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Theology: The Basic Readings
This short, balanced and accessible Reader introduces the Christian faith through important theological readings, covering historical, modern, denominational, gender, liberal and traditional issues. It is the ideal accompaniment to the bestselling textbook, The Basics, 2nd edition .
232 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2007
36 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
About the author
Alister E. McGrath
451 books497 followersAlister Edgar McGrath is a Northern Irish theologian, priest, intellectual historian, scientist, and Christian apologist. He currently holds the Andreas Idreos Professorship in Science and Religion in the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford, and is Professor of Divinity at Gresham College. He was previously Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at King's College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture, Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford, and was principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, until 2005. He is an Anglican priest and is ordained within the Church of England.
Aside from being a faculty member at Oxford, McGrath has also taught at Cambridge University and is a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. McGrath holds three doctorates from the University of Oxford, a DPhil in Molecular Biophysics, a Doctor of Divinity in Theology and a Doctor of Letters in Intellectual History.
McGrath is noted for his work in historical theology, systematic theology, and the relationship between science and religion, as well as his writings on apologetics. He is also known for his opposition to New Atheism and antireligionism and his advocacy of theological critical realism. Among his best-known books are The Twilight of Atheism, The Dawkins Delusion?: Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine, Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life, and A Scientific Theology. He is also the author of a number of popular textbooks on theology.
Aside from being a faculty member at Oxford, McGrath has also taught at Cambridge University and is a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. McGrath holds three doctorates from the University of Oxford, a DPhil in Molecular Biophysics, a Doctor of Divinity in Theology and a Doctor of Letters in Intellectual History.
McGrath is noted for his work in historical theology, systematic theology, and the relationship between science and religion, as well as his writings on apologetics. He is also known for his opposition to New Atheism and antireligionism and his advocacy of theological critical realism. Among his best-known books are The Twilight of Atheism, The Dawkins Delusion?: Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine, Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life, and A Scientific Theology. He is also the author of a number of popular textbooks on theology.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 20, 2015
This book was a little more arduous to mull through than other books because of its content, but that's what made it such a good read. McGrath breaks the book up under major doctrine headings (Christ, the church, etc.) and includes readings for each category. Well worth the time!
October 21, 2020
I was born Catholic, raised in a stringently Catholic household in a predominantly Catholic country, and I went to a Baptist school for four years, so I spent practically all of my life governed by Christian theology, which, frankly, I never understood. Nobody likes to admit it but most of us can't keep up with the dogma, and when we do try to engage with authority figures to ask the questions that should have been explained to us from the very beginning, we are suddenly heretics and the antichrist.
The level of clarity that this book gave me... I learned more about my own faith in the week that I have spent reading this than in the years that I have spent going to mass Sunday after Sunday. Why do we always take the basics for granted? There are so many present disagreements within my church and within my community that would be answered or at least enlightened by just... critically finding its place in the development of Christian theology.
That's what I really appreciated about this book: the dialectical presentation of a subject matter. The chapters are very brief and really just introductory, but it does a really good job of situating a certain belief within what has become a doctrine of beliefs that would normally be complicated, hard to follow, and sometimes confusing. It shares articles from literally antiquity to present discourses like Christian feminism, which I really appreciated.
This book is perfect for (1) if you really have no idea what the flip Christiany is about, or (2) if you have been Christian your whole life and everything is confusing now. It gives a good overview of the foundational Christian beliefs as well as points you to further readings that you can then explore after having seen its place in the "bigger picture," so to speak.
Anyway, when I was 8, a catechist came to school to teach us about the eucharist. Being, as you might imagine, eight, I had some follow up questions, such as (nonverbatim): but sister, if that is the body of Christ... like, that is the real body of Christ... we are... eating Christ??? Where are we getting such large amounts of Christ to go around?! WHERE ARE WE KEEPING HIM--
I was promptly expelled from the premises. Only after years was I ever to learn about transubstantiation. Years of questions... years of moral crisis... years of guilt... Happy to announce to all my peers that I am not "technically a cannibal" after all.
The level of clarity that this book gave me... I learned more about my own faith in the week that I have spent reading this than in the years that I have spent going to mass Sunday after Sunday. Why do we always take the basics for granted? There are so many present disagreements within my church and within my community that would be answered or at least enlightened by just... critically finding its place in the development of Christian theology.
That's what I really appreciated about this book: the dialectical presentation of a subject matter. The chapters are very brief and really just introductory, but it does a really good job of situating a certain belief within what has become a doctrine of beliefs that would normally be complicated, hard to follow, and sometimes confusing. It shares articles from literally antiquity to present discourses like Christian feminism, which I really appreciated.
This book is perfect for (1) if you really have no idea what the flip Christiany is about, or (2) if you have been Christian your whole life and everything is confusing now. It gives a good overview of the foundational Christian beliefs as well as points you to further readings that you can then explore after having seen its place in the "bigger picture," so to speak.
