Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought

Rating:
Summary: Seminary Student
Review: I have to read this book for my church history class and I have found it to be a very good resource. The author presents the material in a highly readable format but it is not immature writing either. There are brief explanations about key figures throughout the churches history and these help you relate theologies with their proponents. This is a well written book that is highly insightful.

Pros:
Well written
Based on historical documents
Very in-depth

Cons:
Not for personal reading

Rating:
Summary: Seminary Student
Review: I have to read this book for my church history class and I have found it to be a very good resource. The author presents the material in a highly readable format but it is not immature writing either. There are brief explanations about key figures throughout the churches history and these help you relate theologies with their proponents. This is a well written book that is highly insightful.

Pros:
Well written
Based on historical documents
Very in-depth

Cons:
Not for personal reading

Rating:
Summary: Excellent for study of historical theolgoy
Review: McGrath is a leading scholar in our day, and this book shows why. While obviously very informed in his area of study, his writing is alive and easily accessible to the reader just wading into the study of historical theology. There are excerpts of original writings from different issues in church history, all of which are framed by McGrath's helful explanation, summary, and commentary. Definitely worth having.

Rating:
Summary: A good trip through the history of ideas...
Review: There are many ways to study theology -- topically, by denominational structure, by particular theologians, etc. One of the more common approaches, and still a popular one, has been to study theology through the historical development of ideas, beliefs and doctrines. Alister McGrath's book, 'Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought' is one such text. Following a brief introduction, it is divided into four broad historical sections: The Patristic Period (100 - 451), the Middle Ages and Renaissance (500 - 1500), the Reformation and Post-Reformation (1500 - 1750), and finally, the Modern Period (1750 - the present).

In his introduction, McGrath traces the various sources and types of theology - biblical studies, philosophy, pastoral issues, and church history all provide insights into this. The development of historical theology as a discipline began in the Reformation era, when it became important to understand not only the doctrines and dogmatic principles of the church, but also how they came to be developed and instituted. Historical theology is an important pedagogic and critical tool, useful for creating a greater understanding of our present situations.

McGrath's chapters on the Patristic and Middle Ages periods look at the wider church ideas, developments of the creeds, canon of scripture, and early ecclesial structures along with the development of key ideas and key theologians. In addition to this, McGrath presents case studies, which include the various historical heresies (Donatism, Pelagianism, etc.) and various philosophical problems (arguments for the existence of God). Included here are discussions of the impact of Celtic Christianity and monastic institutions on the overall development of theology.

After these periods, into the Renaissance, Reformation, Post-Reformation and Modern periods, the book is predominantly Western in outlook. Beginning with Scholasticism and the philosophical Humanism of the Renaissance beginning to influence general intellectual life inside and outside of the church, McGrath continues with the various Reformations (not all were the same), including the Catholic Reformation (often termed the Counter-Reformation). The influence of the Enlightenment and theological movements since then include a long list of -isms, including Feminism, Marxism, Modernism and Postmodernism, Postliberalism, Romanticism, Liberal Protestantism, and Evangelicalism (among others!). Case studies in these include the key controversies of ideas in the Reformation, quests for the Historical Jesus, political influences in the theological debates, and the growing influence of the two-thirds world on the theological scene.

McGrath's final case study is on the issue of method in theology in the modern period -- the starting point as well as the purpose is continually questioned, and McGrath highlights issues drawing from Schleiermacher, Tillich, Rahner, Barth, Lindbeck and Guttierez. Immediately following this (indeed, this section could be the beginning of another book, a companion to this text), McGrath addresses the issue of 'Where next?' for the student and reader. McGrath includes an extensive list of suggested further readings, divided by period, topic, and other helpful groupings.

McGrath is a good writer and educator -- this book is accessible to most readers, not assuming a great background in history, philosophy or theology; however, the more background one has, the better the experience of reading this book. It is a survey, which means it does not go into great detail, but it does include a fairly thorough introduction to all of the major and many of the side issues of theology through the 2000 years of Christian history.

