The volume comprises a collection of essays ordered in three parts, each of which describes broadly the sub-fields of theology to which these belong. The essays tackle core themes in Christian doctrine, the longstanding relationship of theology to philosophy, and a series of challenges facing churches today. While the volume represents a Reformed theological approach often with a historical focus, it self-consciously reflects an ecumenical and critical perspective. The term ‘humanism’ reflects an openness to insight, understanding and correction from different fields of knowledge, while its ‘Reformed’ designation positions the work within a recognized theological tradition though seeking to avoid imprisonment by it. A further feature of the collection is its attempt to overcome the curricular divisions between systematic theology, Christian ethics, and practical theology. The third section in particular deal with issues in social ethics, theological aesthetics, the place of the church in a secular culture, and the role of theology in the university.
David Fergusson is Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge, UK.
Introduction: Reformed HumanismPart One: Christian Doctrine1. The Divine Attributes: Some Methodological Considerations2. The Power of God: Its Use and Abuse as a Theological Concept3. Maker of Heaven and Earth: Theology for Creationtide4. Christological Maximalism Assessed5. Providence6. The Imago Dei7. The Last JudgementPart Two: Philosophy8. Hume as Religious Sceptic9. Adam Smith on Ethics and Religion10. Natural Theology After DarwinPart Three: Church11. Theology of Worship: A Reformed Perspective12. Reformed Theology and Visual Culture13. Mapping the Church: Current Challenges of History and Mission14. The Bible in Modernity15. Reformed Social Theology: Contexts and Constants16. Theology and Therapy17. The Place of Christian Theology in the UniversityEpilogue18. Theology and LaughterBibliographyIndex
A boldly titled collection … It is a splendid example of a theological outlook that is scholarly, informative, critical yet committed, accessible and yet intellectually acute.