Thinking Through Our Faith: Theology for 21st Century Christians

It is possible, contends C. David Grant, to be a Christian and take modern and postmodern thought seriously. In the first half of his book, Grant explores three major intellectual revolutions of the past two centuries that fundamentally changed the way we think: the emergence of historical consciousness, the discovery of the evolutionary character of the natural world, and the postmodern recognition of diversity and pluralism. Suggesting that these revolutions set the context for all our thinking today, Grant turns in the second half of the book to suggest how they can be integrated into a viable contemporary faith by exploring their impact on Christians' thinking about the Bible, Jesus Christ, and God. He argues that we must accept the human origins of the Bible, the limitations of our historical knowledge about Jesus, and the conceptual character of all our talk about God. Within these parameters, the author sets forth a positive case for a constructive liberal theology, arguing that such an approach is both viable and vital for many contemporary Christians who seek intellectual integrity in their faith. By thinking through the concepts, ideas, and images we use in our faith, we actually come to appreciate and see God's grace as that fundamental mystery that lies at the horizons of our thought and experience.