The doctrine of deification or theosis has been gaining interest among scholars for some time. Yet most publications on the topic have focused on Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions and have subsumed the discussion under the category of soteriology. If "being transformed into the same image" (2 Corinthians 3:18) is truly essential to the Christian life, a fuller understanding of this biblical concept is needed for Christians of all traditions.In this vo...

Jesus is Lord! This scandalous confession is an act of worship, a pledge of allegiance, a call to service, and a saving act. Yet who is Jesus Christ? How should we understand his life, his death, his resurrection, and his work of salvation? This book offers a perspective from the Wesleyan tradition on these vital questions. It introduces readers to christology, the study of Christ. The authors encourage readers to ponder the mystery of salvation at work in Christ's entire life and to make ...

There is today a dramatic reexamination of structure, authority, dogma -- indeed, every aspect of the life of the Church is held up to scrutiny. Welcoming this as a sign of vitality, Avery Dulles has carefully studied the writings of contemporary Protestant and Catholic ecclesiologists and sifted out six major approaches, or "models," through which the Church's character can be understood: as Institution, Mystical Communion, Sacrament, Herald, Servant, and, in a recent addition to the book...

Regarded as the leading text in Christian theology for the last 25 years, Alister E. McGrath’s The Christian Theology Reader is now available in a new 5th edition featuring completely revised and updated content.Brings together more than 350 readings from over 200 sources that chart 2,000 years of Christian historySituates each reading within the appropriate historical and theological context with its own introduction, commentary, and study questions

In the spirit of nineteenth-century philosopher John Stuart Mill's admonition to fully, frequently, and fearlessly" discuss what we profess to be true in order that it remain a "living truth" rather than dead dogma, Thomas P. Rausch gives us I Believe in God: A Reflection on the Apostles' Creed. Rausch carefully explores the controversies that led to the development of the Creed and thereby brings the Creed to life for modern readers. More important, he maintains that the Creed is...

Systematic theology seeks to understand and render more intelligible the central doctrines of faith and to show how they are related to each other. It tries to demonstrate how these doctrines are rooted in Scripture and develop in the history of the church; most important, it strives to more adequately express and sometimes reinterpret the church’s doctrinal tradition, always in the interest of better communicating the mystery of salvation and bringing it into a dialogue with culture. The ...

Beginning to study theology is like stepping into a conversation that has been going on for two thousand years.How do you take part in this conversation--or even make sense of it--if you don't understand the vocabulary or know the contributions made by other participants?The Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms is the perfect companion to your theological studies. Among its three hundred-plus definitions areEnglish terms, from accomodation ...

An ECPA 2003 Gold Medallion FinalistThe story of Christian theology has often been divisive and disjointed. Providing this companion volume to his earlier work The Story of Christian Theology, Roger E.Olson thematically traces the contours of Christian belief down through the ages, revealing a pattern of both unity and diversity. He finds a consensus of teaching that is both unitive and able to incorporate a faithful diversity when not forced intothe molds of ...

Far from being solely an academic enterprise, the practice of theology can pique the interest of anyone who wonders about the meaning of life. Inviting readers on a journey of 'faith seeking understanding', this introduction to Christian theology - its basic concepts, confessional content, and history - emphasizes the relevance of the key convictions of Christian faith to the challenges of today's world. In the first part, this book introduces the project of Christian theology and sketches...

A Fresh Look at the Doctrine of Christ.Christology was the central doctrine articulated by the early church councils, and it remains the subject of close theological investigation today.Christology, Ancient and Modern—the first volume in a series of published proceedings from the annual Los Angeles Theology Conference—brings together conference proceedings, surveying the field and articulating the sources, norms, and criteria for constructive theol...

What are we missing when we look at the creation narratives of Genesis only or primarily through the lens of modern discourse about science and religion? Theologian Peter Bouteneff explores how first-millennium Christian understandings of creation can inform current thought in the church and in the public square. He reaches back into the earliest centuries of our era to recover the meanings that early Jewish and Christian writers found in the stories of the six days of creation and of Adam...

This bestselling reference tool has been a trusted resource for more than 25 years with over 165,000 copies sold. Now thoroughly updated and substantially revised to meet the needs of today's students and classrooms, it offers cutting-edge overviews of key theological topics.Readable and reliable, this work features new articles on topics of contemporary relevance to world Christianity and freshened articles on enduring theological subjects, providing comprehensive A-Z coverage for...