Christ	212	(2)
Thomas Aquinas on Divine Omnipotence	214	(1)
Bonaventure on the Origin of Evil	215	(1)
Julian of Norwich on God as our Mother	216	(2)
William of Ockham on the Two Powers of God	218	(1)
Thomas a Kempis on the Limits of Trinitarian Speculation	219	(2)
John Owen on the Sovereignty of God	221	(1)
Benedict Spinoza on the Impassibility of God	222	(1)
F. D. E. Schleiermacher on the Trinity	223	(2)
Karl Barth on the ``Otherness'' of God	225	(1)
Jurgen Moltmann on the Suffering of God	226	(4)
Richard Swinburne on God as Creator	230	(4)
Leonardo Boff on the Trinity as Good News for the Poor	234	(2)
Robert Jenson on the Trinity	236	(3)
Hans Kung on the Immutability of God	239	(3)
Eberhard Jungel on the Crucified God	242	(2)
Jacques Ellul on the Theology of Icons	244	(2)
Walter Kasper on the Rationality of the Trinity	246	(2)
Paul Jewett on Noninclusive Language and the Trinity	248	(3)
Anne Carr on Feminism and the Maleness of God	251	(2)
Sarah Coakley on Social Models of the Trinity	253	(4)
For Further Reading	256	(1)
The Person of Christ	257	(84)
Introduction	257	(2)
Ignatius of Antioch on Docetism	259	(1)
Irenaeus on Gnosticism in Christology	260	(1)
Tertullian on Patripassianism	261	(1)
Tertullian on the Incarnation	262	(1)
Novatian on the Divinity of Christ	263	(1)
Origen on the Two Natures of Christ	264	(1)
Arius on the Status of Christ	265	(2)
Athanasius on the Two Natures of Christ	267	(1)
Apollinarius of Laodicea on the Person of Christ	268	(1)
Gregory of Nazianzus on Apollinarianism	269	(2)
Theodore of Mopsuestia on the ``Union of Good Pleasure''	271	(1)
Nestorius on the Term ``Theotokos''	272	(2)
Cyril of Alexandria on Nestorius's Christology	274	(1)
Cyril of Alexandria on the Incarnation	275	(2)
Cyril of Alexandria on Mary as the Mother of God	277	(2)
Leo the Great on the Two Natures of Christ	279	(2)
The Chalcedonian Definition of the Christian Faith (451)	281	(2)
The Emperor Zeno on the Natures of Christ	283	(2)
The Monophysites on the Natures of Christ	285	(1)
John of Damascus on the Incarnation and Icons	286	(2)
Honorius of Autun on the Cause of the Incarnation	288	(1)
Thomas Aquinas on the Necessity of the Incarnation	289	(2)
Gregory Palamas on the Divine Condescension in the Incarnation	291	(1)
Martin Luther's Critique of Nestorianism	292	(2)
Francois Turrettini on the Threefold Office of Christ	294	(2)
Gotthold Ephraim Lessing on the Ditch of History	296	(2)
F. D. E. Schleiermacher on the ``Natural Heresies'' of Christianity	298	(2)
A. B. Ritschl on the Uniqueness of Jesus Christ	300	(4)
Martin Kahler on the Historical Jesus	304	(2)
George Tyrrell on the Christ of Liberal Protestantism	306	(3)
Albert Schweitzer on the Failure of the ``Quest of the Historical Jesus''	309	(3)
Peter Taylor Forsyth on the Person of Christ	312	(2)
Ernst Troeltsch on Faith and History	314	(4)
Dorothy L. Sayers on Christology and Dogma	318	(2)
Paul Tillich on the Dispensability of the Historical Jesus	320	(2)
Wolfhart Pannenberg on the Indispensability of the Historical Jesus	322	(3)
Thomas F. Torrance on the Incarnation and Soteriology	325	(3)
Rosemary Radford Ruether on the Maleness of Christ	328	(3)
Daphne Hampson on the Possibility of a Feminist Christology	331	(2)
Morna D. Hooker on Chalcedon and the New Testament	333	(3)
N. T. Wright on History and Christology	336	(5)
For Further Reading	340	(1)
Salvation in Christ	341	(60)
Introduction	341	(2)
Irenaeus on the ``Ransom'' Theory of the Atonement	343	(1)
Irenaeus on ``Recapitulation'' in Christ	344	(1)
