List of Illustrations xi Preface xiii The Development of Christian Theology: A Short Historical Overview xviii The Apostles’ Creed xxvi Getting Started xxviii 1 Faith 1 What is faith? 1 Can God’s existence be proved? 3 Are proofs of God’s existence of any use? 7 Faith is beyond reason but not contrary to reason 8 Faith and God’s promises 10 Faith and doubt: the problem of suffering 13 Engaging with a text 16 2 God 19 Analogies in theology 21 God as father 24 A personal God 28 God as almighty 32 Can God suffer? 35 Engaging with a text 37 3 Creation 39 Creation in the Old Testament 39 The concept of creation “out of nothing” 41 Creation and dualism 43 Implications of the doctrine of creation 44 Models of God as creator 46 Humanity and creation: the “image of God” 48 Creation and natural theology 51 Creation and creationism 57 Engaging with a text 59 4 Jesus 61 Jesus as Messiah 62 Jesus as Lord 64 Jesus as Son of God 65 Jesus as Son of Man 66 Jesus as God 67 Functional statements about Jesus 68 Early Christological models 71 The Council of Chalcedon 73 The incarnation and icons 74 Jesus as mediator 76 The debate about the “Historical Jesus” 78 Engaging with a text 80 5 Salvation 82 Pauline images of salvation 83 The problem of analogy: salvation as ransom 84 The cross as a sacrifice 88 The cross as a victory 91 The cross and forgiveness 93 Salvation, sin, and Christ 97 An Orthodox perspective: salvation as deification 100 Salvation as being righteous in the sight of God 101 Salvation, Christ, and the redeemed life 102 Engaging with a text 103 6 Spirit 105 Biblical models of the Holy Spirit 105 Irenaeus on the role of the Holy Spirit 109 The debate over the divinity of the Holy Spirit 111 The filioque debate 114 The functions of the Spirit 117 The symbols of the Spirit: a dove, fire, and oil 123 Engaging with a text 124 7 Trinity 127 The grounds of the doctrine of the Trinity 128 The development of the doctrine of the Trinity 131 A trinitarian heresy: modalism 135 Visualizing the Trinity 137 The Trinity and the naming of God 138 Communicating the Trinity: hymns 142 The “social Trinity”: Jürgen Moltmann 143 Engaging with a text 146 8 Church 150 The church: local or universal? 150 Only one church? 152 The catholicity of the church 154 The church: holy or just human? 156 The church as constituted by the Word of God 161 Pure or mixed body: what difference does it make? 163 Ministry within the church: the Second Vatican Council 164 Engaging with a text 167 9 Sacraments 170 What is a sacrament? 171 What is the function of the sacrament? 174 What factors affect the effectiveness of sacraments? 177 Is infant baptism justified? 179 In what way, if any, is Christ present at the eucharist? 184 Engaging with a text 189 10 Heaven 191 The New Testament 191 Augustine: the two cities 194 Medieval debates about the resurrection body 195 Modernity: criticism and recovery of eschatology 196 Jürgen Moltmann: the theology of hope 198 Spe Salvi: Benedict XVI on the Christian hope 199 The last things 201 Engaging with a text 207 Moving On 210 Audio and Video Resources for This Textbook 213 Brief Glossary of Theological Terms 214 Details of Theologians Cited 223 Sources of Citations 232 Index 245

This fourth edition of the international bestseller is the ideal introduction for those who are new to Christian theology. In this revised and expanded edition, the author introduces readers to the central ideas and beliefs, the key debates and the leading thinkers of Christianity. Throughout, the aim is to bring clarity and brevity to the central ideas of theology, both traditional and contemporary. Theology: The Basics comprehensively covers the individual doctrines that form the Christian belief system, weaving together these doctrines, their history, and the intellectual nuance behind them into an inter-connected web. All major Christian denominations are explored, as are their differences and shared customs and beliefs. This rich tapestry results in a clear view of Christianity, providing a coherent vision of the religion in its main forms.

Detailed Contents vii List of Illustrations xi Preface xiii The Development of Christian Theology: A Short Historical Overview xviii The Apostles’ Creed xxvi Getting Started xxviii 1 Faith 1 2 God 19 3 Creation 39 4 Jesus 61 5 Salvation 82 6 Spirit 105 7 Trinity 127 8 Church 150 9 Sacraments 170 10 Heaven 191 Moving On 210 Audio and Video Resources for This Textbook 213 Brief Glossary of Theological Terms 214 Details of Theologians Cited 223 Sources of Citations 232 Index 245