Christian Theology in the Pluralistic World

A Global Introduction

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

4035 Park East Court SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

www.eerdmans.com

© 2019 Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen

All rights reserved

Published 2019

ISBN 978-0-8028-7465-8

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

Contents

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

The Nature and Task of (Systematic) Theology

Theology for the Pluralistic and Diverse Contemporary World

The Plan and Nature of the Book

1. Revelation

For Orientation

On the Possibility and Conditions of Revelation in the Modern World

The Word-Made-Flesh: Embodied Trinitarian Revelation

Models of Revelation

God’s Word in Human Words: The Nature of Scripture as Revelation

How to Determine the Authority and Meaning of Scripture

Sola Scriptura, Tradition, and the Authority of the Church

Natural Revelation and “Natural Theology”

Scripture, Liberation, and Human Flourishing

Revelation and Scripture among Religions

2. Triune God

For Orientation

On the Conditions and Contours of God-Talk in a Secular World

The Atheistic Rebuttals of Faith in God

The “Traces” of God in the Created Reality

The Appeal of Panentheism(s)

The Role and Importance of the Trinitarian View of God

One God as Father, Son, and Spirit

God and World—God’s Works in the World

Divine Hospitality

Theo-Logical Pluralisms

The Triune God among the Deities of Religions

3. Creation

New Vision for the Christian Theology of Creation

Theology of Creation in the Matrix of Sciences and Religions

Nature as Creation: A Theological Interpretation

A Trinitarian Theology of Creation

The Nature and Origins of the Cosmos in Religions’ Imaginations

Creation in Evolution: An Evolving Cosmos

Creation’s Space-Time in Theological Perspective

Emerging Life

Evolutionary Theory in Religious and Theological Assessments

Providence and Divine Action

The Suffering and Flourishing of Nature

Eco-Theological Resources in Christian Tradition

4. Humanity

Humanity in a Radically Changed Context

An Evolving Humanity: Uniqueness and Dignity in Scientific Perspective

Humanity as the Image of God: A Theological Account

The Nature of Human Nature

Freedom and Determinism—Divine and Human

Humanity and Human Nature in Religions’ Teachings

The Misery of Humanity: Sin and “Fall”

Human Flourishing—and Suffering—in Theological Perspective

5. Christology

Introduction: The Doctrine of Christ in Transition

The Theological Meaning of Jesus’s Earthly Life and Ministry

Jesus in the Matrix of Diverse Global Contexts and Challenges

The Chalcedonian Tradition: A Horizon for Understanding Christ

Resurrection and the Identity of Jesus Christ

“The Word Became Flesh”: A Theology of Incarnation

He “Emptied Himself”

“Yet Was without Sin”: Sinlessness

“He Came Down from Heaven”: Preexistence

“Born of the Virgin Mary”

Christological Challenges of Theological ...

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About Christian Theology in the Pluralistic World: A Global Introduction

Kärkkäinen’s acclaimed five-volume constructive theology abridged in one accessible volume.

Providing a new and unique way of doing theology in our pluralistic world, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen presents historic Christian doctrines in relation to the natural sciences and four other living faiths—Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. This textbook covers all systematic topics along with a host of current issues such as violence, colonialism, inclusivity, sociopolitical liberation, environmental care, and more.

Accessible and student-friendly, Christian Theology in the Pluralistic World is the ideal text for exploring a theological vision at once rooted in the Christian tradition and constructive in its engagement with the complexities of our global, pluralistic world.

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