Historical Theology – An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought 2e

Alister E. McGrath is the Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion & Culture at King's College London, having previously been Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford. He is one of the world's leading Protestant theologians and has long been involved in theological education. McGrath is also the author of some of the most widely used theology textbooks, including the bestselling Christian Theology: An Introduction (2010, Wiley-Blackwell), now in its fifth edition. He is in constant demand as a speaker at conferences throughout the world.

How to Use this Book xii Introduction 1 The Concept of "Theology": A Brief Introduction 1 The Architecture of Theology 4 Historical Theology: Its Purpose and Place 8 1 The Patristic Period, c.100 451 16 A Clarifi cation of Terms 17 Difficulties in Approaching Patristic Theology 17 The Historical Background to Patristic Theology 18 Centers of Theological Reflection 22 Key Theologians 22 Key Theological Developments 26 Key Names, Words, and Phrases 35 Questions 35 Case Studies 36 2 The Middle Ages and the Renaissance, c.500 1500 77 On Defining the "Middle Ages" 78 Medieval Theological Landmarks in Western Europe 80 The Rise of Scholasticism 84 The Italian Renaissance 84 The Rise of Humanism 85 Medieval Theological Landmarks in Eastern Europe 86 Key Theologians 88 Key Theological Developments 93 Key Names, Words, and Phrases 98 Questions 98 Case Studies 98 3 The Reformation and Post-Reformation Periods, 1500 1750 124 Reformation or Reformations? 125 A Clarification of Terms 126 Post-Reformation Movements 133 Key Theologians 136 Key Theological Developments 139 Developments in Theological Literature 141 Key Names, Words, and Phrases 146 Questions 146 Case Studies 146 4 The Modern Period, 1750 to the Present Day 182 A Cultural Watershed: The Enlightenment 184 The Enlightenment Critique of Christian Theology 184 Romanticism and the Critique of the Enlightenment 187 The Crisis of Faith in Victorian England 189 Postmodernism and a New Theological Agenda 190 Key Theologians 192 Some Recent Western Theological Movements and Trends 195 Key Names, Words, and Phrases 209 Questions 210 Case Studies 210 Where Next? 269 Details of Theologians 271 A Glossary of Theological Terms 276 For Further Reading 288 Sources of Citations 292 Index 297