Introducing Theological Method: A Survey of Contemporary Theologians and Approaches - Paperback

by Mary M. Veeneman (Author)

Sound theological method is a necessary prerequisite for good theological work. This accessible introduction surveys contemporary theological methodology by presenting leading thinkers of the 20th and 21st centuries as models. The book presents the strengths and weaknesses in each of the major options. Rather than favoring one specific position, it helps students of theology think critically so they can understand and develop their own theological method.

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I wish I'd had this book when I first started graduate school in theology. Veeneman picks out a large number of major theological movements and calmly rehearses their methodological commitments. She catalogs their sources, their orienting questions, and their starting points, sometimes comparing them to each other but rarely declaring her own judgments. The result is almost a cheat sheet, letting students know in advance what to look for as they go on to read these authors.
--Fred Sanders, Torrey Honors Institute, Biola University

"Veeneman offers us a wide-ranging and sympathetic study of theologians from a variety of traditions and schools of thought, allowing the reader to make independent judgments. This is an ideal introduction for students coming from many different perspectives. Nobody can relate equally well to every modern theologian, but this book will help us evaluate the approaches of those with whom we disagree as well as deepen our understanding of our own mentors. Highly commended!"
--Gerald Bray, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

"A paradigmatic book for students of theology as it sketches with skill the context and method of the most important theological voices of the last century. Moreover, it does not tell students how to do theology but shows how great thinkers do theology, leaving the student with a diversity of approaches and the challenge to discover what will be best for that student."
--Scot McKnight, Northern Seminary

"Introducing Theological Method offers students a clear, cogent argument for the why and how of theology. Veeneman not only introduces us to key theologians and theological movements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries but also illuminates their historical contexts to show how theology and historical location must be viewed together."
--Lynn H. Cohick, Denver Seminary

"This introduction will generate helpful encounters with important modern theologians and movements--some who are well known, others who have been neglected. The variety of their approaches will challenge and enrich those of us who seek to be biblically faithful, ecumenically traditional, gratefully evangelical, and globally engaged theologians."
--Daniel J. Treier, Wheaton College Graduate School

"Written by a scholar of considerable ability, this book is designed for beginning students. Its clear writing, engaging style, and dependable scholarship make it certain to find its way into many course syllabi."
--Bradley Nassif, North Park University