Approaching the Study of Theology: An Introduction to Key Thinkers, Concepts, Methods & Debates

by Anthony C. Thiselton

From the opening pages of the Bible, we learn of God as one who communicates with humankind—offering us first steps toward knowledge of the divine, the very foothold of theology. On this basis, Approaching the Study of Theology presents an engaging introduction to the breadth and depth of the study of theology, mapping the significant landmarks as well as the main areas of debate.

The book is divided into three parts:

Part I (Approaches) describes the major approaches to theology that have emerged and developed over time.

Part II (Concepts and Issues) explains the major concepts and issues, identifying theologians associated with each.

Part III (Key Terms) provides a helpful glossary of all the key terms that readers need to understand in order to better understand theology.

Written by the eminent theologian Anthony Thiselton, here is an accessible resource for both those in the midst of a theological course or program as well as those contemplating the field.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Philosophy, History

255 pages, Paperback

Published August 28, 2018

About the author

Anthony Charles Thiselton is emeritus professor of Christian theology at the University of Nottingham and a fellow of the British Academy. His recent publications include Approaching Philosophy of Religion, Discovering Romans, Systematic Theology, The Holy Spirit, and The Last Things.

Reviews

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best intro to philosophy of religion. While it can never replace primary sources (and so, anthologies), it is far more useful to the beginner. Something to note: in many places Thiselton is simply explaining positions (e.g., feminism). The lack of an immediate critique and discernment-blogger expose should not be taken as an endorsement.

Eastern Philosophy

Hinduism: supreme being is both antagonistic to evil but also undifferentiated consciousness. Possible tension there.

Medieval Philosophy

Ibn Sinna changed the terminology of the cosmological argument from uncaused/cause to necessary/contingent. Even if the argument itself is limited, this is a better change.

Modernity

We tend to see the big divide in philosophy as between analytic and continental. That wasn’t always so. Before Hegel it was rational vs. empiricism. Hegel broke that divide with his introduction of “historical reason.” For Hegel the absolute unfolded itself in a historical and dialectical process, taking up and sublating previous movements.

The Hegelian D.F. Strauss took this idea and said that myth could tell truth if in the form of a narrative. Enter, modern liberal Christianity.

Marx replaced Hegel’s “Spirit” with “matter.”

Part 1: Approaches

Analytic Philosophy. Began with GE Moore and focused on linguistic precision at the expense of metaphysics and consciousness. Facts are analyzed as atomistic states of affairs, which are then reduced to propositions. Russell’s work did offer new insights into logic, such as the existential quantifier.

Traditional statement: a round square does not exist.

This does not mean there is such an entity as a round square to which we deny “existence.” Rather, it means,

For every x, x does not exist.

A number of schools emerged from the analytic method: Logical Positivism, Oxford School, and Speech-Act school.

Continental Philosophy

It’s easier to explain continental philosophy by its different subdivisions.

Existentialism: the importance of human decision and will; temporality of all actions; truth through subjectivity. Subjectivity, however, means something more than “truth for me.” It is inner transformation.

Phenomenology: We describe objects as they are immediately given to us. Husserl began by rejecting “psychologism,” that reducing of objects to mental states. Instead, Husserl argues for intentionality, which is consciousness about other states or objects.

Husserl on Signs: every sign is a sign for something, but not every sign has meaning. For Husserl “pure consciousness,” or a directed consciousness towards both immanental and actual objects.

Hermeneutics: The Continental school focused more on hermeneutics than did the analytic school. This has a bigger overlap with Christian theology. With Schleiermacher hermeneutics moved from “rules of interpretation” to “art of interpretation.” The unity of the whole is grasped and then viewed in the various sections. We have a provisional grasp of the whole that is seen in our “pre-understanding.”

Heidegger-- Verstehen is bound up with interpreting Dasein’s possibilities of existence. Understanding is prior to cognition. Understanding is more of a projection.

Critical Theory-- praxis as theory-laden action. Power and knowledge entail each other. Capitalism generates false needs (Marcuse).

Feminism. More nuanced than what might expect. Feminism is more than just NPR propaganda. It draws upon a specifically Marxist critique that the male, enforced by binary rationality and logocentrism, “commodifies” the female.

Personalism. Critiques of personalism are difficult to manage. On one hand, it does stem from a rejection of classical theism following Hegel and Kant. However, Hegel’s and Kant’s construction of the doctrine of God is anything but personal.

Pragmatism and Rorty: we speak of justification rather than truth. Truth is what is successful to the community. Problem: Which community? Rorty prefers that of liberal democracy.

Concepts and Issues

Design argument: Today the defense doesn’t rely as much on particular minutiae but on structured orderedness.

Divine action: Can God act in the universe? There are two parts to the problem: a) how can a spiritual being act in the physical word? b) Does God’s acting again constitute a problem in the first place? If he were perfect, and had acted once, why does he need to act again? Thiselton draws upon speech-act theory to shed some light on the faulty presupposition. A single utterance, for example, can have multiple effects.

