Christian Thought Revisited: Three Types of Theology

Rating:
Summary: Presents an excellent understanding of Christian history
Review: Gonzalez takes what I consider to be a very legitimate approach to interpreting Christian history by clearly separating his perspective on historical events from the objective account of facts and events (see Gonzalez's History of Christian Thought) that his interpretation is based upon. This seems an honest approach that lends credence to his conclusions.

Rating:
Summary: A MUST for the student of Theology
Review: I read this book years ago when it first came out and am delighted to see it has gone into second printing. Since that time I have used this book on a number of occassions as reference. If you have ever wondered why there are so many different Christian religious denominations in the world, this book is a must. If you've ever taken a Christian History class at the seminary level you're probably familiar with this author. Gonzolez is known for two different sets of 3 Volume books on Christian History and now in this relatively small treatment, he brings it all together on how the splits in early Christian thinking developed. In his books he looks at three theological perspectives that developed as Christianity was taken to different cultures. The comparison he makes show the Early Syrian theology, the early Greek theology, and the Latin Theology. His mastery of Christian History goes unquestioned, but in showing how each of the cultures absorded Christianity differently and put their little spin on it, we see the beginnings of split in the Church. Not that all three of these theological perspectives were not considered orthodox. Quite the contrary, but the way in which they perceived Christianity was different enough that it would take that particular theology off in a different direction that eventually lead to the schism between east and west as the Syrian Tradition (earliest form) died off. It even covers how each of the three traditions viewed and interpreted scripture to arrive at conflicting perspectives. You may be surprised to learn that this idea of a unchanging Christian tradition passed down over the passed two thousand years is a fairly tale. This book has spurred me onto further study in the area to find more about the theology that was originally taught by the earliest apostles, rather than taking the party line of St. Augustines Neoplatoism. This is an excellent entry level book into those who are truely seeking the Jesus of the scriptures and one I highly recommend for all.

Rating:
Summary: A MUST for the student of Theology
Review: I read this book years ago when it first came out and am delighted to see it has gone into second printing. Since that time I have used this book on a number of occassions as reference. If you have ever wondered why there are so many different Christian religious denominations in the world, this book is a must. If you've ever taken a Christian History class at the seminary level you're probably familiar with this author. Gonzolez is known for two different sets of 3 Volume books on Christian History and now in this relatively small treatment, he brings it all together on how the splits in early Christian thinking developed. In his books he looks at three theological perspectives that developed as Christianity was taken to different cultures. The comparison he makes show the Early Syrian theology, the early Greek theology, and the Latin Theology. His mastery of Christian History goes unquestioned, but in showing how each of the cultures absorded Christianity differently and put their little spin on it, we see the beginnings of split in the Church. Not that all three of these theological perspectives were not considered orthodox. Quite the contrary, but the way in which they perceived Christianity was different enough that it would take that particular theology off in a different direction that eventually lead to the schism between east and west as the Syrian Tradition (earliest form) died off. It even covers how each of the three traditions viewed and interpreted scripture to arrive at conflicting perspectives. You may be surprised to learn that this idea of a unchanging Christian tradition passed down over the passed two thousand years is a fairly tale. This book has spurred me onto further study in the area to find more about the theology that was originally taught by the earliest apostles, rather than taking the party line of St. Augustines Neoplatoism. This is an excellent entry level book into those who are truely seeking the Jesus of the scriptures and one I highly recommend for all.

Rating:
Summary: A Must-Read for Any Serious Theologian
Review: In this short but lucid volume, popular Christian writer Justo Gonzalez analyzes how three different streams of theology emerged out of the Early Church: TYPE A - originating in the West (Rome) and represented by Tertullian, this theology was heavily influenced by Roman law and culture. TYPE B - centered in Alexandria and represented by Origen, it attempted to mesh the Christian faith with the Greek philosophy. TYPE C - originating in Antioch and represented by Irenaeus, this theology saw the Christian faith as a liberating, salvation history. Gonzalez then shows how TYPES A and B continued to be prominent in the Church, while TYPE C was forgotten and has only now become fully in vogue again. This book is a fantastic analysis of theology in the history of the church, and will cause everyone (especially evangelicals) to re-evaluate their thinking about the message of the Gospel.