Geoff Thompson addresses multiple questions concerning Christian doctrine in an engaging narrative, beginning with an in-depth discussion of the origins of doctrine in the various catechetical, polemical and apologetic pressures that the church encountered as it sought to articulate and teach its confession of faith in Jesus Christ. In providing an overview of some of the classic and historically influential doctrinal projects, Thompson employs ten case studies that illustrate the overlapping influences of tradition and contexts-both ecclesial and cultural-on doctrinal discourse.
Christian Doctrine: A Guide for the Perplexed
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Description
Description
Geoff Thompson addresses multiple questions concerning Christian doctrine in an engaging narrative, beginning with an in-depth discussion of the origins of doctrine in the various catechetical, polemical and apologetic pressures that the church encountered as it sought to articulate and teach its confession of faith in Jesus Christ. In providing an overview of some of the classic and historically influential doctrinal projects, Thompson employs ten case studies that illustrate the overlapping influences of tradition and contexts-both ecclesial and cultural-on doctrinal discourse.
Reviews
This admirable book by Geoff Thompson shows how truth and contingency go together in the formation of doctrine. Thompson steers a course between the errors of relativism on the one side (as if doctrine were purely a product of its social environment) and totalizing claims on the other (as if doctrine were purely a matter of objective revealed truth). The result is a balanced and convincing account of the process by which Christians articulate the meaning of the gospel in new social contexts. ― Ben Myers, Millis Institute, Australia
In this timely guide for the perplexed – for who among us is not perplexed in this challenging moment in human history -Geoff Thompson issues an urgent and gracious invitation to all Christians to participate in the necessary work of making doctrine, and offers them guidance on how to proceed. Doctrine, in Thompson’s understanding, is not about homage to a tradition that is given once and for all, but a polyvalent and dynamic genre, attentive to the divine mandates of justice and love. Beautifully written, framed by a global perspective, Christian Doctrine: A Guide for the Perplexed is a signal contribution to the contemporary project of reviving doctrine as a living engagement with changing realities. ― Christine Helmer, Northwestern University, USA
Table of Contents
Preface
Copyright Acknowledgment
List of Abbreviations
1. The Origins, Forms, and Functions of Christian Doctrine
2. Theologians and Doctrine: Context, Content, and Form
3. Doctrine in Crisis and Doctrine Renewed
4. Doctrine, Bible, and Truth
5. Doctrine and the Christian Social Imaginary
6. Conclusion
Notes
Recommended Reading
Index