Speech acts: our speech acts depend on accepted conventions. We can’t just say, “I baptize this dog” or “I baptize this child 2704.” A promise is an interesting example of a speech-act. It cannot be done vicariously. Think about it: I can’t promise for somebody else. Also, if I say “I do” at the altar, it has perlocutionary force. If I am already married, it does not. Thiselton even goes further and links covenant with “speech act.” Covenants imply promise, and promise is a speech-act. Thiselton mentions that Tyndale identified 14 types of promise in the Bible, including “blessing, acquittal, appointment, etc.”

Part 3: Key Terms

Alienation: Marxists use the term to describe capitalism’s alleged reduction of humans to property.

Dialectic: originally referred to dialogue. It’s technical meaning refers to a logical process that sublates lower-order conclusions.

Essence: the permanent and fixed property of an entity. Wittgenstein rejected talk of essences as distracting from the particular cases of language.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m confused who this book is targeted towards. It is too advanced for a beginner and the more advanced student will probably not be aided by the refresher.

[Michael Philliber · Rating 5 out of 5]

My youngest son had a paper to complete on Fyodor Dostoevsky, "The Idiot," and the Enlightenment for his AP English Literature class. While we were talking over his content, he was puzzled by the "who" and "what" of the Enlightenment. It just so happened that a new 240 page softback book, "Approaching Philosophy of Religion: An Introduction to Thinkers, Concepts, Methods and Debates" had arrived by post the week before, a work compiled by Anthony C. Thiselton, emeritus professor of Christian theology at the University of Nottingham, England, and fellow of the British Academy. After my teenage son and I perused the volume, examining the installments on the Enlightenment, he borrowed the book and immediately referenced it in his paper. The volume proved to be easily accessible in finding the appropriate topic, and comprehensible by a teenage reader.

"Approaching Philosophy of Religion" simply unfolds in four sections. It begins with recording the historical way-points in the study of the philosophy of religion. Then it readily unpacks the various approaches, covering analytical philosophy, continental philosophy, empiricism and rationalism, existentialism, feminist philosophy, personalism, phenomenology and pragmatism. Next, Thiselton works through various pertinent concepts and issues in philosophy of religion. And finally, the author provides and defines key terms. The manuscript has a nice Chronology at the beginning, and concludes with a select bibliography marking out recommended text books, recommended seminal works, those volumes of special value, and finally some worthy of note. The manuscript makes itself a worthwhile reference work that is straightforward and uncomplicated. Yet it also is a surprisingly good read that a non-technical, but interested, person could benefit from.

"Approaching Philosophy of Religion" is the kind of volume that High School students would find profitable. It also will help those in college classes that are working on philosophical topics. But it's breadth and approach, as seen in my opening paragraph, shows how useful the volume can be when tackling other subjects, even English literature. It is a book I am keeping on my desk within easy reach, and I highly recommend you do the same.

Thanks to IVP Academic for providing, upon my request, the free copy of the book used for this review. The assessments are mine given without restrictions or requirements (as per Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255).

[Brian Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The key word in the title is "approaching," because it feels like you don't actually get to the philosophy of religion. This is an introductory text, but it tries to do too much. It ends up feeling like little more than an introduction to philosophical concepts and terms (at a very superficial level) and names of philosophers. Perhaps if the reader knew nothing of the subject at all and wanted a guide, a lay of the land and some recommended books to read afterwards, this might not be so bad. His recommended bibliography reflects a preference for continental philosophers (eight books by Paul Ricoeur are listed, which is three more than Alvin Plantinga, six more than William Lane Craig and eight more than J. P. Moreland).

I was disappointed by this book, but perhaps I had unreasonable expectations.

[Daniel Clemence · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview of Christian theology. The book is designed as an overview for theology students and breaks down the different parts of theology. Part one is on the history of the church and approaches to theology including systematic, philosophical, hermeneutic theology, biblical theology and also political and moral theology thrown in. Part two looks at the key concepts and issues whilst part three is a glossary of key terms.

A good introduction to the ideas of Christian theology.

[Blake Dozier · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a reference book this would be helpful. It wasn’t a good one to sit down and just read through. Most of it read like a collection of extended encyclopedia entries. It will stay on my shelf to be referenced when I need clarity on a term.

[Michael Philliber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthony Thiselton, emeritus professor of Christian theology at the University of Nottingham and a fellow of the British Academy, has done it again. Very much like his previous work, "Approaching Philosophy of Religion" published earlier this year, he has compiled a new 255 page paperback introducing theology. "Approaching the Study of Theology: An Introduction to Key Thinkers, Concepts, Methods & Debates" has just come out and is ideal for college classes, divinity students, pastors and professors. This handy little resource is written to be a reference work and an introduction into the various subjects and sources in theology.

