Principles of Christian Theology

Author: John Macquarrie
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2007-01-01
Features: This book consists of three parts. The first part, "Philosophical Theology," plays a role similar to that of the traditional concept of "Natural Theology." The second part, "Symbolic Theology," discusses content equivalent to the traditional concept of "Dogmatic Theology." The third part, "Applied Theology," encompasses the main topics that can be included in what is now termed "Practical Theology" or "Pastoral Theology." In "Philosophical Theology," Macquarrie shifts the starting point of theology from God to humans, beginning with an analysis of human life and advancing through a theory of "revelation" to a metaphysics of "existence," expressing the concept of "God" as "the Sacred Existence" to answer the question of "Does God exist?" and establishing the philosophical foundation of faith. He also proposes a theory of theological language to address the challenges of analytic philosophy, advocating a tolerant religious discourse to accommodate the pluralism of thought and consciousness. In "Symbolic Theology," Macquarrie employs the "existentialist-existential" method established in the first part to interpret all the fundamental doctrines—such as the Trinity, creation, Christology, redemption, and eschatology—both in line with modern intellectual trends and in harmony with the spirit of traditional doctrine. These include topics of great interest even to outsiders, such as the nature of God, the relationship between God and the world, the salvation of humanity through Christ, the destiny of the individual and the universe, and more. In "Applied Theology," Macquarrie proposes a theory of the church adapted to modern society and reconciled with Catholicism, along with related theories on ministry, sacraments, preaching, worship, and prayer. He also reformulates the outdated concept of missionary work, advocating dialogue with other religions and ideologies, and elucidates the Christian perspective on ethics, marriage and family, and social and political issues, offering Christian solutions to major contemporary challenges.