In this revised introduction, an internationally respected scholar explores biblical, historical, and contemporary developments in Christology. The book focuses on the global and contextual diversity of contemporary theology, including views of Christ found in the Global South and North and in the Abrahamic and Asian faith traditions. It is ideal for readers who desire to know how the global Christian community understands the person and work of Jesus Christ. This new edition accounts for the significant developments in theology over the past decade.

Interreligious relationships are often hindered by epistemic disparity caused by the nexus between religions and state powers. To solve this problem, David Muthukumar Sivasubramanian develops a postfoundationalist epistemological framework to affirm the epistemic parity and plurality of religions while upholding their particularity and universality. Building on this postfoundationalist epistemology, a comparative Christology paradigm that uses insights from the extant comparative theology method is reformulated with a Christological focus. This model seeks to affirm the exclusive faith assertions of Christianity and the corresponding universal claims for Christ. It also sustains the particular religious identity of a comparative theologian over against any compulsion to assume hybrid identity in the interreligious cross-learning. This comparative Christology framework is exhibited through cross-learning with the Tamil Saiva Siddhanta tradition. This method is shown to affirm not only the particularity and universality of Christianity but also of the Tamil Saiva Siddhanta tradition by defining each religion's attempt at their revealed truth as a parallel quest for truth. Thus, it facilitates dialogue across religions by securing one's self-identity and the other's alterity.

Wolfhart Pannenberg was one of the most important theologians of the twentieth century, and his work has much to offer contemporary theologians. In this book, the contributors analyze and discusses a component of Pannenberg's theology with an eye to demonstrating its enduring promise for contemporary and future theological construction. Topics discussed include Pannenberg's theological method, defense of the historicity of Jesus' resurrection, doctrine of God, doctrine of the Trinity, theory of time, doctrine of creation, doctrine of salvation, and public theology.

Christ came to save us from sin and death. But what did he save us for? One beautiful and compelling answer to this question is that God saved us for union with him so that we might become "partakers of the divine nature" (1 Pet 2:4), what the Christian tradition has called "deification." This term refers to a particular vision of salvation which claims that God wants to share his own divine life with us, uniting us to himself and transforming us into his likeness. While often thought to be either a heretical notion or the provenance of Eastern Orthodoxy, this book shows that deification is an integral part of Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and many Protestant denominations. Drawing on the resources of their own Christian heritages, eleven scholars share the riches of their respective traditions on the doctrine of deification. In this book , scholars and pastor-scholars from diverse Christian expressions write for both a scholarly and lay audience about what God created us to be: adopted children of God who are called, even now, to "be filled with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3:19).

Paul Tillich (1886-1965) is widely regarded as one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century. By bringing his thought together with the theology and practices of an important contemporary Christian movement, Pentecostalism, this volume provokes active, productive, critical, and creative dialogue with a broad range of theological topics. These essays stimulate robust conversation, engage on common ground regarding the work of the Holy Spirit, and offer significant insights into the universal concerns of Christian theology and Paul Tillich and his legacy.

The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most distinguishing marks of Christian faith. This is the first book to present an overview of the role of the Trinity in Christian theology in relation to religious pluralism and other religions. Approaching the study of the relationship between Christianity and other religions from the perspective of the Trinity, this book surveys all the major contributions to the topic by leading theologians at the international and ecumenical level. Veli-Matti Karkkainen points to future challenges and areas in need of development, examining in detail a case study exploring how the Catholic Church has responded to Islam from the perspective of the Trinity. Students of theology and religious studies will find this an invaluable text for courses that discuss religious pluralism and Christianity's relation to other religions. Pastors, other Christian workers, and academics will also find it a handy reference tool for teaching and further study.

Pentecostalism has been known much more for its religious experientialism than for its theology. During the past generation, however, Pentecostals have taken up the task of reflecting theologically from their experience of the Spirit of God. This book represents Pentecostal theology at its best, being thoroughly and unabashedly Pentecostal on the one hand, and yet being deeply ecumenical on the other. Within this dual Pentecostal and ecumenical framework, it offers Spirit-centered theological perspectives on the doctrine of the Church (ecclesiology), the doctrine of the salvation (soteriology), and the ministry and witness of Christians to the world (theology of mission). Toward a Pneumatological Theology is a sign that Pentecostal theology has come of age. It furthers the discussion of what it means to do Christian theology by starting with the Spirit of God, thereby demonstrating that Pentecostalism may indeed have something unique and distinctive to offer theologically to the larger Christian Church. At the same time, it will also be of interest to those who wish to begin understanding Pentecostalism on its own terms as well as to those who have followed closely the history and theology of the movement.

The doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most distinguishing marks of Christian faith. This is the first book to present an overview of the role of the Trinity in Christian theology in relation to religious pluralism and other religions. Approaching the study of the relationship between Christianity and other religions from the perspective of the Trinity, this book surveys all the major contributions to the topic by leading theologians at the international and ecumenical level. Veli-Matti Karkkainen points to future challenges and areas in need of development, examining in detail a case study exploring how the Catholic Church has responded to Islam from the perspective of the Trinity. Students of theology and religious studies will find this an invaluable text for courses that discuss religious pluralism and Christianity's relation to other religions. Pastors, other Christian workers, and academics will also find it a handy reference tool for teaching and further study.

The Pentecostal Movement, currently the second largest Christian constituency after the Roman Catholic Church, is the most rapidly growing Christian movement in history. It has grown from zero to almost 500 million in one century. Pentecostals are known for energetic evangelism and mission. They are often accused of proselytism and the lack of social concern in their mission. The International Dialogue between Pentecostals and the Roman Catholic Church has dared to have another look at these vital issues affecting the rest of the Church. The fourth round (1990-1997) of the dialogue, started in 1972, focused on mission, proselytism and common witness. The present study, written at the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research (Collegeville, Minnesota, USA), under the mentorship of Kilian McDonnell, OSB, the co-founder and co-chair of the International Roman Catholic-Pentecostal dialogue, highlights the similarities and differences in mission and related issues between these two largest Christian families.

What is the church? Why are there so many different expressions of church throughout time and space, and what ties them all together? Ecclesiology-the doctrine of the church-has risen to the center of theological interest in recent decades. In this text, theologian Veli-Matti Karkkainen provides a wide-ranging survey of the rich field of ecclesiology in the midst of rapid developments and new horizons. Drawing on Karkkainen's international experience and comprehensive research on the church, this revised and expanded edition is thoroughly updated to incorporate recent literature and trends. This unique primer not only orients readers to biblical, historical, and contemporary ecclesiologies but also highlights contextual and global perspectives and includes an entirely new section on interfaith comparative theology. An Introduction to Ecclesiology surveys major theological traditions, including Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Reformed, and Pentecostal ecclesiological insights from Latin American, Africa, and Asia distinct perspectives from women, African Americans, and recent trends in the United States key elements of the church such as mission, governance, worship, and sacraments interreligious comparison with Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, and Buddhist communities As the church today encounters challenges and opportunities related to rapid growth in the Majority World, new congregational forms, ecumenical movements, interfaith relations, and more, Christians need a robust ecclesiology that makes room for both unity and diversity. In An Introduction to Ecclesiology students, pastors, and laypeople will find an essential resource for understanding how the church can live out its calling as Christ's community on earth.

An internationally respected scholar offers a biblical, historical, and theological assessment of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, focusing on the ecumenical and contextual experiences of the Spirit. This comprehensive review of pneumatology in global perspective examines various theological and denominational understandings of the Spirit, assesses key contemporary theologians of the Spirit, and inquires into several contextual approaches. The new edition has been substantially updated throughout to account for major developments in theology over the past decade and includes added coverage of interfaith issues.

The Global Dictionary of Theology' is inspired by the shift of the centre of Christianity from the West to the global South. But it also reflects the increase in two-way traffic between these two sectors as well as the global awareness that has permeated popular culture to an unprecedented degree. 'The Global Dictionary of Theology' has approximately 250 articles written by over 100 contributors representing a global spectrum of theological perspectives. The full range of standard theological topics are represented, but in addition to the Western tradition the GDT canvasses the array of theologies that are currently being worked out around the globe. Many articles are composite in nature and achieve a sort of conversation between more than one global perspective. The GDT surveys, describes and classifies the rich variety of theological perspectives that have grown in local and diverse soils around the globe. In an age of unprecedented global awareness, the GDT will become a standard launching point of theological research that will enrich every student's understanding of theology. Moving beyond mission theology, it explores the local and global theological fruit of the inculturation of the gospel.

Paul Tillich (1886-1965) is widely regarded as one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century. By bringing his thought together with the theology and practices of an important contemporary Christian movement, Pentecostalism, this volume provokes active, productive, critical, and creative dialogue with a broad range of theological topics. These essays stimulate robust conversation, engage on common ground regarding the work of the Holy Spirit, and offer significant insights into the universal concerns of Christian theology and Paul Tillich and his legacy.