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Summary: A Good Handshake to Start A Conversation
Review: "Christian Theology" is truly an excellent introduction to the subject of theology. Within its mere 603 pages Alister McGrath covers the gambit of theology (both historic and modern approaches). He gives fine surveys of the main lines of thoughts that theology has followed through out Christian history, and discusses the "whys" and "where for's" of each school of thought. It is no wonder that some many seminaries and colleges are using "Christian Theology" as their Systematic Theology text book. "Christian Theology" is not a new Systematic Theology, and Dr. McGrath does not introduce a new principle on which he could build a theology (that is not the purpose of this book). Rather, in his characteristically easy to read style, he surveys what has happened within theology and prepares the reader to begin reading further within theology.
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Summary: Enjoyable reading in Christian Theology
Review: A must addition to any library. A ready reference for theological information. A scholarly rendition of Christian theology for the theologically inclined. Read it like a novel.
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Summary: Trig Johnson on Dr. Alister McGrath's "Christian Theology"
Review: A well-organized, informative introduction to Christian theology from Dr. McGrath. Trig Johnson of Florida
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Summary: A good but sometimes sloppy overview
Review: Alister McGrath has become a publishing industry. He churns out books and articles, popular as well as scholarly, at a dizzying pace. His outpouring of words speaks to his evangelical zeal. He's a man on a mission, intent on revitalizing Anglicanism in particular and Christianity in general. Whether one totally agrees with his own theological perspective, this is an admirable aim. Moreover, he carries around an incredibly wealth of theological knowledge. But the swiftness with which he publishes also makes for a certain amount of sloppiness. His books tend to be poorly proofed and highly repetitious.The third edition of McGrath's _Christian Theology_ reflects all of these characteristics. McGrath's target audience is clearly seminarians, the very people he hopes will evangelically enliven the Church. It is breathtaking in its sweep. One can't but admire the incredible learning displayed by McGrath. And it is poorly proofed and at times tediously repetitious. In all fairness to McGrath, the book really does fill a much-needed need for a single-volumed overview of Christian theology that isn't overtly sectarian. McGrath's book is roughly divided into two sections: historical and systematic theology. In the first section, he gives an overview of the historical roots and development of Christian doctrine. In the second section, he systematically discusses all the topics one would expect, ranging from the Trinity to eschatology. As an Anglican evangelical, McGrath has obviously been terribly influenced by the Reformed tradition, and the authors he most frequently cites in the book are in that camp, from Luther and Calvin to Barth and Moltmann. But in this edition, he's gone out of his way to also discuss Roman Catholic and Orthodox perspectives. Granted, the Orthodox perspective is still minimal. But it is represented. There are some interesting holes in the overview: for example, process theology is scarcely mentioned, existential theology is limited almost exclusively to Bultmann (Macquarrie and Tillich both receive short shrift), and postmodern theologizing is absent. These omissions may reflect McGrath's own theological perspective, but they also could reflect the fact that no single person is an authority on everything, and that only so much can be crammed into a single book. The repetitions are less forgiveable. McGrath prefaces the text by admitting the redundancies, claiming that he's repeated himself at times for those persons who choose to selectively read in the book rather than going straight through it from beginning to end. But these deliberate pedagogical repetitions to one side, the book is filled with clearly unintended ones. McGrath will repeat himself not only on the same page, but even in the same paragraph. But one of dozens of examples: on the bottom of page 172, McGrath lists the Quadriga, the fourfold mode of interpreting Scripture that was popular in the Middle Ages. Then, at the top of p 173, he lists them again. It should also be noticed that the first section of the book that deals with historical theology is basically an abridged repetition of a smallish book on historical theology published in 1998 by McGrath. The book is still in print, and so McGrath is, in a sense, going for a twofer here. Proofing is also sloppy. Page references are frequently incorrect and there are numerous typos. All of this suggests that McGrath writes at such whitehot speed that he doesn't edit as well as he might. And if sloppiness from speed is present in the composition, one worries about parallel sloppiness in the ideas. Still, these are minor caveats. McGrath has offered a good overview of Christian theology for those who which to learn something about the subject.