The work unfolds in four sections. The first is an introduction that examines the biblical roots of theology, and its historical development to the present, running through the early church fathers, the medieval era, the Reformation, Karl Barth, up to today. Then Thiselton guides the reader along the various approaches to theological studies: biblical theology, hermeneutical, historical, moral, philosophical, political, practical, systematic, and the theology of religions. This second section is very helpful for showing the genealogies of the assorted disciplines, their strengths and weaknesses. Next covers key concepts and gives some depth to twenty topics beginning with atonement and ending with the Holy Trinity. The author's irenic leadership is clearly evident in these descriptions and explanations. For example, though I am not in the Pentecostal tradition, I thought the installment he penned on Pentecostalism was highly informative and gracious. Finally, there is a glossary of sorts. With a short paragraph dedicated to each term, the author covers 159 words from agnosticism to harmatology to kenotic theory to the wrath of God. Again, Thiselton's amiability was clear. As an example, his handling of Calvinism was genial and perceptive; "More strictly the term refers to Reformed theology, in contrast to Lutheran theology. In popular thought it is sometimes used disparagingly to allude to a preoccupation with predestination, in contrast to Arminianism...But Calvin's theology is far more comprehensive, and his emphasis on predestination and election serves to promote the sovereignty of God, and the undeserved character of grace. He seeks to follow Scripture and Augustine" (173).

"Approaching the Study of Theology" is easy to use and functional. The author desires his book to serve "those who are in the midst of a course in theology, and those contemplating the study of theology to degree level." He also wishes this work to "inform clergy, pastors and teachers who are in a position to advise students about what a degree course in theology will involve" (xi). Not only will it accomplish these goals, but it will be a useful resource for anyone needing a handbook on many theological subjects. I highly recommend the book.

My thanks to IVP Academic who sent me a copy used for this review. My descriptions and explications are all my own and freely given. There were no demands placed on me by the author, publisher, President, or federal agents.

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s a successful introduction to the study of theology by the revered scholar Anthony Thiselton. He has written major commentaries and highly-respected theological works including the companion volume Approaching Philosophy of Religion. With that body of work, Thiselton is the perfect candidate to write this type of overview to help students before they dive into larger theological tomes.

The Introduction introduces readers to the great categories of theology: the doctrine of God, humankind, human alienation from God, Jesus Christ: Redeemer, Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit, and the church and sacraments. You might call them by different names, but these are the great categories of doctrine. Broad and brief, this section makes for a great review. The rest of the introduction is taken up with a history of theology from the church fathers through modern times. You might quibble over what’s left out versus what got in, but again it works as an introductory overview.

Part one discusses approaches to theology in nine categories. This will help students realize the many angles by which theology can be approached. Some are obvious like biblical theology, hermeneutical theology, historical theology, and systematic theology while others like political theology and theology of religions are not so well-known.

Part two looks at concepts and issues and shows us how fragmented the study of theology has become. It strikes me as along the lines of the good, the bad, and the ugly, but a student needs to understand these concepts that show up throughout the scholarly world.

The final part is a discussion of key terms in alphabetical order. This section is wonderful for browsing or reference. You might define certain words differently, but again, this section perfectly works as an overview for students.

Thiselton continues a prodigious output in his later years. You almost wonder if he’s reflecting on his career and writing to fill in where he feels there are gaps. In any event, he has succeeded in giving us a quite handy volume here.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Shaun Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a person to pick up a title like this, he would probably be an intermediate or advanced reader. Yet the beauty of this book is that it is accessible even to the novice reader. Concepts are explained clearly, succinctly and intelligibly. Thiselton could have released a 1500 page version of this book, but much dedication and love were poured into ensuring that the material while broad, remained concise. The subject matter depicted will therefore not be exhaustive in depth, but this reviewer felt that the content is sufficient for a general overview.

The content is just as the subtitle describes - Key Thinkers, Concepts, Methods and Debates. For each subject topic, Thiselton discusses how notable thinkers/theologians have interacted with one another to shape its development (both in the present and through the ages), with references included as footnotes for those who would like to read further. I especially liked the analogy to explain what it is like for the dead to wait for the final moment of resurrection and judgment:

I have suggested the analogy of a child falling asleep on Christmas Eve, but waiting for the morning of Christmas. From a participant's perspective, we may tell the child, 'The sooner you fall asleep, the sooner Christmas will come.' But from an observer's perspective the adults of the household need to do many things, including preparing meals, wrapping up presents, and so forth. The analogy exactly matches the experience of the participant in death and transformation, and the observer of the eschatological drama. It is true in both cases: the departed are with Christ, but certain events must take place before the end (p112-3).

This book is probably not meant to be read cover to cover, but to be referred to as and when the reader wishes to acquaint himself (or explore further) in a theological topic of interest. I find Part 3 (glossary of key terms) especially useful as a quick yet exhaustive point of reference for theological jargon. Because it is a reference title, I would actually recommend it be purchased as a digital form, so that it can be accessed on the go (for example, when you are discussing theology with somebody outside the home).

[Graham Hoppstock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immensely helpful. Of course Thiselton presents not an entirely self removed view of theology, but I also find his interjections immensely helpful. His part 2 is particularly helpful. His comments on the Trinity and the necessity of relations are similarly decisive. Great text.