The early centuries of the Christian era were marked by a variety of theological ideas in differing stages of development. Numerous theologians emerged with proposals about what the Christian church should believe and how theological ideas related to each other. Some of these theologians gained more prominent status and their ideas became sources on which others built. Patristic theology is thus a formative period, a yeasty time in which theological doctrines took on many stages of complexity. This outstanding handbook by a leading specialist in Patristic Theology provides students and scholars with easy access to key terms, figures, socio-cultural developments, and controversies of this period, extending to the ninth-century. McGuckin's introductory essay outlines the main intellectual issues in the early church. His concluding Bibliographic Guide Essay and General Bibliography also features a Website Resources Guide to assist readers with additional ways to study this period. The entries are written to help those with no previous theological knowledge understand the major dimensions of each topic. The result is an eminently useful, reliable, and unique resource.

The theologians and major thinkers of the medieval period developed their thought in complicated ways, giving rise to the term scholasticism, which was the method of learning associated with the great schools of the period. Theology was the center of thought, and finding one's way through the many and complex theological ideas introduced during this era can be very difficult. This accessible reference work clarifies these ideas and provides an extensive guide to the main theological features of medieval theology. Author James Ginther provides clear and compelling discussions of major Christian thinkers, sociocultural developments, and key terms and concepts related to the period. Both students and scholars will find this an eminently useful resource for the study of medieval theology.

This book provides ready access into and sure guidance through the marvelous, often convoluted, invariably rich world of Origen: the man, the ecclesiastical dynamics of his day, his extant works, the range of his theological explorations, his influence, and the controversies associated with him in life and in death. Included are recommendations for use and clear presentation of topics which enable the reader, whether novice or specialist, to engage Origen in ways that address the reader's interest. The Westminster Handbook to Christian Theology series provides a set of resources for the study of historic and contemporary theological movements and Christian theologians. These books are intended to help students and scholars find concise and accurate treatments of important theological terms.

Featuring essays from renowned scholars, this volume in the Westminster Handbooks to Christian Theology series provides an insightful and comprehensive overview of the theology of Karl Barth (1886-1968). This volume offers concise descriptions of Barth's key terms and concepts, while also identifying the intricate connections within Barth's theological vocabulary. Masterfully compiled and edited, this volume features the largest team of Barth scholars ever gathered to interpret Barth's theology. The result is a splendid introduction to the most influential theologian of the modern era. Contributors include Clifford B. Anderson, Michael Beintker, Eberhard Busch, Timothy Gorringe, Garrett Green, Kevin Hector, I. John Hesselink, George Hunsinger, J. Christine Janowski, Paul Dafydd Jones, Joseph L. Mangina, Bruce L. McCormack, Daniel L. Migliore, Paul D. Molnar, Adam Neder, Amy Plantinga Pauw, Gerhard Sauter, Katherine Sonderegger, John Webster, and many others.

John McGuckin, a world-renowned expert on ancient Christianity, has synthesized a lifetime of work to produce the most comprehensive and accessible history of the first millennium of the Christian church. This readable account explores the history in chronological order and then examines the same period thematically, looking at issues like women, war, and the Bible.

"The SCM Press A-Z of Patristic Theology" offers a valuable resource to students of Church history and historical theology. Combining accessibility with erudition, the expansive essays neither assure prior knowledge of the field nor fall prey to the dangers of oversimplification. A coherence of voice and vision is sustained, largely due to the fact that this volume is the work of one author, John Anthony McGuckin, whose deep learnedness and passion for ancient Christianity is evidenced on every page. Covering topics from East and West, the range of reference is from architecture and its liturgical implications, through to succinct explorations of persons, councils and controversies, definitions of faith, doctrine and the Christian life.