In the recent history of philosophy few works have appeared which favorably portray Idealism as a plausible philosophical view of the world. Considerably less has been written about Idealism as a viable framework for doing theology. While the most recent and significant works on Idealism, composed by the late John Foster (Case for Idealism and A World for Us: The Case for Phenomenological Idealism), have put this theory back on the philosophical map, no such attempt has been made to re-introduce Idealism to contemporary Christian theology. Idealism and Christian Theology is such a work, retrieving ideas and arguments from its most significant modern exponents (especially George Berkeley and Jonathan Edwards) in order to assess its value for present and future theological construction. As a piece of constructive philosophical-theology itself, this volume considers the explanatory power an Idealist ontology has for contemporary Christian theology.

This title offers a comprehensive analysis of Baptist theology. Embracing in one common trajectory the major Baptist confessions of faith, the major Baptist theologians, and the principal Baptist theological movements and controversies, this book spans four centuries of Baptist doctrinal history. Acknowledging first the pre-1609 roots (patristic, medieval, and Reformational) of Baptist theology, it examines the Arminian versus Calvinist issues that were first expressed by the General Baptists and the Particular Baptists; that dominated English and American Baptist theology during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries from Helwys and Smyth and from Bunyan and Kiffin to Gill, Fuller, Backus, and Boyce; and, that were quickened by the 'awakenings' and the missionary movement. Concurrently there were the Baptist defense of the Baptist distinctives vis-a-vis the pedobaptist world and the unfolding of a strong Baptist confessional tradition. Then during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the liberal versus evangelical issues became dominant with Hovey, Strong, Rauschenbusch, and Henry in the North and Mullins, Conner, Hobbs, and Criswell in the South even as a distinctive Baptist Landmarkism developed, the discipline of biblical theology was practiced and a structured ecumenism was pursued. Missiology both impacted Baptist theology and took it to all the continents, where it became increasingly indigenous. Conscious that Baptists belong to the free churches and to the believers' churches, a new generation of Baptist theologians at the advent of the twenty-first century appears somewhat more Calvinist than Arminian and decidedly more evangelical than liberal.

Baptists' Timothy George and David S. Dockery update and substantially reshape their classic book in an effort to preserve and discover the Baptists' “underappreciated contribution to Christianity's theological heritage.” George and Dockery have re-arranged this volume—considerably abbreviated from the seven-hundred page first edition—in light of the Southern Baptist identity controversy.

How does an almighty and all-loving God respond to his beloved human creatures, who are made in his image and yet implicated in sin and suffering? What is the origin of human suffering? Is it sin or the limitations of human beings? Is God moved by our suffering? If he sympathizes and co-suffers with us, can he deliver us out of our miseries? Thousands and perhaps millions of people have asked these questions and are searching desperately for their answers. Two major views have been advanced in the history of Christian theology to describe God’s response to the suffering of the world: divine impassibility and divine passibility. More recently, a third, mediating position between impassibilism and passibilism has arisen which affirms both the impassibility and the passibility of God. This position can be identified as modified classical theism, an approach that grasps the perfect and relational nature of God. Following this mediating position, this book sets out its own constructive understanding of a mediating position with the help of a new way of understanding the way in which the eternal actions (and corresponding passions) of the divine persons condition one another—the dynamic reciprocity model.

Historic Protestantism and evangelicalism has always been committed to the authority of Scripture and interested in the proper interpretation of the Bible. They uphold the motto: As Scripture says, God says; and as God says, Scripture says. Many today claim this type of reasoning is faulty, since individuals can no longer know the true meaning of Scripture because there are no stable metaphysical or epistemological frameworks. Moreover, they claim that approaches, such as the one presented by Carl F. H. Henry, no longer provide adequate grounds to address the pressing hermeneutical issues. This study responds to these types of claims showing each of these proposals is based upon faulty first principles or misrepresentations. This book surveys hermeneutical innovations and Henry's epistemological hermeneutic to show that Henry's epistemology is foundational to his hermeneutic, offering present-day evangelicals an epistemologically justified approach to hermeneutics as epistemology and methodology. The book will be of importance to those with interest in evangelical hermeneutics or philosophical hermeneutics in general. It provides a clear assessment of the impact of Carl F. H. Henry's epistemology and hermeneutic, and strives to respond to criticisms raised against his Augustinian, Reformed, revelational, cognitive-propositional hermeneutic.

Carl F. H. Henry has been called "the Dean of evangelical theologians," and "the premier theological representative of the evangelical movement in the last half of the twentieth century." When his magnum opus, God, Revelation, and Authority, first appeared, it was hailed as "the most important work of evangelical theology in modern times." Carl Henry: Theologian for All Seasons not only introduces contemporary readers to Carl Henry the man, but also demonstrates that his theology possesses striking relevance for our own situation. We are introduced to his place in the complex mosaic of twentieth century theology, his simple but sophisticated doctrine of revelation, and his value for current discussions of a wide variety of issues. Henry's reflections on hermeneutics, philosophy, and faith; the nature of revelation and of God; the social implications of Christianity; and many other vital topics, turn out to be as pertinent now as when they were written. Not everyone agrees with Carl Henry's approach, of course, so this book features an extensive dialogue between Henry and his critics, making the case that his thought has been incorrectly described as outmoded and that he offers clear guidance for twenty-first century thinkers. To make the wealth of material on the many topics in God, Revelation, and Authority more accessible, the book includes a theological index, a macro index, and detailed outline of the entire six volumes.

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the influence of the philosophy of personalistic idealism upon the theology of Augustus Hopkins Strong (1836-1921). More specifically, the study will inquire into the factors which encouraged Dr. Strong's appropriation of philosophical premises issuing from personalistic idealists; will seek to fix the precise extent to which he modified his earlier theology in view of such influences; and will evaluate the satisfactoriness of the theological position at which he finally arrived. - Introduction.

The doctrine of special revelation and the role of Holy Scripture have been central to the Christian faith for two thousand years. Yet, the nature, authority, and interpretation of the Bible continue to be discussed and debated. In their book Special Revelation and Scripture, David S. Dockery and Malcolm B. Yarnell III explore the fundamental elements of divine revelation, such as inspiration, reliability, and authority, and how these elements influence and shape the Christian's understanding of theological doctrines, ethical teachings, and matters concerning worldview. Dockery and Yarnell begin by developing the doctrine of divine revelation that emphasizes the Bible as the revealed word of the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They examine the relationship between the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, and sacred Scripture, highlighting their foundational connection. Furthermore, they explore the work of the Holy Spirit in inspiring the prophetic and apostolic writings and safeguarding them in the biblical canon. The authors affirm the special nature of Scripture by highlighting its essential attributes of truthfulness, inerrancy, sufficiency, and authority. They conclude by emphasizing the Holy Spirit's role in illuminating Scripture for the development of theology and practice within the church. Throughout the book, readers will encounter a deep and abiding conviction that God's special revelation is preserved and made accessible for all human beings in his inspired Word, the Holy Bible. Dockery and Yarnell's comprehensive exploration of divine revelation and Scripture will inspire readers to engage with the Word of God in a more meaningful and transformative way. Recognizing that faithful theological study is an integrative task, the Theology for the People of God series uniquely combines biblical and systematic theology in dialogue with historical theology and with application to church and life. This series addresses classic doctrines of systematic theology and other relevant topics, pairing careful scholarship with the practical understanding that theology finds its focus within the context of the church. Together, the series' authors guide readers in developing a theologically informed way of seeing the world, a Christlike response to life, and Christian motivation for ministry.