Fundamental theology is traditionally viewed as the starting point for the various disciplines within Catholic theology; it is the place where solid foundations are established for the further research and engagement with the vast terrain of historical, systematic, philosophical, and sacramental/liturgical theology. In Foundational Theology, a landmark new study, Neil Ormerod and Christiaan Jacobs-Vandegeer seek to ground foundational theology in the normative drive toward meaning, truth, goodness, and beauty, appropriated by the theologian through religious, moral, intellectual, and psychic conversions. In doing so, the work maps out the implications of those fundamental orientations to the specific questions and topics of the Catholic theological tradition: God, Trinity, revelation, and an array of doctrinal points of investigation. The authors in this work provide a comprehensive approach to theological foundations for theologians while employing a new, groundbreaking approach to the discipline through the application of the insights of Bernard Lonergan, one of the foremost Catholic theologians of the modern era.

Fundamental Theology is fundamental because it is about how we see the mysteries of God, his Christ, the Church, and the sacraments of the Church. It is about how these things show themselves-how God shows them-to the eyes of faith. If Christ and the Church are things shown, fundamental theology is about the very showing itself. Talking about the showing poses the risk, however, of losing sight of the things shown and drifting off into abstractions. By continually referring back to the things shown, this book will answer many of the questions that arise when we ask about the nature and necessity of Scripture and Tradition, Magisterium and Dogma, Faith and its praeambula. In this second volume of the Sacra Doctrina series, Fr. Guy Mansini takes the reader on a tour through the essence and meaning of Catholic fundamental theology. This title will serve as an excellent textbook for upper level undergraduate, graduate, and seminary students. Book jacket.

Since its first appearance in 1977, this book continues to be the single most important text for understanding the theology of Johann Baptist Metz, one of the founders of the "new political theology." Metz's thesis is that the crisis that Christianity faces "is not primarily a crisis of its message, but rather a crisis of its subjects and institutions, which have pulled back all too far from the inevitable practical meaning of its message and in so doing have undercut its intelligible power." In response to this problem he offers a definition of a practical fundamental theology and, in the second part of the book, tests it against a number of issues in Christology, ecclesiology, and fundamental theology. In the third and concluding section the book devotes a chapter each to the three basic categories of the new political theology: memory, narrative, and solidarity. It is in recalling the dangerous memory of Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection, telling and retelling the dangerous stories of Jesus and those who follow him, and exercising a mystical-political discipleship of solidarity with those who don't count in our progressive, technological societies (including a solidarity of memory with the dead) that Christianity can recover its political voice without becoming simply a religious paraphrase of political and social processes. Book jacket.

At various times, some within the Protestant community have compromised core Christian principles to "fit the times". Challenging these truths, many members of the evangelical community have stood up for the key doctrines that, in their view, remain essential to the Christian faith. In Foundational Faith, John Koessler, a professor at Moody Bible Institute, joins several of his colleagues in introducing fundamental truths of the Christian faith to a generation increasingly unfamiliar with the original and true essence of Christianity.

This book is an updated investigation of the central themes of fundamental theology: revelation, hermeneutics, faith and its formulations, and the role of authoritative teaching in the Church. In a clear and balanced manner, Gerald O'Collins sums up the best of Roman Catholic teaching since Vatican II. Students and others who are reflecting on the nature of their Christian belief will find this book invaluable. The unique quality of this work, however, is its foundation in human experience. Before he probes the theological issues, O'Collins lays down a groundwork for understanding experience. It is not an attempt to turn fundamental theology into a subjective science, but it is a recognition that the reality of God always intersects with self-conscious human beings. While it does not touch all of the themes of fundamental theology, the book does provide in-depth treatment of revelation, tradition, and inspiration.

Never has the sacred covenant of marriage been more maligned than it is today. It can be difficult to know how to respond to a culture that is becoming more and more antagonistic to biblical beliefs about marriage. And this is a topic worth getting right. Marriage was given to us as a picture of the triune God in relationship with his people, which means what we believe about marriage is indissolubly tied to what we believe about God and his creating and saving purposes. Therefore, it is more important now than ever that we think theologically and carefully about what marriage is and how we live faithfully in it. Marriage: Its Foundation, Theology, and Mission in a Changing World is the much-needed work on marriage for this generation and the next. Rooted in a scriptural understanding of marriage, it thoughtfully engages the issues surrounding marriage being debated today and lays the groundwork for the crucial conversations of our day. Each section contains chapters from trusted theologians as well as experienced practitioners who work with couples daily. Rediscover the beauty of God’s design for marriage and be strengthened to stand firm amidst any challenges the world may bring

Since the beginning of the biblical counseling movement in 1970, biblical counselors have argued that counseling is a ministry of the Word, just like preaching or missions. As a ministry, counseling must be defined according to sound biblical theology rather than secular principles of psychology. For over four decades, biblical theology has been at the core of the biblical counseling movement. Leaders in biblical counseling have emphasized a commitment to teaching doctrine in their counseling courses out of the conviction that good theology leads to good counseling…and bad theology leads to bad counseling. A Theology of Biblical Counseling is a landmark new book that covers the history of the biblical counseling movement, the core convictions that underlie sound counseling, and practical wisdom for counseling today. Dr. Heath Lambert shows how biblical counseling is rooted in the Scriptures while illustrating the real challenges counselors face today through true stories from the counseling room. A substantive textbook written in accessible language, it is an ideal resource for use in training biblical counselors at colleges, seminaries, and training institutes. In each chapter, doctrine comes to life in real ministry to real people, dramatically demonstrating how theology intersects with the lives of actual counselees.

Unique among contemporary resources, the landmark Systematic Theology and its distinguished contributors present the major areas or loci of Roman Catholic theology in light of contemporary developments--especially the sea-change since Vatican II thought, the best new historical studies of traditional doctrines and scripture, and the diverse creative impulses that come from recent philosophy and hermeneutics, culture and praxis, and ecumenical contacts.

On congregational care, religious education, theological education, clinical pastoral education and church consultation.