We posed this question to eight theologians: Suppose someone who hasn’t been keeping up with theology for the past 25 years now wants to read the most important books written during that time. What five titles would you suggest?
I am interested that you seek to answer the question first before you look at the eight people’s responses they have.
I just want to say thanks for this link. It has provided great additions to my book list.
I would hope that D.B. Hart’s “The Beauty of the Infinite” might make the list. I would also guess Zizioulas’ “Being As Communion.” Beyond that, the only other modern names that immediately come to mind are von Balthasar, Pannenberg, Jensen, Hauerwas. Maybe Lindbeck’s “Nature of Doctrine.” Okay, now I have to click the link.
Hmmm. Interesting. I think Hauerwas’ list fits the questiob best: his choices seem more “essential” than some of the others, which seem to me to be more particular or more narrowly focused. Lindbeck’s work, I am sure, is over 25 years old, certainly anything by von Balthasar would be, and Zizoulas’ Being As Communion’ has to be close to 25 years old.
Just recently, at HTB, David Ford praised David Kelsey’s work Eccentric Existence as the most significant book in the last 10 years and was corrected by Miroslave Wolf who said, FWIW, make that ‘the last 25 years!’
I think Hart’s merits mentioning, too.
I note a lot of “Christianity &” stuff mentioned, and a lot of Eastern material. One wonders whether a similar list from the First Things editors would include anything beyond the Schmemann and the Wright.
I would add something like the Orthodox Way by Bishop Kallistos Ware, some other Eastern theologians that are out there but get little news outside Orthodox circles.
I guess I’m not a theologian. Well, I know I’m not. I’d at least mention the Systematic Theology trilogies of Oden and McGrath.
25 years?
David Bentley Hart The Beauty of the Infinite
Lindbeck The Nature of Doctrine (inspired me to go to seminary)
James Alison The Joy of Being Wrong
Ogden On Theology
Tracy Plurality and Ambiguity
I would agree with MP2009 in that Hauerwas’ list probably identifies those works with the most potential to endure. I thought N.T. Wright’s “New Testament and the People of God” would’ve gotten more play than it did as I imagine it will be influencing New Testament scholarship for decades. I was bummed to see Volf only got one mention. I was pleased to see Milbank’s “Theology and Social Theory” on several of the lists and I imagine longterm, it will have the most profound impact on theology in the next 25 years. Several orthodox, evangelical theologians (Smith, Horton, Olthuis) have recognized the merit of Milbank and have sought to place his critique of modernity/ postmodernity into a more Biblical, Reformed framework.
Amos Yong chose Nancy L. Eiseland’s [i]The Disabled God: Toward a Liberatory Theology of Disability[/i]. Has anyone here read this? Is it worthwhile?
Actually, I think the work of Ingof Dalferth is of the highest quality and, in English, I think his Theology and Philosophy is a true “essential.” A late 80’s publication, I think, because of its clarity on how we become, and theology may become, oriented to revelation.
Oops. Ingolf with an “l”
It seems like several commentators are going for the “womanist” theology. I would be more interested in lists from the ACI guys, Kendall +, and Matt Kennedy+.
My local book store thanks you. My nightstand and my checkbook are not so thrilled.
While dining with my wife and I in the Nashotah Flats, Archbishop Michael Ramsey quipped, “I always look to look at a priest’s library to see when he last stopped thinking.” And I suppose I qualify in that regard. I really haven’t read many theology books written over the past ten to fifteen years; hence many of the titles listed by these theologians are unknown to me, but I seriously doubt that even most of them will be seen as “essential” in another ten years.
One huge lacunae: the absence of anything by Hans Urs von Balthasar. While it’s true that the bulk of his important books were written before 1985, most of them got translated into English during the time-frame, so I think they should count. Balthasar will be remembered and read long after everyone has forgotten, say, Kathryn Tanner.
I was surprised, but perhaps not surprised, that Wolfhart Pannenberg’s three volume [i]Systematic Theology[/i] received no notice. Few theologians can match his erudition.
I was pleased to see Jenson, Zizioulas, Schmemann, Torrance, McCabe, and Hart cited.
I’d like to recommend one book: [i]The Dynamics of Grace[/i] by Stephen Duffy. It’s a book a keep coming back to.
But as the Good Book warns: “My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.”
Neil MacDonald’s two books on Barth come to mind. After Virtue is an great analysis. I think Frei’s Eclipse of Biblical Narrative is a critical account in the shift toward external reference in hermeneutics and essential reading. Radner’s work The End of the Church is certainly a tour de force and makes one think. For basic theological reading, John Behr’s volumes on The Formation of Christian Theology (title: The Way to Nicea) are clear and perceptive, especially his handling of ‘the rule of faith.’ Thanks for asking Robroy, those would be my suggestions for theological books. David Yeago has written some perceptive essays and it would be good to see his Theology when it appears. I wonder how long the separation between Theology and Scripture will be maintained, even in innocent ways assumed by the survey?
re: the long separation of Theology and Scripture. John Webster’s Holy Scripture is an elegant, timely, and excellent IMHO.
(Again, maybe we need another thread. After Virtue and Eclipse don’t make the cutoff date. So maybe we start a thread ‘Essential Theology Reading List of Books Written from (date) with Reasons Why.’
I can’t help but put a plea in for David Bailey Harned’s little gem PATIENCE: How we wait upon the world. It’s pastoral, literary, theological, and for systematicians, brings together providence, character, and hope in an elegant way. I hope people know it.
Desire of the Nations (O’Donovan) at least makes a long exegetical argument. So too MacDonald in Metaphysics and the God of Israel. Not much of that in Webster — who may be good for other reasons. Having run seminars on the topic for ten years, I am hopeful. The turn to the tradition helps.
The article is decidedly biased from the get go, since they only polled Protestant theologians. There is a wonderful RC theologian, not terribly difficult to digest, named Ratzinger. His “Jesus of Nazareth” is a masterpiece.
#18, Actually Lawrence Cunningham is a very faithful Roman Catholic. As Chair of Notre Dame’s Theology Department in the early 1990s, he presided over a period of remarkable expansion and growth there. It also strikes me that some of his choices can hardly be described as “Protestant,” either …
This was a valuable list to peruse (though perhaps weighted towards Systematic Theology more than other specializations):
many thanks !
Apologies for 18
I have ordered Professor Seitz’s suggestion: John Behr’s volumes on The Formation of Christian Theology (title: The Way to Nicea).
Canon Theologian Harmon…your suggestions?