Book Contents

A Grammar of Christian Faith: Systematic Explorations in Christian Life and Doctrine, 2 volumes.

Volume One

Chapter 1: The Context and Task of Christian Theology
            Language, Grammar, and Understanding
            On Clarifying the Concepts of Pragmatics and Practice
            Some Basic Theses about Language
            Proposals for the Meaning of ‘Theology’
            A Theological Definition of the Church
            The Church’s Witness as Summoned to Accountability
            The Task of Systematic Theology
            Systematic Theology, Dogmatics, and Apologetics
            The Dialectic between Church and World
            Some Diagnostic Points about the Situation of the North American
                        Church and the World Today
 
Chapter 2: Revelation and the Knowledge of God
            Biblical Notes
            Notes from Traditions
            Interlude: Some Diagnostic Notes about Knowing
            Epistemology and Confessional Theology      
            The Grammar of God’s Self-Revelation in Jesus Christ
            God’s Self-Revelation, the Bible, and Human Discourses and Practices
            The Grammar of Faith as Knowledge of God           
            Knowledge of God Apart from God’s Special Self-Revelations
            Jesus Christ and Continuing Revelation in the Church
            Further Notes on the Christian Grammar of ‘Truth’
 
Chapter 3: Sources and Norms of Theology as Dialectical Confession and Profession
            Theology and the Presiding Model of the Gospel
            The Basic Sources of Theology
            The Bible as the Church’s Holy Scripture
            Church Traditions
            Grammar and the Development of Doctrine
            Theology as the Discourse of Dialectical Confession and Profession
 
Chapter 4: The Triune God
            Language about God
            Patriarchy and ‘Father’ Language
            Some Notes from Church History
            Puzzles in the Contemporary Discussions of Trinity
            The Grammar of God’s Self-Identifications: the Economic Trinity
            The Grammar of God’s Unity, Multiplicity, Relationality, and Complexity
            The Grammar of God as the Triune One Who Loves in Freedom
            The Grammar of God’s Essence and God’s Actuality
            The Grammar of the Immanent Trinity
            The Grammar of God’s Essential Attributes
            The Grammar of God’s Self-Determined Relational Attributes
            The Grammar of God’s Transcendence and Immanence
 
Chapter 5: God the Creator: Creation, Providence, and Evil
            Orientation to the Doctrine
            Biblical Notes
            Basic Elements of the Grammar of God the Creator
            The Grammar of the Providence of God
            Further Issues in the Grammar of God’s Action in Relation to the World
            The Grammar of Evil and Theodicy
            Creation Pragmatics
 
Chapter 6: Human Being as Created and Sinful
            Human Being as Creaturely Being: Creature among Creatures
            Human Being as Personal Being: Person among Persons
            Human Being as Spiritual Being: Spirit among Spirits
            Jesus the True Human Being
            Preliminary Observations on Human Sin
            Knowledge of Sin in Jesus Christ
            The Origin of Sin
            Exploring the Multiple Shapes and Faces of Sin
            The Consequences of Sin and Jesus Christ
 
Volume Two                                                                      Back to top

Chapter 7: The Person of Jesus Christ
            Orientation to Christology
            Some Problems of Faith and History
            A Theological/Historical Schematic Narrative of the Actual Jesus
            The Grammar of Christological Titles in the New Testament
            Notes from Church History
            The Grammar of the Identity of the Human Jesus as the Incarnate God
            The Grammar of Jesus’ Identity as the Messianic Bearer of the Spirit
            Some Further Questions
 
Chapter 8: The Work of Jesus Christ
            Some Elements of the New Testament Witness
            Atonement Issues and the Salvific Work of Jesus
            The Grammar of Jesus the Prophet
            The Grammar of Jesus the Priest
            The Grammar of Jesus the Victor
            The Grammar of Jesus’ Work and Human Salvation
            Narrative and the Rationale of God’s Salvific Work
 
Chapter 9: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit
            The Trinitarian Context of the Doctrine
            The Witness of Scripture
            Notes from Tradition
            A Constructive Grammar of the Holy Spirit
            A Schematic Grammar of Salvation
 
Chapter 10: The Christian Life
            The Grammar of Just Deserts and Justification by Grace
            The Grammar of Faith and the Christian Life
            The Grammar of Christian Freedom
            The Grammar of Sanctification
            The Grammar of Discipleship
            The Grammar of the Works and Passions of Agapic Love  
            The Grammar of Christian Vocation
            Summary
 

Chapter 11:   The Doctrine of the Church
              Images of the Church in the New Testament
              Notes from Church History
              Basic Ecclesial Grammar
              The Ecclesial Grammar of the Practices of the Body of Christ
              The Nurturing Practices of the Body of Christ
              The Outreach Practices of the Body of Christ
              The Administrative Practices of the Body of Christ
              The Ecclesial Grammar of Unity, Diversity, and Boundaries
              The Dialectic between Church and World
 
Chapter 12:  Proclamation, Sacraments, and Prayer
              The Grammar of Proclamation
              The Grammar of ‘Sacrament’
              The Grammar of Baptism
              The Grammar of the Lord’s Supper
              The Grammar of Prayer
 
Chapter 13:  Christian Hope and Eschatology
              The Grammar of Hope as a General Human Phenomenon
              The Grammar of Christian Hope as Eschatological Existence
              The Grammar of Hope and Historic Redemption: Everyday Futurity
              The Grammar of Hope and Historic Redemption: Works of Love and the Kingdom of God
              Interlude:  Is There a Dual Destiny?
              The Grammar of Hope and Ultimate Redemption: Death and Eternal Life
              The Grammar of Hope and Ultimate Redemption: The End of All Things in God’s Absolute Future
 
Bibliography
Index of Subjects
Index of Names
Index of Scripture References
About the Author