Clement of Alexandria on Christ's Death as an Example of Love	345	(1)
Athanasius on the Death of Christ	346	(1)
Athanasius on the Relation of Christology and Soteriology	347	(1)
Pseudo-Hippolytus on the Cosmic Dimensions of the Cross	348	(1)
Rufinus of Aquileia on the ``Fish-hook'' Theory of the Atonement	349	(1)
An Ancient Liturgy on Christ's Descent into Hell	350	(1)
Theodoret of Cyrrhus on the Death of Christ	351	(1)
Augustine on Redemption in Christ	352	(1)
Maximus of Constantinople on the Economy of Salvation	353	(2)
Simeon the New Theologian on Salvation as Deification	355	(1)
Anselm of Canterbury on the Atonement	356	(2)
Peter Abelard on the Love of Christ in Redemption	358	(1)
Hugh of St Victor on the Death of Christ	359	(2)
Rupert of Deutz on the Incarnation as God's Response to Sin	361	(1)
Thomas Aquinas on the Satisfaction of Christ	362	(1)
Nicholas Cabasilas on the Death of Christ	363	(1)
John Calvin on the Grounds of Redemption	364	(1)
The Socinian Critique of the Idea of Satisfaction	365	(3)
John Donne on the Work of Christ	368	(1)
George Herbert on the Death of Christ and Redemption	369	(1)
Charles Wesley on Salvation in Christ	370	(2)
F. D. E. Schleiermacher on Christ as a Charismatic Leader	372	(2)
F. D. E. Schleiermacher on Christology and Soteriology	374	(2)
Charles Gore on the Relation of Christology and Soteriology	376	(1)
Hastings Rashdall on Christ as a Moral Example	377	(2)
James Denney on Atonement and Incarnation	379	(3)
Gustaf Aulen on the Classic Theory of the Atonement	382	(4)
Vladimir Lossky on Redemption as Deification	386	(1)
Bernard Lonergan on the Intelligibility of Redemption	387	(3)
Wolfhart Pannenberg on Soteriological Approaches to Christology	390	(2)
James I. Packer on Penal Substitution	392	(4)
Dorothee Solle on Suffering and Redemption	396	(1)
Colin E. Gunton on the Language of Atonement	397	(4)
For Further Reading	399	(2)
Human Nature, Sin, and Grace	401	(87)
Introduction	401	(3)
Irenaeus on Human Progress	404	(1)
Tertullian on the Origin of Sin	405	(1)
Tertullian on Inherited Guilt	406	(1)
Tertullian on the Image of God	407	(1)
Origen on the Image of God	407	(1)
Origen on Inherited Sin	408	(1)
Lactantius on Political Aspects of the Image of God	409	(1)
Ambrose on the Unmerited Character of Salvation	410	(1)
Ambrosiaster on Original Sin	411	(1)
Gregory of Nyssa on Human Longing for God	412	(2)
Augustine on the Divine Election	414	(1)
Augustine on the Nature of Predestination	415	(1)
Augustine on Fallen Human Nature	416	(1)
Augustine on Human Freedom	417	(1)
Augustine on Irresistible Grace and Perseverance	418	(1)
Pelagius on Human Responsibility	419	(1)
Pelagius on Human Freedom	420	(1)
Pelagius's Rejection of Original Sin	421	(1)
The Council of Carthage on Grace	422	(2)
The Synod of Arles on Pelagianism	424	(1)
The Second Council of Orange on Grace and Freedom	425	(2)
John Scotus Eriugena on the Nature of Paradise	427	(1)
Hildegard of Bingen on the Creation of Man and Woman	428	(1)
Alan of Lille on Penitence as a Cause of Grace	429	(1)
Francis of Assisi on the Creation	430	(1)
Thomas Aquinas on the Nature of Grace	431	(2)
Mechthild of Magdeburg on Humanity's Longing for God	433	(1)
John Duns Scotus on the Immaculate Conception of Mary	434	(1)
Gregory of Rimini on Predestination	435	(1)
Gabriel Biel on Merit and Justification	436	(1)
Giovanni Pico della Mirandola on Human Nature	437	(2)
Martin Luther's Discovery of the ``Righteousness of God''	439	(2)
