Fundamental Theology

Matthew L. Becker is Professor of Theology at Valparaiso University, USA.

Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations

Introduction: Ways into Theology

Part I: Christian Theology

1. Traditions of Christianity
An historical overview
The distribution of Christian traditions
Apostolic tradition and the traditions of Christendom

2. Traditions of Christian Theology
Ancient Greek theology
Ancient Jewish theology
Early and medieval Christian theology
Reformation and post-Reformation theology
Modern Christian theology
The last century of Christian theology

3. What Is Christian Theology?

Part II: The Subject of Christian Theology

4. The Natural Knowledge of God

5. Natural and Philosophical Theology

6. Atheisms
Critiques of God and religion
The issue of theodicy
Skepticism about the skeptics
The persistence of God in human experience

7. Special Revelation and Christian Faith
The hidden God
The gospel and Christian faith
Special revelation in Christian theology
Believing and knowing
The basic structures of faith-statement

8. Sources and Norms of Christian Theology
The issue of sources and norms
Sources and norms of Christian theology

9. Interpreting the Scriptures
Avoiding extremes
Theological hermeneutics
Excursus: Martin Luther, “Concerning the Study of Theology”

10. Jesus of Nazareth as the Center of Salvation History
A salvation-historical approach to the Bible
Sources for the historical Jesus
The quest for the historical Jesus
The actions and teaching of Jesus
Opposition to Jesus, the death of Jesus, and his resurrection
The re-creating Spirit and the new creation

11. Key Themes in Special Revelation
God the Creator
Christ the Redeemer
The Holy Spirit
Trinitarian theology
The church
Last things
The promise of the gospel

Part III: Christian Theology within the University

12. The Shape of Christian Theology as a University Discipline
Placing Christian theology within a university
Theological encyclopedia
Dividing theology
The aim of theology as a whole

13. The Sub-disciplines of Christian Theology
Fundamental theology
Historical theology
Practical theology

14. Christian Theology and the Humanities
Christ and culture
Christian theology within the humanities

15. Christian Theology and the Sciences
Modern encounters between theology and the sciences
Theology and the human sciences
The anthropic principle
Creationism and Intelligent Design
Rethinking the Christian doctrines of creation and sin
Barbour’s four models
Christianity and the ecological crisis
Leading figures


Postscript

Glossary of Names

Glossary of Terms

Bibliography

Biblical Index

Index of Persons

Index of Subjects