The Story of Christian Theology

by Olson, Roger E.

• ISBN13: 9780830815050
• ISBN10: 0830815058
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1999-04-01
• Publisher: Intervarsity Press

Summary

Voted a 2000 Book of the Year byChristianity Today!Winner of a year 2000 ECPA Gold Medallion Award!History is made up of stories--narratives that recount the events, movements, ideas and lives that have shaped religions and nations. Theologian Roger Olson believes that the history of Christian theology should be told as such a story, one replete with thick plots, exciting twists, interesting people and fascinating ideas.In this panoramic work of historical theology Olson vividly recounts the deeds and words of the cultists and apostolic fathers of the second century, the clash between the theological schools of Alexandria and Antioch, the epochal division between East and West, the revolutionary advent of the Reformation and much more, right on up to the dazzling, sometimes dismaying fallout that has continued to shake Christians through the twentieth century. Through it all Olson detects and traces a common thread: a concern for salvation--God's redemptive activity in forgiving and transforming sinful human beings.Evenhanded, refreshingly readable, impressive in its breadth and depth,The Story of Christian Theologyis poised to become a standard historical theology text.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations & General Information for Readers	9	(2)
Preface	11	(2)
Introduction: Christian Theology as Story	13	(12)
PART I The Opening Act: Conflicting Christian Visions in the Second Century	25	(54)
1 Critics & Cultists Cause Confusion	28	(12)
2 The Apostolic Fathers Explain the Way	40	(14)
3 The Apologists Defend the Faith	54	(14)
4 Irenaeus Exposes Heresies	68	(11)
PART II The Plot Thickens: Third-Century Tensions & Transformations	79	(58)
5 North African Thinkers Examine Philosophy	84	(15)
6 Origen of Alexandria Leaves a Troubling Legacy	99	(14)
7 Cyprian of Carthage Promotes Unity	113	(11)
8 Christianity Gets Its Act Together	124	(13)
PART III A Great Crisis Rocks the Church: The Controversy About the Trinity	137	(60)
9 Alexandrians Argue About the Son of God	141	(10)
10 The Church Responds at the Council of Nicaea	151	(10)
11 Athanasius Stubbornly Keeps the Faith	161	(12)
12 The Cappadocian Fathers Settle the Issue	173	(24)
PART IV Another Crisis Shakes the Church: The Conflict over the Person of Christ	197	(54)
13 The Schools of Antioch & Alexandria Clash over Christ	201	(10)
14 Nestorius & Cyril Bring the Controversy to a Head	211	(11)
15 Chalcedon Protects the Mystery	222	(14)
16 Fallout from the Conflict Continues	236	(15)
PART V A Tale of Two Churches: The Great Tradition Divides Between East & West	251	(60)
17 Augustine Confesses God's Glory & Human Depravity	255	(23)
18 The Western Church Becomes Roman Catholic	278	(12)
19 The Eastern Church Becomes Eastern Orthodox	290	(14)
20 The Great Schism Creates Two Traditions Out of One	304	(7)
PART VI The Saga of the Queen of Sciences: Scholastics Revive & Enthrone Theology	311	(58)
21 Anselm & Abelard Speculate About God's Ways	316	(15)
22 Thomas Aquinas Summarizes Christian Truth	331	(17)
23 Nominalists, Reformers & Humanists Challenge the Scholastic Synthesis	348	(21)
PART VII A New Twist in the Narrative: The Western Church Reforms & Divides	369	(82)
24 Luther Rediscovers the Gospel & Divides the Church	375	(22)
25 Zwingli & Calvin Organize Protestant Thought	397	(17)
26 Anabaptists Go Back to the Roots of Christianity	414	(15)
27 Rome & Canterbury Go Separate but Parallel Ways	429	(22)
PART VIII The Center of the Story Falls Apart: Protestants Follow Diverse Paths	451	(82)
28 Arminians Attempt to Reform Reformed Theology	454	(19)
29 Pietists Seek to Renew Lutheran Theology	473	(20)
30 Puritans & Methodists Struggle to Revive English Theology	493	(25)
31 Deists Try to Transform Protestant Theology	518	(15)
PART IX The Overall Plot Divides: Liberals & Conservatives Respond to Modernity	533	(77)
32 Liberal Theology Accommodates to Modern Culture	538	(16)
33 Conservative Theology Hardens Traditional Categories	554	(16)
34 Neo-Orthodoxy Transcends the Divide	570	(20)
35 Contemporary Theology Struggles with Diversity	590	(20)
Conclusion: The Unfinished Story & Its Future	610	(5)
Notes	615	(28)
Indexes	643