Illuminating Faith: An Invitation to Theology

Description

This textbook will give students a clear understanding of the connection between faith and reason. Illuminating Faith gives students a clear and accessible introduction to some of the major ways faith and the relationship between faith and reason have been understood within Western Christianity. In twenty-six short and easy to digest units it covers different accounts of faith beginning with Scripture, moving through the history of Christian thought, and ending with contemporary views. Along the way it explores some of the decisive theological and philosophy accounts of faith, such as faith seeking understanding, faith and supernatural virtue, faith and skepticism, and faith and science. Yet it also includes significant issues and movements not typically covered in introductory texts, such as documents from church councils, faith as knowledge, assent, and trust in the Protestant scholastics, faith and the heart in pietism, secularized accounts of faith, faith after Auschwitz, and faith and liberation. The goal of each unit is to introduce students to topical issues surrounding the nature of faith, to provide historical background for each topic, and to generate further discussion and reflection on the nature of faith. The result is a well balanced and unique introduction to various understandings of faith. Designed specifically with classroom use in mind, Illuminating Faith includes a glossary of words, an update-to-date bibliography, and each chapter ends with questions for discussion as well as suggestions for relevant reading material.

Francesca Aran Murphy is Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, USA. Kenneth Oakes is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Notre Dame, USA. Balazs Mezei is Professor of Philosophy at Pazmany Peter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary.

A balanced (Catholic and Protestant) review of western theological history examined through the lens of faith. * The Reader * A fresh and fascinating book. With the concept of faith as a unifying theme, the authors take us on a whirlwind tour of modern theology. This may not be a text to be mastered or digested quickly, but it exposes its readers to a rich intellectual landscape. Intended for beginners, it's a book that can be read with great profit and pleasure by us all. * Karen Kilby, University of Durham, UK * Illuminating faith is a magnificent, demanding, yet entrancing "invitation to theology," leading the reader into what is perhaps the richest self-interpretation of Protestant and Catholic faith available in one short volume. The mutually enriching dialogue between Catholic and Reformed experiences of faith is given even greater contemporary resonance by warmly welcoming the questioning voice of philosophy into the discussion. * Brendan Purcell, University of Edinburgh, UK * A lively and engaging study, this book affords an excellent overview of the history of western theology through the concept of faith. With a fresh and piquant style, the authors have provided a stimulating coverage of key issues and questions for students and their teachers. Highly recommended. * David Fergusson, University of Edinburgh, UK * The idea of using faith as a focus for an introduction to Christian theology is a lovely one, and Mezei, Murphy, and Oakes pull it off beautifully. This is not just a textbook: it's a contribution to the renewal of what it's about. * Paul J. Griffiths, Duke University, USA *