Rating:
Summary: A good but sometimes sloppy overview
Review: Alister McGrath has become a publishing industry. He churns out books and articles, popular as well as scholarly, at a dizzying pace. His outpouring of words speaks to his evangelical zeal. He's a man on a mission, intent on revitalizing Anglicanism in particular and Christianity in general. Whether one totally agrees with his own theological perspective, this is an admirable aim. Moreover, he carries around an incredibly wealth of theological knowledge. But the swiftness with which he publishes also makes for a certain amount of sloppiness. His books tend to be poorly proofed and highly repetitious. The third edition of McGrath's _Christian Theology_ reflects all of these characteristics. McGrath's target audience is clearly seminarians, the very people he hopes will evangelically enliven the Church. It is breathtaking in its sweep. One can't but admire the incredible learning displayed by McGrath. And it is poorly proofed and at times tediously repetitious. In all fairness to McGrath, the book really does fill a much-needed need for a single-volumed overview of Christian theology that isn't overtly sectarian. McGrath's book is roughly divided into two sections: historical and systematic theology. In the first section, he gives an overview of the historical roots and development of Christian doctrine. In the second section, he systematically discusses all the topics one would expect, ranging from the Trinity to eschatology. As an Anglican evangelical, McGrath has obviously been terribly influenced by the Reformed tradition, and the authors he most frequently cites in the book are in that camp, from Luther and Calvin to Barth and Moltmann. But in this edition, he's gone out of his way to also discuss Roman Catholic and Orthodox perspectives. Granted, the Orthodox perspective is still minimal. But it is represented. There are some interesting holes in the overview: for example, process theology is scarcely mentioned, existential theology is limited almost exclusively to Bultmann (Macquarrie and Tillich both receive short shrift), and postmodern theologizing is absent. These omissions may reflect McGrath's own theological perspective, but they also could reflect the fact that no single person is an authority on everything, and that only so much can be crammed into a single book. The repetitions are less forgiveable. McGrath prefaces the text by admitting the redundancies, claiming that he's repeated himself at times for those persons who choose to selectively read in the book rather than going straight through it from beginning to end. But these deliberate pedagogical repetitions to one side, the book is filled with clearly unintended ones. McGrath will repeat himself not only on the same page, but even in the same paragraph. But one of dozens of examples: on the bottom of page 172, McGrath lists the Quadriga, the fourfold mode of interpreting Scripture that was popular in the Middle Ages. Then, at the top of p 173, he lists them again. It should also be noticed that the first section of the book that deals with historical theology is basically an abridged repetition of a smallish book on historical theology published in 1998 by McGrath. The book is still in print, and so McGrath is, in a sense, going for a twofer here. Proofing is also sloppy. Page references are frequently incorrect and there are numerous typos. All of this suggests that McGrath writes at such whitehot speed that he doesn't edit as well as he might. And if sloppiness from speed is present in the composition, one worries about parallel sloppiness in the ideas. Still, these are minor caveats. McGrath has offered a good overview of Christian theology for those who which to learn something about the subject.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Overview...
Review: Alister McGrath has written an excellent, helpful volume in this introduction text to Christian Systematic Theology. Here's a quick partial listing of what the book includes and how it's structured: Part 1: Landmarks: Periods, Themes, and Personalities of Christian Theology
-includes chapters on The Middle Ages, Refomation, Modern Period, et. al. Part 2: Sources and Methods
-includes chapters on Preliminaries, Sources of Theology, Knowledge of God (Natural and Revealed), Philosophy and Theology, et. al. Part 3: Christian Theology
-includes chapters on the Doctrine of God, Doctrine of the Trinity, Doctrine of the Person of Christ, the Doctrine of Salvation in Christ, Christianity and World Religions, et. al. Overall, the book is an excellent starting point for coming to an understanding of Christian theology. McGrath is suprisingly unbiased in his overviews of all the topics in the book: only on occasion is it possible to see his own opinions peeking out through the wealth of information provided. McGrath's book is fair because it has such a huge breadth to it: it would be hard to claim that any one group or believe in particular has been short sighted. In addition, because of the book's highly structured layout, this serves as an excellent reference book for nearly any area of theology for at least a basic overview. Furthermore, each chapter ends with a secion for "Further Reading" in which McGrath provides a listing of other works on the individual topics presented in each chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Overview...
