A Grammar of Christian Faith: Systematic Explorations in Christian Life and Doctrine

by Jones, Joe R.

• ISBN13: 9780742513105
• ISBN10: 0742513106
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-07-01
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Pub Inc

Summary

A Grammar of Christian Faith is a two-volume set that aims to confront the widespread disarray in the language and practices of Christian faith today. As a 'grammar,' it explains how Christian faith provides special ways of speaking and acting that make sense of human life by giving it meaning, practicality, and hope.

Author Biography

Joe R. Jones is professor emeritus of theology and ethics at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. An ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), he has enjoyed a long career in theological education at three seminaries: Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University; The Graduate Seminary at Phillips University; and Christian Theological Seminary. He served Phillips as dean and then president, and served as dean for four years at CTS

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Abbreviations	xvii
The Context and Task of Christian Theology	1	(56)
Language, Grammar, and Understanding	4	(10)
On Clarifying the Concepts of Pragmatics and Practice	14	(3)
Some Basic Theses about Language	17	(2)
Proposals for the Meaning of `Theology'	19	(6)
A Theological Definition of the Church	25	(5)
The Church's Witness as Summoned to Accountability	30	(5)
The Task of Systematic Theology	35	(7)
Systematic Theology, Dogmatics, and Apologetics	42	(5)
The Dialectic between Church and World	47	(6)
Some Diagnostic Points about the Situation of the North American Church and the World Today	53	(4)
Revelation and the Knowledge of God	57	(54)
Biblical Notes	58	(5)
Notes from Traditions	63	(7)
Interlude: Some Diagnostic Notes about Knowings	70	(6)
Epistemology and Confessional Theology	76	(3)
The Grammar of God's Self Revelation in Jesus Christ	79	(7)
God's Self Revelation, the Bible, and Human Discourses and Practices	86	(2)
The Grammar of Faith as Knowledge of God	88	(8)
Knowledge of God Apart from God's Special Self Revelations	96	(4)
Jesus Christ and Continuing Revelation in the Church	100	(1)
Further Notes on the Christian Grammar of `Truth'	101	(10)
Sources and Norms of Theology as Dialectical Confession and Profession	111	(38)
Theology and the Presiding Model of the Gospel	111	(3)
The Basic Sources of Theology	114	(7)
The Bible as the Church's Holy Scripture	121	(10)
Church Traditions	131	(4)
Grammar and the Development of Doctrine	135	(6)
Theology as the Discourse of Dialectical Confession and Profession	141	(8)
The Triune God	149	(84)
Language about God	153	(5)
Patriarchy and `Father' Language	158	(8)
Some Notes from Church History	166	(8)
Puzzles in the Contemporary Discussions of Trinity	174	(6)
The Grammar of God's Self Identifications: The Economic Trinity	180	(9)
The Grammar of God's Unity, Multiplicity, Relationality, and Complexity	189	(9)
The Grammar of God as the Triune One Who Loves in Freedom	198	(6)
The Grammar of God's Essence and God's Actuality	204	(8)
The Grammar of the Immanent Trinity	212	(3)
The Grammar of God's Essential Attributes	215	(10)
The Grammar of God's Self Determined Relational Attributes	225	(5)
The Grammar of God's Transcendence and Immanence	230	(3)
God the Creator: Creation, Providence, and Evil	233	(60)
Orientation to the Doctrine	233	(8)
Biblical Notes	241	(3)
Basic Elements of the Grammar of God the Creator	244	(15)
The Grammar of the Providence of God	259	(5)
Further Issues in the Grammar of God's Action in Relation to the World	264	(12)
The Grammar of Evil and Theodicy	276	(14)
Creation Pragmatics	290	(3)
Human Being as Created and Sinful	293	(72)
Human Being as Creaturely Being: Creature among Creatures	296	(4)
Human Being as Personal Being: Person among Persons	300	(22)
Human Being as Spiritual Being: Spirit among Spirits	322	(14)
Jesus the True Human Being	336	(7)
Preliminary Observations on Human Sin	343	(2)
Knowledge of Sin in Jesus Christ	345	(7)
The Origin of Sin	352	(4)
Exploring the Multiple Shapes and Faces of Sin	356	(6)
The Consequences of Sin and Jesus Christ	362	(3)
The Person of Jesus Christ	365	(62)
Orientation to Christology	365	(5)
Some Problems of Faith and History	370	(11)
A Theological/Historical Schematic Narrative of the Actual Jesus	381	(4)
The Grammar of Christological Titles in the New Testament	385	(8)
Notes from Church History	393	(9)
The Grammar of the Identity of the Human Jesus as the Incarnate God	402	(17)
The Grammar of Jesus' Identity as the Messianic Bearer of the Spirit	419	(3)
Some Further Questions	422	(5)
The Work of Jesus Christ	427	(56)
Some Elements of the New Testament Witness	429	(4)
Atonement Issues and the Salvific Work of Jesus	433	(2)
The Grammar of Jesus the Prophet	435	(8)
The Grammar of Jesus the Priest	443	(15)
The Grammar of Jesus the Victor	458	(15)
The Grammar of Jesus' Work and Human Salvation	473	(7)
Narrative and the Rationale of God's Salvific Work	480	(3)
The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit	483	(28)
The Trinitarian Context of the Doctrine	483	(2)
The Witness of Scripture	485	(7)
Notes from Tradition	492	(3)
A Constructive Grammar of the Holy Spirit	495	(8)
A Schematic Grammar of Salvation	503	(8)
The Christian Life	511	(82)
The Grammar of Just Deserts and Justification by Grace	513	(6)
The Grammar of Faith and the Christian Life	519	(9)
The Grammar of Christian Freedom	528	(9)
The Grammar of Sanctification	537	(8)
The Grammar of Discipleship;	545	(8)
The Grammar of the Works and Passions of Agapic Love	553	(35)
The Grammar of Christian Vocation	588	(2)
Summary	590	(3)
The Doctrine of the Church	593	(62)
Images of the Church in the New Testament	596	(6)
Notes from Church History	602	(7)
Basic Ecclesial Grammar	609	(8)
The Ecclesial Grammar of the Practices of the Body of Christ	617	(6)
The Nurturing Practices of the Body of Christ	623	(4)
The Outreach Practices of the Body of Christ	627	(7)
The Administrative Practices of the Body of Christ	634	(11)
The Ecclesial Grammar of Unity, Diversity, and Boundaries	645	(3)
The Dialectic between Church and World	648	(7)
Proclamation, Sacraments, and Prayer	655	(34)
The Grammar of Proclamation	656	(2)
The Grammar of `Sacrament'	658	(4)
The Grammar of Baptism	662	(8)
The Grammar of the Lord's Supper	670	(6)
The Grammar of Prayer	676	(13)
Christian Hope and Eschatology	689	(60)
The Grammar of Hope as a General Human Phenomenon	691	(4)
The Grammar of Christian Hope as Eschatological Existence	695	(2)
The Grammar of Hope and Historic Redemption: Everyday Futurity	697	(2)
The Grammar of Hope and Historic Redemption: Works of Love and the Kingdom of God	699	(10)
Interlude: Is There a Dual Destiny?	709	(15)
The Grammar of Hope and Ultimate Redemption: Death and Eternal Life	724	(12)
The Grammar of Hope and Ultimate Redemption: The End of All Things in God's Absolute Future	736	(13)
Bibliography	749	(16)
Index of Subjects	765	(14)
Index of Names	779	(4)
Index of Scripture References	783	(12)
About the Author	795