Christian Doctrine - (Guides for the Perplexed) by Geoff Thompson (Paperback)

About the Book

"'Doctrine' is one of the heavier words in the Christian vocabulary and to understand doctrine raises a number of critical questions. What is the relationship between doctrine and the biblical witness? In what sense or senses can doctrine articulate truth claims? What are the ecclesial functions of doctrine? As discourse, what role does doctrine play in Christian discipleship? Is doctrine merely a social construct? And if it is, does this weaken its truth-claiming functions? If it does make truth claims, what is to be made of the diversity of doctrine across time and place? Geoff Thompson addresses all of these questions in an engaging narrative which starts by exploring the origins of doctrine in the various catechetical, polemical and apologetic pressures the church encountered as it sought to articulate and teach the faith confessed in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. To provide an overview of some of the classic and variously influential doctrinal projects, he employs brief case studies that illustrate the overlapping influences of contexts (ecclesial and cultural) and tradition on doctrinal discourse. The case studies explore what ten selected classical and contemporary theologians say they are doing when teaching, expounding or inquiring into doctrine"--

Book Synopsis

Geoff Thompson addresses multiple questions concerning Christian doctrine in an engaging narrative, beginning with an in-depth discussion of the origins of doctrine in the various catechetical, polemical and apologetic pressures that the church encountered as it sought to articulate and teach its confession of faith in Jesus Christ. In providing an overview of some of the classic and historically influential doctrinal projects, Thompson employs ten case studies that illustrate the overlapping influences of tradition and contexts-both ecclesial and cultural-on doctrinal discourse.

Thompson takes the reader from those historical and paradigmatic case studies into some of the great contemporary debates about doctrine, including those which have been shaped by the critique of doctrine associated with the European Enlightenment as well as the challenges and contributions of theologians of the majority world. He pays particular attention to the influence that these diverse cultural, ecclesial, and academic contexts have had upon the shape and content of particular doctrines. This leads into an engagement with George Lindbeck's seminal The Nature of Doctrine, as well as the more recent proposals of Kevin Vanhoozer and Christine Helmer. This guide concludes by developing the idea of a Christian social imaginary as the framework for holding together doctrine, practice, truth, diversity, and context.

Review Quotes

"This admirable book by Geoff Thompson shows how truth and contingency go together in the formation of doctrine. Thompson steers a course between the errors of relativism on the one side (as if doctrine were purely a product of its social environment) and totalizing claims on the other (as if doctrine were purely a matter of objective revealed truth). The result is a balanced and convincing account of the process by which Christians articulate the meaning of the gospel in new social contexts." --Ben Myers, Millis Institute, Australia

"In this timely guide for the perplexed - for who among us is not perplexed in this challenging moment in human history -Geoff Thompson issues an urgent and gracious invitation to all Christians to participate in the necessary work of making doctrine, and offers them guidance on how to proceed. Doctrine, in Thompson's understanding, is not about homage to a tradition that is given once and for all, but a polyvalent and dynamic genre, attentive to the divine mandates of justice and love. Beautifully written, framed by a global perspective, Christian Doctrine: A Guide for the Perplexed is a signal contribution to the contemporary project of reviving doctrine as a living engagement with changing realities." --Christine Helmer, Northwestern University, USA

About the Author

Geoff Thompson is Co-ordinator of Studies: Systematic Theology at Pilgrim Theological College and Associate Professor, University of Divinity, Australia.