Bøger i Cambridge Studies in Christian Doctrine serien

This book argues that the modern separation of humanity from nature can be traced to the displacement of the triune God. Locating the source of our current ecological crisis in this separation, Peter Scott argues that it can only be healed within theology, through a revival of a Trinitarian doctrine of creation interacting with political philosophies of ecology. Drawing insights from deep ecology, ecofeminism, and social and socialist ecologies, Scott proposes a common realm of God, nature and humanity. Both Trinitarian and political, the theology of this common realm is worked out by reference to Christ and Spirit. Christ's resurrection is presented as the liberation and renewal of ecological relations in nature and society, the movement of the Holy Spirit is understood as the renewal of fellowship between humanity and nature through ecological democracy, and the Eucharist is proposed as the principal political resource Christianity offers for an ecological age.

The rise of modern science and the proclaimed 'death' of God in the nineteenth century led to a radical questioning of divine action and authorship - Bultmann's celebrated 'demythologizing'. Remythologizing Theology moves in another direction that begins by taking seriously the biblical accounts of God's speaking. It establishes divine communicative action as the formal and material principle of theology, and suggests that interpersonal dialogue, rather than impersonal causality, is the keystone of God's relationship with the world. This original contribution to the theology of divine action and authorship develops a fresh vision of Christian theism. It also revisits several long-standing controversies such as the relations of God's sovereignty to human freedom, time to eternity, and suffering to love. Groundbreaking and thought-provoking, it brings theology into fruitful dialogue with philosophy, literary theory, and biblical studies.

How can theology think and talk about history? Building on the work of the major twentieth-century theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar as well as entering into sharp critical debate with him, this book sets out to examine the value and the potential of a 'theodramatic' conception of history. By engaging in dialogue not only with theologians and philosophers like von Balthasar, Hegel and Barth, but with poets and dramatists such as the Greek tragedians, Shakespeare and Gerard Manley Hopkins, the book makes its theological principles open and indebted to literary forms, and seeks to show how such a theology might be applied to a world intrinsically and thoroughly historical. By contrast with theologies that stand back from the contingencies of history and so fight shy of the uncertainties and openness of Christian existence, this book's theology is committed to taking seriously the God who works in time.

How can we live together in the midst of our differences? This is one of the most pressing questions of our time. Tolerance has been the bedrock of political liberalism, while proponents of agonistic political thought and radical democracy have sought an answer that allows a deeper celebration of difference. Kristen Deede Johnson describes the move from tolerance to difference, and the accompanying move from epistemology to ontology, within political theory. Building on this 'ontological turn', in search of a theological answer to the question, she puts Augustine into conversation with recent political theorists and theologians. This theological option enables the Church to envision a way to engage with contemporary political society without losing its own embodied story and practices. It contributes to our broader political imagination by offering a picture of rich engagement between the many different particularities that constitute a pluralist society.

In the raging debates about the relationship between religion and politics, no one has explored the religious benefits and challenges of public engagement for Christian believers - until now. Theologically rich, philosophically rigorous, politically, historically and sociologically informed, this book advances contemporary discussions of 'religion and public life' in fundamental ways.

What is Christian wisdom for living in the twenty-first century? Where is it to be found? How can it be learnt? In the midst of the demands and complexities of contemporary life, David Ford explores a Christian way of desire, wisdom and love.

'How can human discourse refer meaningfully to a transcendent God?' Paul Janz's 2004 book reconfigures this fundamental problem of Christian thinking as a twofold demand for integrity: integrity of reason and integrity of transcendence. It culminates in a convergence within Christology and epistemology within empirical reality.

If people claim to speak for God, what enables us to know when to credit or discredit the claim? Moberly analyses the criteria for discernment of prophetic authenticity in the Old Testament, and apostolic authenticity in the New Testament; and considers their validity and viability in a contemporary context.

Michael Barnes SJ contributes to the debate about the place of inter-religious relations in the life of the Church by developing a 'theology of dialogue'. He offers a critique of much current thinking in this area and proposes instead a theology rooted in the themes of welcome and hospitality.

How, in this Christian age of belief, can we draw sense from the ritual acts of Christians assembled in worship? Convinced that people shape their meanings from the meanings available to them, Graham Hughes inquires into liturgical constructions of meaning within the larger cultural context of late twentieth-century meaning theory. Major theories of meaning are examined in terms of their contribution or hindrance to this meaning making: analytic philosophy, phenomenology, structuralism and deconstruction. Drawing particularly upon the work of Charles Peirce, Hughes turns to semiotic theory to analyse the construction, transmission and apprehension of meaning within an actual worship service. Finally the book analyses the ways in which various worshipping styles of western Christianity undertake this meaning making. Taking account of late modern values and precepts, this ground-breaking book will appeal to teachers and students of theology, to clergy, and to thoughtful lay Christians.

Theology, Music and Time shows ways in which music can deepen our understanding of the Christian God and his involvement with the world. Without assuming any specialist knowledge of music, the author explores several musical concepts, and through them opens up some of the central themes of the Christian faith.

This book is about the problem of truth: what truth is, and how we can tell whether what we have said is true. Marshall approaches this from the standpoint of Christian theology. Unlike most such theological discussions, the book is engaged with the modern philosophical debate about truth and belief.

This book discusses the Christian doctrine of sin in relation to sexual abuse of children and the holocaust, allowing these pathological situations to illuminate and question our understanding of sin and vice versa. It is more theological than most discussions of abuse in pastoral theology.

This book offers an account of God and humanity in relation to both Old and New Testaments. Detailed studies of Abraham's sacrifice in Genesis 22, the story of the journey to Emmaus, and the Christology of Matthew's Gospel integrate theory with practice.

This eagerly awaited book from David F. Ford makes a unique and important contribution to the debate about the Christian doctrine of salvation. Professor Ford offers an account of salvation immersed in Christian faith, thought and practice while also being deeply involved with modern life in a pluralist world.

Patterson cuts new ground in combining traditional Christian theological perspectives on truth and reality with a contemporary philosophical view of the place of language in reality, and asks where language fits in both divine and human reality. She proposes a new model of 'language-ridden' reality and considers its implications.

Theological tradition has lost sight of the created-ness of the world, separating knowledge of God and the world. This book works towards the reintegration of Christian cosmology, via the Johannine tradition of creation through the Word and a Eucharistic semiotic of Christ as the embodied creative speech of God.

This book analyzes the impact of pluralism and inclusivism upon ecclesiology, and draws upon Balthasar's theodramatic theory, MacIntyre's theory of traditional inquiry, postmodern critiques of humanism, and postmodern ethnography to develop a more flexible and concrete ecclesiology that can better address the practical and pastoral needs of the church.