Anyway, when I was 8, a catechist came to school to teach us about the eucharist. Being, as you might imagine, eight, I had some follow up questions, such as (nonverbatim): but sister, if that is the body of Christ... like, that is the real body of Christ... we are... eating Christ??? Where are we getting such large amounts of Christ to go around?! WHERE ARE WE KEEPING HIM--
I was promptly expelled from the premises. Only after years was I ever to learn about transubstantiation. Years of questions... years of moral crisis... years of guilt... Happy to announce to all my peers that I am not "technically a cannibal" after all.
February 17, 2017
A good little primer for theology and a sampler that gives a taste of the likes of Augustine, Calvin, Barth, Brunner, Tillich, Aquinas, Moltmann, von Balthasar, Edwards, Paley, Sayers, Wright, Schleiermacher, Anselm, Irenaeus, Rahner, Luther, Newbigin, Hauerwas, Zwingli, Williams, Wesley, Pannenberg, Tanner ... and that crowd.
The readings are divided thematically: faith, God, creation, Jesus, salvation, Trinity, church, sacraments, heaven. The newer edition apparently adds Holy Spirit as a section.
The readings are divided thematically: faith, God, creation, Jesus, salvation, Trinity, church, sacraments, heaven. The newer edition apparently adds Holy Spirit as a section.
June 8, 2023
This is a great resource book for an overview of the most influential theologians throughout history and different denominations. It doesn’t focus on any one in particular but does tend to lean more towards modern theology. Still, it provides great references for further reading so you can study a particular theologian more in depth later on.
November 17, 2022
A very thorough compilation of readings from ancient to modern theologians on various topics.
July 9, 2021
This is a collection of sixty-something prefaced readings from thinkers and theologians from the patristic to modern times. It is a refreshing and diverse treatment that is interesting but not always grammatically correct (it contains quite a few typos which detract from the overall quality of the work).
McGrath presents some really good information. The Catholic readings shed light on the church's defense of tradition, but I'm still not convinced that transubstantiation is real. Christ is always with us, so why would he suddenly become present in the wine and bread host?
My favorite chapters were Creation and Heaven, respectively. I found that I also really enjoyed learning about natural theology and especially eschatology (end times). I feel especially close to God though nature, like I'm sure many others do too. The hope of life forever in Heaven with Christ is also appealing to me. I like hearing the details. Some other topics include the Trinity, salvation, and sacramental issues; I'm not sure about the latter, but salvation is definitely the goal - a relationship with Christ!
McGrath presents some really good information. The Catholic readings shed light on the church's defense of tradition, but I'm still not convinced that transubstantiation is real. Christ is always with us, so why would he suddenly become present in the wine and bread host?
My favorite chapters were Creation and Heaven, respectively. I found that I also really enjoyed learning about natural theology and especially eschatology (end times). I feel especially close to God though nature, like I'm sure many others do too. The hope of life forever in Heaven with Christ is also appealing to me. I like hearing the details. Some other topics include the Trinity, salvation, and sacramental issues; I'm not sure about the latter, but salvation is definitely the goal - a relationship with Christ!
October 21, 2014
This book is outlined in such a way that McGrath selects a few excerpts from larger works of theologians throughout the history of theology in order to represent a "perspective" on a certain subject (salvation, eschatology, church, etc.).
It doesn't seem like it was meant for individual study but mostly group discussion. Unless you are willing to give this text a close read, though it is difficult given that each excerpt is probably three pages at most, I wouldn't recommend this book outside a group book study. Mainly because I think the insights one will get from this book will derive mostly from how the excerpts relate to contemporary theological issues and ways of thinking--which will be difficult to determine ex nihilo, sometimes. At any rate, it's a somewhat strong introduction to theology if read in conjunction with other theological works.
It doesn't seem like it was meant for individual study but mostly group discussion. Unless you are willing to give this text a close read, though it is difficult given that each excerpt is probably three pages at most, I wouldn't recommend this book outside a group book study. Mainly because I think the insights one will get from this book will derive mostly from how the excerpts relate to contemporary theological issues and ways of thinking--which will be difficult to determine ex nihilo, sometimes. At any rate, it's a somewhat strong introduction to theology if read in conjunction with other theological works.
July 27, 2011
The readings are so brief you can hardly enter their arguments. The scope of each topical chapter is immense, so the readings also rarely inform one another in any direct way.
October 13, 2012
Some of the readings are great. Some of them are not. What can I say?
March 3, 2016
Required text for a class. Good basic introduction to major concepts in Theology.
April 25, 2017
Read my review of 'Theology: The Basic Readings' on my blog.
Whether we like it or not (and whether we want to admit it or not), we are all theologians. Keep in mind though, this doesn't mean we're all good theologians. Some of us are horrible theologians. For too many people, their theologies are a hodge-podge of random beliefs they've picked up from a book here, a sermon there, and sporadic Bible reading.
Perhaps you've never given serious thought to what you believe or why. Maybe you've never even considered that you should give it thought.
