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The newly updated and expanded edition of the bestselling introduction to Historical Theology
Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought traces the development of Christian theology from its earliest days to the present. Assuming no prior knowledge of the subject, this authoritative yet accessible textbook introduces the major theological movements, key ideas, and individual theologians of the Patristic Period, the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the Reformation and Post-Reformation, and the Modern Era up to the present day. Throughout the book, students explore central themes through numerous case studies, primary readings, and study questions at the end of each section.
Now in its third edition, Historical Theology including substantial new sections on theodicy, modern African Christologies, and postcolonial theology. The book retains the structure of the previous editions, covering the key development and people within all the main historical periods while introducing readers to the core themes of historical theology across the centuries. This fully updated new edition:
* Provides a general overview of each period covered, including historical background and main theological developments
* Features individual case studies and excerpts from primary texts to allow readers to examine specific themes in greater detail
* Defines the fundamental theological vocabulary necessary for engaging with other works
* Highlights the importance of the discipline of historical theology and its place in wider Christian theology
* Contains references to further readings in each chapter and full glossaries of important words, names, phrases, and theological developments
* Includes web material developed by the author to help users get the most out of using this textbook, along with sample lectures on some of its themes
Written by one of the most renowned theologians in the field, Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought, Third Edition remains the perfect textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in Christian History, Christian Theology, and the Reformation.
List of contents
How to Use This Book xii
Introduction 1
The Concept of "Theology": A Brief Introduction 1
The Architecture of Theology 5
Historical Theology: Its Purpose and Place 9
1 Early Christian Theology: The Patristic Period, c.100-451 17
A Clarification of Terms 18
Difficulties in Approaching Early Christian Theology 19
The Historical Background to Early Christian Theology 20
Centers of Early Christian Theological Reflection 24
Key Theologians 25
Key Theological Developments 28
Key Names, Words, and Phrases 37
Case Studies 38
2 The Middle Ages and the Renaissance, c.500-1500 83
On Defining the "Middle Ages" 84
Medieval Theological Landmarks in Western Europe 86
The Rise of Scholasticism 90
The Italian Renaissance 91
The Rise of Humanism 92
Medieval Theological Landmarks in Eastern Europe 93
Key Theologians 95
Key Theological Developments 100
Key Names, Words, and Phrases 105
Case Studies 106
3 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Periods, 1500-1750 133
Reformation - or Reformations? 134
A Clarification of Terms 135
Post-Reformation Movements 141
Key Theologians 145
Key Theological Developments 149
Developments in Theological Literature 151
Key Names, Words, and Phrases 155
Case Studies 156
4 The Modern Period, 1750 - The Present Day 196
A Cultural Watershed: The Enlightenment 198
The Enlightenment Critique of Traditional Theology 199
Romanticism and the Critique of the Enlightenment 203
The Crisis of Faith in Victorian England 204
The Crisis of the First World War 205
Postmodernism and a New Theological Agenda 207
Key Theologians 209
Some Recent Western Theological Movements and Trends 212
Key Names, Words, and Phrases 227
Case Studies 228
Where Next? 300
A Glossary of Theological Terms 302
Sources of Citations 314
Suggestions for Further Reading 319
Index 321
About the author
ALISTER E. MCGRATH, formerly Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford, UK, is an acclaimed scholar, theologian, intellectual historian, lecturer, and author. His bestselling books and textbooks on theology with Wiley Blackwell include
Reformation Thought: An Introduction (5e, 2021),
Science and Religion: A New Introduction (3e, 2020),
Theology: The Basics (4e, 2017),
The Christian Theology Reader (5e, 2016), and
Christian Theology: An Introduction (6e, 2016).