Rating:
Summary: A good historical perspective of the progression of theology
Review: This book was a good resource as an introduction to historical Christian theology. At Southeastern Baptist Theological College, we used this as a companion text for our Church History class. By using certain case studies for specific historical theological events (i.e. heresies, etc.), McGrath delved deeper into certain subjects. Another definite 'plus' for the book is the numerous incorporations of source documents. McGrath would not just summarize what certain historical church figures did or said, he actually inserted their writings into the case studies scattered throughout the text. If you're looking to get an initial overview of the way theology progressed through the ages from the Church Fathers to the present, McGrath is a reliable source to consult.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent intro
Review: This is a great introduction to historical Christian theology. Basically all major theological developments from the earliest rumblings to the modern era are treated. In cases when the theological arguments do become complicated, McGrath lays them out and reviews them again in appropriate detail. The meat of the book, the "case studies," contain short selections from the relevant original texts so students can engage the original authors at their level.

This must be a very difficult sort of book to write while keeping the length reasonable (which it is -- under 400 pages). As is appropriate for an introduction and overview, the book does not get *too* detailed about any one topic (e.g., the thousands of trees felled over the ontological argument are distilled to a few pages in a case study). But the list for further reading, one of the most important resources of a book like this, provides a road map of the relevant literature.

The knowledge of general history assumed is quite basic -- at times too much so. McGrath errs on the side of caution here. But this does make it all the more appropriate for self study as well as a basic college course.

Once the medieval period is reached, McGrath definitely focuses on Western Christian theology (though in his defense that has something to do with the change in the seat of Christian theological ferment in the world). This should be kept in mind when deciding on purchase. Also, the title is accurate: this is a book about theology, not the Church in general or its social context. Look elsewhere for that.

The material is drawn primarily from the historical material in McGrath's _Christian Theology_. The present book is more affordable (at least where I bought it), but less comprehensive. So that's the tradeoff. If you have the more comprehensive book this is probably not necessary.

Rating:
Summary: HIGHLY READABLE INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIAN THOUGHT
Review: You've got a year of historical theology coming up, and you've already got a sinking feeling. All those "-ologies": Christology, soteriology, ecclesiology... All those "-isms": Arianism, Pelagianism, Apollinarianism, Docetism and so on... All the councils, creeds and synods (not to mention the infamous Diet of Worms)... That's before you even get to the Middle Ages and all those infamous philosophical arguments for the existence of God, let alone the Protestant Reformation.

If you're going to be working with McGrath, you can relax. The structure of the book is ideal. Each major period begins with a gently-paced and highly readable narrative which for many readers' purposes will be all that is required. But each such chapter is followed by one or more "case studies" in which the principles and arguments of each of the major theological issues of the period are analyzed in greater depth.

A key strength of the book is that the main characters (Jerome, Augustine, Luther and the like) are allowed to speak in their own words - just enough to introduce you to the real spirit of their thought but not enough to bog you down in archaic language. In fact most of them come across as far more lucid and down to earth than you might expect.

Another useful technique is the way tiny boxed biographies of the major players are repeated when their names come up. It saves the reader flicking back and forth to refresh his or her memory, and thus greatly speeds up the assimilation of knowledge.

The downside of this method is that you tend to get a feeling of "deja vu" from time to time, as the same explanation may turn up in longer or shorter forms two or three times, as you move from the general background to the specific case-study and onto the biography. However this is not a serious objection, and it is simply the inevitable by-product of a highly effective teaching technique.

A more serious issue is that the author has drawn large sections of this book from his larger overview of Christian Theology. This was evidently a deliberate policy, but if you have the original book you will not find sufficient new material to justify the purchase price.

Finally this is not a general church history - this is an important distinction - but in the area of Christian doctrine it ranks as an outstanding resource for the serious student or for the general reader...