Martin Luther on Justifying Faith	441	(1)
Martin Luther on Sin and Grace	442	(2)
Philip Melanchthon on Justification by Faith	444	(2)
John Calvin on Predestination	446	(1)
John Calvin on Faith and the Promises of God	447	(1)
John Calvin on the Concept of Justification	448	(2)
The Council of Trent on Justification	450	(1)
Theodore Beza on the Causes of Predestination	451	(1)
John Donne on the Bondage of the Human Will	452	(1)
James Ussher on the Grounds of Assurance	453	(2)
The Westminster Confession of Faith on Predestination	455	(1)
Anne Bradstreet on Flesh and Spirit	456	(1)
Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf on Saving Faith	457	(2)
Friedrich Christoph Oetinger on Conversion	459	(1)
Jonathan Edwards on Original Sin	460	(3)
John Wesley on Justification	463	(1)
Richard Watson on Regeneration and Sanctification	464	(2)
Emil Brunner on the Image of God	466	(4)
Karl Barth on Election in Christ	470	(2)
Emil Brunner on Barth's Doctrine of Election	472	(2)
Reinhold Niebuhr on Original Sin	474	(2)
The Second Vatican Council on Human Nature	476	(3)
Daphne Hampson on Feminist Approaches to Sin	479	(4)
Mary Hayter on Human Sexuality and the Image of God	483	(5)
For Further Reading	486	(2)
The Church	488	(56)
Introduction	488	(2)
Irenaeus on the Function of the Church	490	(1)
Origen on the Church and Salvation	491	(1)
Cyprian of Carthage on the Unity of the Church	492	(2)
Cyril of Jerusalem on the Catholicity of the Church	494	(1)
Petilian of Cirta on the Purity of Ministers	495	(1)
Augustine on the Mixed Nature of the Church	496	(1)
Leo the Great on Ministry within the Church	497	(1)
Innocent III on the Church and State	498	(1)
Thomas Aquinas on the Catholicity of the Church	499	(1)
Boniface VIII on Papal Primacy: Unam Sanctam	500	(2)
Jan Hus on the Church	502	(1)
Martin Luther on the Marks of the Church	503	(2)
Martin Luther on Priests and Laity	505	(2)
Philip Melanchthon on the Nature of Catholicity	507	(1)
Sebastian Franck on the True Church	508	(1)
The First Helvetic Confession on the Nature of the Church	509	(1)
John Calvin on the Marks of the Church	510	(1)
Richard Hooker on the Purity of the Church	511	(2)
The Westminster Confession of Faith on the Church	513	(1)
John Owen on the Nature of a Gospel Church	514	(3)
F. D. E. Schleiermacher on the Church as a Fellowship of Believers	517	(3)
The First Vatican Council on Papal Primacy in the Church	520	(2)
Henry Barclay Swete on the Apostolicity of the Church	522	(3)
The Barmen Confession on the Identity of the Church	525	(1)
Yves Congar on the Hierarchy of the Church	526	(3)
The Second Vatican Council on the Nature of the Church	529	(3)
John D. Zizioulas on Local and Universal Churches	532	(2)
Leonardo Boff on the Nature of Local Churches	534	(5)
Avery Dulles on the Meanings of ``Catholicity''	539	(1)
Stanley Hauerwas on the Importance of the Church	540	(4)
For Further Reading	542	(2)
The Sacraments	544	(61)
Introduction	544	(2)
Clement of Alexandria on Faith as Feeding on Christ	546	(1)
Clement of Alexandria on the Results of Baptism	547	(1)
Cyprian of Carthage on Heretical Baptism	548	(1)
Cyril of Jerusalem on the Meaning of Baptism	549	(1)
Cyril of Jerusalem on the Body and Blood of Christ	550	(1)
Hilary of Poitiers on the Effects of Baptism	551	(1)
Augustine on Donatist Approaches to the Sacraments	552	(1)
Augustine on the ``Right to Baptize''	553	(1)
John of Damascus on the Holy Spirit and Eucharist	554	(1)
Paschasius Radbertus on the Real Presence	555	(1)
Ratranmus of Corbie on the Real Presence	556	(2)
