Understanding Christian Doctrine Book

Acknowledgments     xi
Introduction     1
Clarifying the Vantage Point     2
Finding a Way In     5
The Social Dimension     6
Why Bother with the Christian Worldview?     9
The Next Stage     19
The Theistic Claim     23
Natural Theology     25
Arguments for the Existence of God     29
The Design Argument     35
Contemporary Physics     37
Additional Arguments     39
Conclusion     44
The Nature of God     48
Alternative Approaches to Christian Doctrine     49
The Concept of God in the Hebrew Bible     58
The Classical Account of God     59
The Process Challenge     62
Between the Two Views     66
The Trinity     70
Sources     72
Biblical Roots of the Doctrine of the Trinity     74
Development of the Doctrine of the Trinity     75
Three Dangers in Interpreting the Trinity     78
Modern Accounts of the Trinity     79
Standing Back     82
Conclusion     85
The Problem of Evil and Suffering     88
The Reason Why Suffering and Evil Are a Problem     89
The Inadequacy of the Traditional Responses     91
Ivan's Question and Critique     95
Doctrine as the Christian Response     97
Creation and the Significance of Humanity     102
The Scientific Narrative     103
The Biblical Narrative     104
Reconciling Different Narratives     109
The Fall     113
Standing Back     116
God Incarnate     120
Reasons for the Doctrine of the Incarnation     121
New Testament Witness     123
Sorting It Out in the Early Church     126
Making Sense of the Incarnation Today     129
Dying to Sin, Living to Redemption     133
Biblical Roots of Atonement     134
Different Theories     135
Christ as Sacrifice     135
Christ Who Pays the Debt     137
Christ as Victor     138
Christ as Moral Example     141
Problems with Atonement     143
Moral Authority and Forgiveness     144
Conclusion     147
The Holy Spirit and the Church     150
Biblical Roots of the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit      152
The Development of the Holy Spirit in the Early Church     153
The Work of the Holy Spirit Within the Church     155
The Work of the Holy Spirit Outside the Church     156
Ecclesiology     158
Biblical Images of the Church     159
Marks of the Church     160
Conclusion     164
Sacraments and the Life of Virtue     167
Definition of Sacraments     168
The Classical Roman Catholic Understanding     168
Reformation and Protestant Views     171
Standing Back     174
Religious Diversity: What is God up to?     179
Other Religions as a Problem     181
The Pluralist Hypothesis     182
Exclusivism     186
Inclusivism     188
Critical of the Categories     190
Moving the Debate Forward     192
Conclusion     193
Hope Beyond the Grave     196
Accounts of Life After Death in the Different Religions     197
The Christian Tradition     198
A Redeemed Creation     203
Conclusion     206
The End of the Age     208
The Scientific Account     209
The Fundamentalist Account     210
Standing Back     213
Participating in the Conversation     222
Participating in the Tradition     225
Internet Resources     227
Index     228