If that's the case, I want to encourage you to not only realize that you already are a theologian - but also to commit to becoming a better one. You shouldn't be satisfied with a theology that is thrown together and held up with duct-tape. The beliefs that make up our theologies are too important for that. They deserve deep thought and reflection.
Unfortunately, (in my experience) most churches do a poor job of teaching Christians how to think theologically. So we're left with an important question: how can we learn?
If you're interested in really digging into Christian theology, I'd recommend that you pick Theology: The Basic Readings up along with Theology: The Basics. They're companion volumes and they fit hand in glove together. Although I suppose you could read Theology: The Basic Readings on its own, I wouldn't really recommend it. It's set up in the same format as Theology: The Basics and it helps to have read the chapter in that book before you come to this one.
That's the way I worked through these books. I would read a chapter in Theology: The Basics and then I'd move over into the Basic Readings and work through the corresponding chapter. Unfortunately, I was on a bit of a time-crunch and I didn't get the chance to work through the readings like I would have liked to.
As I said regarding Theology: The Basics, Theology: The Basic Readings is a hodge-podge of excerpts from Christians throughout history. Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists, Wesleyans, Anglicans, and more are all included. Though I think that in both books, the Orthodox church gets short shrift. And this is unfortunate because Orthodoxy has much to teach Western Christendom - if we'd listen.
The excerpts included in this book are largely excellent with only a handful that I would have replaced. Each reading begins with some basic notes about the context of the author and ends with questions for reflection. The questions really guide the reader through the reading and they're helpful for teasing out the meaning and implications of each author's message.
With that said, there are some really challenging readings here. There were more than a couple that I had to re-read twice (and even three times) to really follow the arguments being made. This is where the questions at the end come in especially helpful. It's also where I could imagine that working through this in a group would be incredibly profitable. And honestly, the readings are advanced enough that I could see these books being used at both a collegiate level as well as within the local church (in a theologically-minded small group perhaps?).
Be warned, if you don't like theological diversity, you'll find yourself getting angry as you work through this book. It includes readings from authors as diverse as N.T. Wright, Karl Barth, Dorothy Sayers, Huldrych Zwingli, and Pope Benedict XVI. You will not agree with everyone. But nearly everyone will challenge you - at one time or another - to think more deeply about your own beliefs.
And that's what theology is all about. Ever more faithfully thinking Christ's thoughts after him.
Whether we like it or not (and whether we want to admit it or not), we are all theologians. Keep in mind though, this doesn't mean we're all good theologians. Some of us are horrible theologians. For too many people, their theologies are a hodge-podge of random beliefs they've picked up from a book here, a sermon there, and sporadic Bible reading.
Perhaps you've never given serious thought to what you believe or why. Maybe you've never even considered that you should give it thought.
If that's the case, I want to encourage you to not only realize that you already are a theologian - but also to commit to becoming a better one. You shouldn't be satisfied with a theology that is thrown together and held up with duct-tape. The beliefs that make up our theologies are too important for that. They deserve deep thought and reflection.
Unfortunately, (in my experience) most churches do a poor job of teaching Christians how to think theologically. So we're left with an important question: how can we learn?
If you're interested in really digging into Christian theology, I'd recommend that you pick Theology: The Basic Readings up along with Theology: The Basics. They're companion volumes and they fit hand in glove together. Although I suppose you could read Theology: The Basic Readings on its own, I wouldn't really recommend it. It's set up in the same format as Theology: The Basics and it helps to have read the chapter in that book before you come to this one.
That's the way I worked through these books. I would read a chapter in Theology: The Basics and then I'd move over into the Basic Readings and work through the corresponding chapter. Unfortunately, I was on a bit of a time-crunch and I didn't get the chance to work through the readings like I would have liked to.
As I said regarding Theology: The Basics, Theology: The Basic Readings is a hodge-podge of excerpts from Christians throughout history. Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists, Wesleyans, Anglicans, and more are all included. Though I think that in both books, the Orthodox church gets short shrift. And this is unfortunate because Orthodoxy has much to teach Western Christendom - if we'd listen.
The excerpts included in this book are largely excellent with only a handful that I would have replaced. Each reading begins with some basic notes about the context of the author and ends with questions for reflection. The questions really guide the reader through the reading and they're helpful for teasing out the meaning and implications of each author's message.
With that said, there are some really challenging readings here. There were more than a couple that I had to re-read twice (and even three times) to really follow the arguments being made. This is where the questions at the end come in especially helpful. It's also where I could imagine that working through this in a group would be incredibly profitable. And honestly, the readings are advanced enough that I could see these books being used at both a collegiate level as well as within the local church (in a theologically-minded small group perhaps?).
Be warned, if you don't like theological diversity, you'll find yourself getting angry as you work through this book. It includes readings from authors as diverse as N.T. Wright, Karl Barth, Dorothy Sayers, Huldrych Zwingli, and Pope Benedict XVI. You will not agree with everyone. But nearly everyone will challenge you - at one time or another - to think more deeply about your own beliefs.
And that's what theology is all about. Ever more faithfully thinking Christ's thoughts after him.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews