Traditional patterns of educating and training clergy face not only crises of increasing cost and declining enrollment, but also a crisis of identity, since at present it is the academy, not the church, that shapes formation for ministry. This collection of essays outlines a history and a new vision of the church as the primary location of ministerial formation for the future of theological education.

The problem of creationand grace has a long history of contention within Protestant and Catholic theology, involving not only internecine conflict within the traditions but fueling, as well, ecumenical debates that have continued a dogmatic divide. This volume traces out that conflict in modern Catholic and Protestant dogmatics and provides a historical genealogy that situates the origin of the problem within different emphases in the thought of St. Augustine. The author puts forward an argument and reconstruction of the problem that overcomes the longstanding abstractions, elisions, and divisions that have characterized the theological discussion. What is called for is a reclamation of the reading of Augustine in Aquinas and Luther, a recovery of an ethical metaphysics, and a Christological reconstruction of being and otherness as the path toward a concrete union of creation and grace.

About the Contributor(s): Hans W. Frei (1922-1988) was one of the most important American theologians of his generation. He spent the majority of his career teaching at Yale Divinity School, where he authored The Identity of Jesus Christ and The Eclipse of Biblical Narrative, numerous essays, and a vast collection of unpublished works, which have since been published posthumously: Types of Christian Theology, Theology and Narrative, and the forthcoming Reading Faithfully: Writings from the Archives.

Synopsis: Ernst Kasemann famously claimed that apocalyptic is the mother of Christian theology. J. Louis Martyn's radical interpretation of the overarching significance of apocalyptic in Paul's theology has pushed Kasemann's claim further and deeper. Still, despite the recognition that apocalyptic is at the core of New Testament and Pauline theology, modern theology has often dismissed, domesticated, or demythologized early Christian apocalyptic. A renewed interest in taking apocalyptic seriously is one of the most exciting developments in recent theology. The essays in this volume, taking their point of departure from the work of Martyn (and Kasemann), wrestle critically with the promise (and possible peril) of the apocalyptic transformation of Christian theology. With original contributions from established scholars (including Beverly Gaventa, Stanley Hauerwas, Robert Jenson, Walter Lowe, Joseph Mangina, Christopher Morse, and Fleming Rutledge) as well as younger voices, this volume makes a substantial contribution to the discussion of apocalyptic and theology today. A unique feature of the book is a personal reflection on Ernst Kasemann by J. Louis Martyn himself. Endorsement: "Many Pauline scholars have long recognized the importance of Martyn's apocalyptic reading of Paul's gospel in Galatians, while some view it as the sine qua non of accurate work on Paul. But questions then arise: where should interpreters go after Martyn? What other interpretative trajectories need to be engaged? And how should the apocalyptic reading be teased out further? This collection is an array of vigorous responses to these questions, whose diversity indicates the debate will certainly continue, and whose depth suggests the conversation will be rich and significant." --Douglas A. Campbell, Associate Professor of New Testament, Duke Divinity School "In conversation with the groundbreaking work on New Testament apocalyptic by Louis Martyn, this excellent collection of essays illuminates the current challenging contours of apocalyptic theology. Bringing together New Testament scholars and Christian theologians, this is an important, compelling book not to be missed." --Travis Kroeker, Professor of Religious Studies, McMaster University "This is as distinguished a collection on the relation between apocalyptic and theology as can be imagined. If the whole is more than the sum of its parts, each essay makes a decisive contribution to figuring a relation that is profoundly constructive and generative. The collection represents a fitting tribute to the pioneering work of the biblical scholar Louis Martyn." --Cyril O'Regan, Professor of Theology, University of Notre Dame Author Biography: Joshua B. Davis (PhD, Vanderbilt) has been Visiting Assistant Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and has taught courses for the Loyola University (Chicago) Institute for Pastoral Studies. His research and writing interests include modern Roman Catholic theology, Continental philosophy, and the doctrines of grace, creation, and divine and human agency. Douglas Harink is Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Professor of Theology at The King's University College in Edmonton, Canada. He is the author of Paul among the Postliberals (2003) and 1 & 2 Peter (2009) in the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible, and the editor of Paul, Philosophy and the Theopolitical Vision (2010) in the Theopolitical Visions series published by Cascade.