A new approach to introducing theologyAs God's self-communication to humans, Jesus is the key to the human search for meaning, argues Thomas West. He therefore introduces the practice of theology through Christology. From the question of personal meaning and self-constitution and their relationship to transcendent meaning and value, he proceeds to discuss the figure and import of Jesus and then the ethical imperative engendered through encounter with him. Fresh and clear, West's book is an invitation to grapple with one's religious commitments, especially in light of recent insights in biblical studies and Continental, feminist, and liberation theologies. This new text will prove an engaging and effective introduction to theological thinking for both undergraduates and Christian adults.
Thomas H. West is Professor of Theology and departmental chair at the College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minn. He also is author of a volume on Ernst Bloch: Ultimate Hope without God.
Preface Chapter One: The Search for Meaning Human Being as the Tendency to Meaning Meaning and Freedom Particular Meanings and Universal Values Suffering and Meaning Penultimate and Ultimate Meaning Ultimate Meaning and Universal Values The Ultimate Foundation of Universal Values: God Meaning and Self-Actualization Meaning and the Power of Feeling Chapter Two: Meaning and the Formation of Human Identity The Human Word The Language of Self-Communication Word and Human Identity Receiving Identity from God Chapter Three: The Identity of Jesus Faith and the Historical Jesus The Biological Identity of Jesus The Psychological Identity of Jesus The Spiritual Identity of Jesus God's Self-Communication to Jesus in Word and Spirit Chapter Four: The Mission of Jesus God Commissions Jesus to go Public with the Word of Love The Two-Directionality of Jesus' Words Jesus Communicates the Word Verbally Jesus Communicates the Word Nonverbally Chapter Five: The Death of Jesus as the Final Word of Mission Jesus' Death Completes His Saving MissionJesus' Death as His Final Word Last Supper and Death Jesus' Death and the Consequences of Sin Jesus' Death as Victory over the Powers Chapter Six: The Resurrection of Jesus The Resurrection and History The Resurrection as God's Final Word to Jesus The Resurrection Gives Ultimate Meaning to Death Resurrection Universalizes and Eternalizes Jesus' Mission Chapter Seven: The Risen Christ Continues the Mission The Risen Christ and the Mission of Individuals The Church as the Body of the Risen Christ The Church Preaches the Word The Church Speaks the Ritualized Word -Baptism -Confirmation -Eucharist The Church Speaks Through Service to Humankind Chapter Eight: The Human Response of Faith and Love Informative Success: Faith -Faith and Understanding -Faith and Belief -Faith and Trust Emotive Success: Love as Feeling Directive Success: Love as Action Christian Faith and Non-Christians Chapter Nine: Love into Justice: The Good Samaritan Revisited Luke's Parable of the Good Samaritan Love into Interpersonal Justice Love into Social Justice Chapter Ten: The Human Response of Hope Self-Communication and the Promissory Function Individual Penultimate Hope Individual Ultimate Hope for Resurrection of the Body Ultimate Consequences of Human Choice: Heaven, Hell, Purgatory Penultimate History and Ultimate Hope Cosmic Hope Notes Index
