Rethinking Christian Identity - (Challenges in Contemporary Theology) by Medi Ann Volpe (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"A brilliant, compelling, agenda-setting book ... Volpe has written this thoughtful, passionate, informed critique that invites us all to think through precisely what is involved in being formed in the Christian tradition."
Ian Markham, Virginia Theological Seminary

"A model for those of us who seek to combine the vocations of academic theology and pastoral ministry, Rethinking Christian Identity offers a compelling vision of Christian formation. Volpe deftly shapes her vision in conversation with contemporary theologians and voices from the history of the Church ... combining erudition with a passion for Christian discipleship."
Kathryn Greene-McCreight, St. John's Episcopal Church

Recent decades have seen major shifts in our understanding of Christian identity. This timely book explores contemporary theological theory in asking what makes a Christian in the twenty-first century: what unites and sets Christians apart from other social or political groups, and how is this identity forged and then passed on to others?

Volpe engages with these changing ideas through the work of Kathryn Tanner, Rowan Williams, and John Milbank, whose accounts of Christianity challenge older views. Drawing these theologians into conversation with Gregory of Nyssa, she clearly and persuasively discusses the importance of doctrine in identity formation, the unexplored ideas of the significance of sin on Christian identity and its effects, and the need for an inclusive account of Christian identity. As Christianity declines in parts of the Western world, and yet expands in others, the nature of Christian identity is more crucial and vexed than ever before. This important book makes a valuable contribution to these ongoing debates.

From the Back Cover

"A brilliant, compelling, agenda-setting book ... Volpe has written this thoughtful, passionate, informed critique that invites us all to think through precisely what is involved in being formed in the Christian tradition."
Ian Markham, Virginia Theological Seminary

"A model for those of us who seek to combine the vocations of academic theology and pastoral ministry, Rethinking Christian Identity offers a compelling vision of Christian formation. Volpe deftly shapes her vision in conversation with contemporary theologians and voices from the history of the Church ... combining erudition with a passion for Christian discipleship."
Kathryn Greene-McCreight, St. John's Episcopal Church

Recent decades have seen major shifts in our understanding of Christian identity. This timely book explores contemporary theological theory in asking what makes a Christian in the twenty-first century: what unites and sets Christians apart from other social or political groups, and how is this identity forged and then passed on to others?

Volpe engages with these changing ideas through the work of Kathryn Tanner, Rowan Williams, and John Milbank, whose accounts of Christianity challenge older views. Drawing these theologians into conversation with Gregory of Nyssa, she clearly and persuasively discusses the importance of doctrine in identity formation, the unexplored ideas of the significance of sin on Christian identity and its effects, and the need for an inclusive account of Christian identity. As Christianity declines in parts of the Western world, and yet expands in others, the nature of Christian identity is more crucial and vexed than ever before. This important book makes a valuable contribution to these ongoing debates.

Review Quotes

"This is an insightful work of theology, one that clearly demonstrates the ways in which classical Christian teachings can renew Christian practice." (Religious Studies Review, 1 December 2013)

"This is a substantial work that explores a considerable gap in the literature of discipleship, conversing as it does with three of the most significant contemporary theologians (unlike much literature on discipleship which ignores theology altogether. . . Academic libraries will want this book, and those interested in a way of integrating systematics and practical theology, but whether they can afford to do so is another matter (25 pence per page seems rather expensive to me, even if this hardback binding is as robust as any.) It has caused me to return to Milbank and Williams, and to explore Tanner afresh, but more significantly, to read Gregory. For that alone I am grateful to Volpe." (Regent's Reviews, 1 October 2013)

About the Author

Medi Ann Volpe is Lecturer in Theology and Ethics at Cranmer Hall, Durham University. She has published in Modern Theology, amongst other journals, and is co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Catholic Theology (forthcoming, with L. Ayres).