Candidus of Fulda on ``This is My Body''	558	(1)
Lanfranc of Bec on the Mystery of the Sacraments	559	(1)
Hugh of St Victor on the Definition of a Sacrament	560	(1)
Peter Lombard on the Definition of a Sacrament	561	(1)
Thomas Aquinas on Transubstantiation	562	(2)
Martin Luther on the Number of Sacraments	564	(1)
Martin Luther on the Doctrine of Transubstantiation	565	(1)
Martin Luther on the Bread and Wine as a Testament	566	(3)
Martin Luther on Baptism	569	(1)
Philip Melanchthon on Sacramental Signs	570	(2)
Kornelius Hendriks Hoen on ``This is My Body''	572	(2)
Huldrych Zwingli on ``This is My Body''	574	(2)
Huldrych Zwingli on the Nature of Sacraments	576	(2)
The First Helvetic Confession on the Efficacy of the Sacraments	578	(1)
John Calvin on the Nature of Sacraments	579	(1)
Martin Bucer on the Sacraments	580	(2)
The Council of Trent on Transubstantiation	582	(1)
Theodore Beza on Sacramental Signs	583	(1)
John Wesley on the Eucharist and Salvation	584	(2)
The Second Vatican Council on the Eucharist	586	(3)
Edward Schillebeeckx on Understanding the Real Presence	589	(5)
The World Council of Churches on Baptism	594	(3)
Alexander Schmemann on the Eucharist	597	(2)
Rowan Williams on the Nature of a Sacrament	599	(2)
John Paul II on the Eucharist as a Sign of Hope	601	(4)
For Further Reading	603	(2)
Christianity and World Religions	605	(38)
Introduction	605	(1)
Justin Martyr on Christianity before Christ	606	(1)
Ludwig Feuerbach on the Origins of Religion	607	(1)
Karl Marx on Feuerbach's Views on Religion	608	(1)
Karl Barth on Christianity and Religion	609	(2)
C. S. Lewis on Myth in Christianity and Other Faiths	611	(3)
Karl Rahner on Christianity and the Non-Christian Religions	614	(4)
The Second Vatican Council on Non-Christian Religions	618	(3)
Clark Pinnock on Pluralists and Christology	621	(4)
John Hick on Complementary Pluralism	625	(4)
C. S. Song on the Cross and the Lotus	629	(5)
John B. Cobb Jr. on Religious Pluralism	634	(3)
Lesslie Newbigin on the Gospel in a Pluralist Culture	637	(6)
For Further Reading	641	(2)
The Last Things	643	(40)
Introduction	643	(2)
Irenaeus on the Final Restoration of Creation	645	(1)
Theophilus of Antioch on Conditional Immortality	646	(1)
Tertullian on Hell and Heaven	647	(1)
Tertullian on the Millennium	648	(1)
Origen on the Resurrection Body	649	(1)
Methodius of Olympus on the Resurrection	650	(1)
Cyril of Jerusalem on Prayers for the Dead	651	(1)
Gregory of Nyssa on the Resurrection Body	652	(1)
John Chrysostom on Prayers for the Dead	653	(1)
Augustine on the Christian Hope	653	(2)
Gregory the Great on Purgatory	655	(1)
Peter Lombard on the Appearance of Humanity in Heaven	656	(1)
Benedict XII on Seeing God in Heaven	657	(1)
Catherine of Genoa on Purgatory	658	(1)
John Donne on the Resurrection	659	(1)
Jeremy Taylor on Death and Heaven	660	(1)
Jonathan Edwards on the Reality of Hell	661	(3)
John Wesley on Universal Restoration	664	(1)
Rudolf Bultmann on the Existential Interpretation of Eschatology	665	(3)
Helmut Thielicke on Ethics and Eschatology	668	(2)
Richard Bauckham on Jurgen Moltmann's Eschatology	670	(3)
Hans Urs von Balthasar on Hell	673	(1)
Gabriel Fackre on the Last Things	674	(2)
Philip E. Hughes on Everlasting Death	676	(4)
Kathryn Tanner on Eternal Life	680	(3)
For Further Reading	682	(1)
Details of Theologians	683	(19)
A Glossary of Theological Terms	702	(12)
Sources of Readings	714	(21)
For Further Study: Additional Collections of Readings	735	(3)
Index	738