Review: Alister McGrath has written an excellent, helpful volume in this introduction text to Christian Systematic Theology. Here's a quick partial listing of what the book includes and how it's structured: Part 1: Landmarks: Periods, Themes, and Personalities of Christian Theology
-includes chapters on The Middle Ages, Refomation, Modern Period, et. al. Part 2: Sources and Methods
-includes chapters on Preliminaries, Sources of Theology, Knowledge of God (Natural and Revealed), Philosophy and Theology, et. al. Part 3: Christian Theology
-includes chapters on the Doctrine of God, Doctrine of the Trinity, Doctrine of the Person of Christ, the Doctrine of Salvation in Christ, Christianity and World Religions, et. al. Overall, the book is an excellent starting point for coming to an understanding of Christian theology. McGrath is suprisingly unbiased in his overviews of all the topics in the book: only on occasion is it possible to see his own opinions peeking out through the wealth of information provided. McGrath's book is fair because it has such a huge breadth to it: it would be hard to claim that any one group or believe in particular has been short sighted. In addition, because of the book's highly structured layout, this serves as an excellent reference book for nearly any area of theology for at least a basic overview. Furthermore, each chapter ends with a secion for "Further Reading" in which McGrath provides a listing of other works on the individual topics presented in each chapter.
Rating:
Summary: Very comprehensive and easy to grasp
Review: Alister McGrath's combination of thorough details, superb historical perspectives, and rare clarity of expression achieve a feat unusual in the theological realm - the ideas, however deep, are easily understood. McGrath sets forth not only the convictions of the great players in the Reformation, but the social and philosophical ideas which preceded the era, the outcome being a remarkably expert tapestry of thought. This era is one I have studied extensively in the past, yet the connections McGrath presents, and the insights of new scholarship which he incorporates, left me totally engrossed. As one example, McGrath's development of Martin Luther's progress in theological ideas makes such areas as justification by faith all the more fascinating in their historical context. This work is suited to anyone with a serious interest in the period or theology, and as a text for the university or later years of secondary education. I must add that those wishing a "lighter read" will find many of the major issues and historical points treated in McGrath's latest work, "In the Beginning."
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Summary: Excellent Introduction to Christian Theology
Review: Alister Mcgrath's introduction to Christian Theology is a broad, even-handed overview of Christian thought. The most appealing aspect of this text is that it is devoid of sectarian bias and the desire to "tell its readers what to believe," as Mcgrath writes in the preface. Mcgrath's inform and enlighten approach, letting the reader make his/her own conclusions, stands in stark contrast to the majority of theological texts available, which are more concerned with the preach and convert method.
For those who desire to understand the foundational underpinnings upon which Christianity is built, without a denominational slant or overly fundamentalist tone, this book is highly recommended. The books approach and content warrant 5 stars; however, as another reviewer pointed out, there are several proofreading/typographical errors that cry out for correction.
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Summary: This is a great text
Review: I assume that anyone reading this review is either a formal student of Christian theology or at least VERY interested. If you are a student, this is probably a required text so you MUST buy it whether you want to or not. If you are not a student, but want a deeper understanding of Christian theology than can be found in most of the spiritual "fast food" sections of your local Christian bookstore, you have come to the right place. Alister E. McGrath is tops in his field. You are learning from a master teacher. This book is tops in its class. It manages to address major doctrines, debates, and trends through church history in a way that treats all positions respectfully, but stays true to the central core of the Christian faith. You will get the most by reading this book cover to cover, but the index and table of contents are so well planned you might be tempted to just look up the issues you are interested in. Either way, you won't lose if you buy this book. It will be one to keep on your shelf for future reference.
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