The Cambridge Companion to Postmodern Theology (Cambridge Companions to Religion)

Rating:
Summary: Required Reading for Theological Students
Review: This collection of essays in postmodern theology is nothing short of extrordinary. While there is a much longer companion to postmodern theology (The Blackwell Companion to Postmodern Theolgoy, Graham Ward, Editor), I honestly believe this one to be far better at providing clear and comprehensive overviews of postmodern theologies.

This volume consists of two parts. The first section cnsists of essays describing different movements in postmodern theology. Editor, Kevin Vanhoozer starts this section with a superb and engaging essay on theology and the psotmodern cntext. Some of the connections he makes on the nature of deconstruction from a theological perspective are worht the price of the book. The following sctions treat various specimens of postmdoern theology: Anglo-American Postmodernity: A Theology of Communal Practice (By Nancey Murphy and Brian Kallenberg), Postliberal Theology (By George Hunsinger), Postmetaphysical Theology (By Thomas Carlson), Deconstructive Theology (by Graham Ward), Reconstructive Theology (By David Ray Griffin), Feminst Theology (By Mary McLintock Fulkerson) and Radical Orthodoxy (By Stephen Long). All of these essays are extremely helpful and informative. For the most part they are also very clear and easy to read. The essays on Deconstructive and Postmetaphysical Theology are somewhat more difficult at points, but well worth the effort. The essays by Murphy, Hunsinger and Long are particularly helpful and insightful.

The following section treats different classic theological foci wiht a mind toward engaging the postmodern context. Kevin Vanhoozer opens with a stellar treatment of the question of Scripture and Tradition which, like his other essay is worth the price of the book in itself. The treatments that follow deal with Theological Method (By Dan Stiver), The Trinity (By David Cunningham), God and world (By Phillip Clayton), The human person (By John Webster), Christ and Salvation (By Walter Lowe), Ecclesiology (By Stanley Grenz), and The Holy Spirit and Christian Spirituality (By David Ford).

There is much to admire in all of these essays. Unlike Grenz's books on theological method, he is at his best in this essay, ofering some helpful discussion on ecclesiology. Cunningham's essay on the Trinity also is helpful, though it is little more than a reprise of his book, "These Three Are One."

The only major issue that this section presents is the topics that are omitted from consideration, such as Eschatology, Sin and Scripture (while this is touched on in Vanhoozer's essay, the issue of a theology of Scripture for the postmodern context is not touched). Also, I was disappointed that Christolgoy and Soteriology were lumped together into one essay. These themes could have been treated better seperately. Obviously, one of the major issues here is that of the page count, which any editor must deal with on a book of this type.

This book is definately the best book of its kind availible and should be read by all theological students. Moreover, it will, I think also greatly benefit those involved in college and other sorts of evangelistic ministries where the shifr from modernism to postmodernism is becoming more and more a ministerial reality.

Rating:
Summary: Required Reading for Theological Students
Review: This collection of essays in postmodern theology is nothing short of extrordinary. While there is a much longer companion to postmodern theology (The Blackwell Companion to Postmodern Theolgoy, Graham Ward, Editor), I honestly believe this one to be far better at providing clear and comprehensive overviews of postmodern theologies.

This volume consists of two parts. The first section cnsists of essays describing different movements in postmodern theology. Editor, Kevin Vanhoozer starts this section with a superb and engaging essay on theology and the psotmodern cntext. Some of the connections he makes on the nature of deconstruction from a theological perspective are worht the price of the book. The following sctions treat various specimens of postmdoern theology: Anglo-American Postmodernity: A Theology of Communal Practice (By Nancey Murphy and Brian Kallenberg), Postliberal Theology (By George Hunsinger), Postmetaphysical Theology (By Thomas Carlson), Deconstructive Theology (by Graham Ward), Reconstructive Theology (By David Ray Griffin), Feminst Theology (By Mary McLintock Fulkerson) and Radical Orthodoxy (By Stephen Long). All of these essays are extremely helpful and informative. For the most part they are also very clear and easy to read. The essays on Deconstructive and Postmetaphysical Theology are somewhat more difficult at points, but well worth the effort. The essays by Murphy, Hunsinger and Long are particularly helpful and insightful.

The following section treats different classic theological foci wiht a mind toward engaging the postmodern context. Kevin Vanhoozer opens with a stellar treatment of the question of Scripture and Tradition which, like his other essay is worth the price of the book in itself. The treatments that follow deal with Theological Method (By Dan Stiver), The Trinity (By David Cunningham), God and world (By Phillip Clayton), The human person (By John Webster), Christ and Salvation (By Walter Lowe), Ecclesiology (By Stanley Grenz), and The Holy Spirit and Christian Spirituality (By David Ford).

There is much to admire in all of these essays. Unlike Grenz's books on theological method, he is at his best in this essay, ofering some helpful discussion on ecclesiology. Cunningham's essay on the Trinity also is helpful, though it is little more than a reprise of his book, "These Three Are One."

The only major issue that this section presents is the topics that are omitted from consideration, such as Eschatology, Sin and Scripture (while this is touched on in Vanhoozer's essay, the issue of a theology of Scripture for the postmodern context is not touched). Also, I was disappointed that Christolgoy and Soteriology were lumped together into one essay. These themes could have been treated better seperately. Obviously, one of the major issues here is that of the page count, which any editor must deal with on a book of this type.

This book is definately the best book of its kind availible and should be read by all theological students. Moreover, it will, I think also greatly benefit those involved in college and other sorts of evangelistic ministries where the shifr from modernism to postmodernism is becoming more and more a ministerial reality.