such as Catholicism and Lutheranism. Hence a better metaphor than
“neutral territory” is “hospitality,” which is what happens when the people
you disagree with are visiting your home turf and must be welcomed with
generosity. Accordingly, these lectures will not aim for a neutral objectivity
(which is not really possible) but a generous engagement with rival
traditions—the kind of interest you take in friends with whom you enjoy a
good argument.
This course will start with the New Testament documents and then will
explore the early church and its relation to philosophy. We will move on to
examine the fundamental issues of the Reformation, and then we will trace
both Protestant and Catholic theologies through modernity and beyond.
Interestingly, Christianity does not start with what some scholars call the
“historical Jesus.” The history of Christian theology begins with the Christ
of faith, which the earliest Christian theology understands to be no different
from the historical Jesus. This means that the history of Christian theology
does not begin with the New Testament Gospels, which tell the earthly life
of Jesus, but with earlier New Testament documents, which tell us how the
early church worshiped Christ exalted at God’s right hand. To begin with
accounts of the historical Jesus is to begin with modern historical research
rather than with ancient Christian theology. Ŷ
Buschcart, Exploring Protestant Traditions.
Foster, Streams of Living Water.
Willis, The Teachings of the Church Fathers.
- What interests you about Christian theology enough to be listening to
these lectures? - Do you think theology is worth arguing about?
Suggested Reading
Questions to Consider