This volume demonstrates how Friedrich Schleiermacher's thought can be used to address contemporary doctrinal refinement and development. Taking a constructive approach, Shelli M. Poe weaves Schleiermacher's theology together with current scholarship in feminism, womanism, ecotheology, and queer theology. While Schleiermacher is widely acclaimed as the progenitor of modern theology, Poe is one of the first to use his work as a springboard to refine contemporary doctrine. This book demonstrates the promise of Schleiermacher's mature work for contemporary constructive forms of theology.

Schleiermacher is now regarded as an influential figure in the history of Christian thought, theories and methods in religious studies, and hermeneutics. The German-language critical edition of his work beginning in 1980, Schleiermacher Kritische Gesamtausgabe, and English translations of key portions of his corpus beginning in the late nineteenth century, have allowed scholars to investigate the richness of his thought. German scholars have often focused on Schleiermacher's ties to early modern philosophy, his aesthetics, hermeneutics, and theory of religion, while English-speaking scholars have often focused on the theological influences and implications of Schleiermacher's work. Over the last 30 years, both German and Anglophone scholars have been at work translating and analyzing key texts. This Handbook gathers authoritative interpretations of Schleiermacher's work from both German and English-speaking scholars, bringing together the best that Schleiermacher scholarship has to offer. The chapters are divided into three parts. The first part offers a clear and nuanced understanding of Schleiermacher's own historical and intellectual context. The second part presents a close analysis of the structure and content of Schleiermacher's thought, in relation both to questions of method and particular theological themes and to broader inquiries in philosophy and the humanities. The third part provides an examination of the reception of his thought and of its contemporary implications for theology and the study of religion.

Martin Luther wrote: “Faith takes hold of Christ and has Him present, enclosing Him as a ring encloses a gem.” We hold faith as we seek to know Christ better, exploring Christian doctrines and deepening our understanding of their relevance to our day-to-day lives. Faith holds us as we respond to Christ’s calling, negotiate life’s challenges, and join in the work of bringing in God’s kingdom. This introduction to Christian theology shows how various understandings of particular doctrines play out in relation to the way we live our lives. It explores the content of core Christian doctrines and celebrates the “so what?” of each. Using theological literature and Scripture, but also current events, sociology, fiction, and movies, Rigby shows that theology is key to how we come to understand and negotiate our world. Holding Faith contends that some approaches to Christian doctrine are preferable to others, making persuasive arguments for creative ways of believing that can enliven our lives, and the life of the world. Theology has relevance because it can stymie or transform. How will we hold our faith? “Cynthia Rigby has written an accessible and lucid book of theological reflection for today’s believers, seekers, and doubters. This is no small feat. The book succeeds in the daunting challenges of presenting Christian theology with clarity and completeness, with commitment and generosity. It is an admirable text for theology students, pastors, and all those interested in understanding more deeply their faith and life.” Leanne Van Dyk, President and Professor of Theology, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA "This is an extraordinary book. Cynthia Rigby is a Reformed theologian, a minister, and a teacher. All of these gifts are evident in Holding Faith, as Rigby offers an eloquent introduction to Christian theology that is academically rich, pastorally sensitive, and profoundly accessible. She does not make theology accessible by watering it down, but rather by explaining it with compelling clarity. Holding Faith is perfect for seminarians, pastors, church groups, and curious souls; for those who are new to Christianity and those who have been studying and living Christian faith their entire lives. It will be an enormous blessing to those who teach theology and those who preach the gospel." Shannon Craigo-Snell, Professor of Theology, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY "Cindy Rigby's is a timely, necessary, and accessible voice in theological discourse, not only for those who together comprise Christendom but also for those who are curious enough about what Christian doctrines offer by way of challenge, critique, and comfort in our increasingly distracted, fractious world. Holding Faith is a prophetic, priestly, and pastoral defense of a faith tradition that historically contributed to this oppressive state of affairs - yet undoubtedly remains rife with redemptive possibility - for individuals, communities, nations, the cosmos. In its pages, Rigby provides church folks, people of other faiths, seminarians, and inquisitive "nones" with a "thoughtful place" to search out our private and corporate relationships to the God whom the doctrines signify, however imperfectly." JoAnne Marie Terrell, Associate Professor of Theology, Ethics, and the Arts, Chicago Theological Seminary "For those of us who teach theology, it’s rare to find a text that is accessible to those with no previous exposure to theology while also introducing readers in deep and expansive ways to major doctrinal teachings. But Rigby has managed to accomplish both here. This is a profoundly personal and invitational approach to thinking theologically in ways that demonstrate the relevance of ancient teachings for our world today. And it is also a serious engagement with the biblical text, a vast array of historical and contemporary theological voices, poetry, literature, film, and more—this introduction to theology will empower readers to hold onto faith in new and exciting ways." Deanna A. Thompson, Professor of Religion at Hamline University, St. Paul, MN

Establishing a biblical theology of circumcision, this NSBT volume by Karl Deenick shows that the concepts of righteousness and faith are central to both the New Testament understanding and the developing Old Testament understanding of circumcision. They are held together by the unfolding promise of a blameless "seed of Abraham," Jesus Christ, through whose sacrifice the promised righteousness will finally come.

Sometimes described as “a theologian’s theologian,” David Tracy’s scholarship has impacted countless thinkers around the globe. The complexity of his thought, however, has often made engaging his work into a daunting challenge. Combining analysis of the most influential features of Tracy’s theology (theological method, the religious classic, public theology) with a retrieval of his more overlooked interests (Christology, God), Stephen Okey presents the essential themes of Tracy’s career in accessible and insightful prose.

This essential introduction to contemporary constructive theology charts the most important disciplinary trends of the moment. It gives a historical overview of the field and discusses key hermeneutical and methodological concerns. The contributors apply a constructive perspective to a wide range of approaches, ranging from biblical hermeneutics and postcolonial studies to comparative, political, and black theology. What is Constructive Theology? shows how diverse and interdisciplinary constructive theology can be by exploring key themes in the field. The contributors explore the porous boundaries between Christianity and other religions, reflect on contextual, liberation and constructive theologies from Africa and from Black British perspectives, explore the connection between embodiment, epistemology and hermeneutics, and take a constructive approach to the dangerous memories and theologies of colonial histories in Belgium and Native Americans in the United States. This sampler of the field will help you rethink theologies and find constructive alternatives.