Practicing Christian Doctrine: An Introduction to Thinking and Living Theologically
Overview
This introductory theology text explains key concepts in Christian doctrine and shows that doctrine is integrally linked to the practical realities of Christian life. In order to grow into more faithful practitioners of Christianity, we need to engage in the practice of learning doctrine and understanding how it shapes faithful lives. Beth Felker Jones helps students articulate basic Christian doctrines, think theologically so they can act Christianly in a diverse world, and connect Christian thought to their everyday life of faith. Practicing Christian Doctrine, written from a solidly evangelical yet ecumenically aware perspective, models a way of doing theology that is generous and charitable. It attends to history and contemporary debates and features voices from the global church. Sidebars made up of illustrative quotations, key Scripture passages, classic hymn texts, and devotional poetry punctuate the chapters. The book will benefit professors and students in introductory theology courses as well as theologically interested laity and clergy.
Top Highlights
“To claim that Scripture is inerrant is to make a strong claim about the truth and reliability of the texts. God does not err, and these texts are the Word of God; therefore, it makes sense to confess the inerrancy of Scripture.” (Page 50)
“Such academic theology can never proceed rightly if it is separated from the Christian life. The early church articulated this connection with the phrase lex orandi, lex credendi, ‘the law of prayer is the law of belief.’” (Page 12)
“In short, Christians must reflect what we believe in the way that we live. We cannot do so without the gift of grace as ‘guided by the Spirit’ (Gal. 5:25).” (Page 26)
“A theology drawn from general revelation is known as a natural theology, because its evidence comes from nature.” (Page 35)
“For Catholicism, the Council of Trent clarified the relationship between Scripture and tradition for post-Reformation Catholicism. The council rejected the Protestant principle of sola scriptura and affirmed that Catholic theology relies on both Scripture and living tradition as interdependent and authoritative sources for theology.” (Page 48)
- Title: Practicing Christian Doctrine: An Introduction to Thinking and Living Theologically
- Author: Beth Felker Jones
- Publisher: Baker Academic
- Print Publication Date: 2014
- Logos Release Date: 2015
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Theology, doctrinal
- ISBNs: 9781441249111, 9780801049330, 1441249117, 0801049334
- Resource ID: LLS:PRCTCNGCHRDCTRN
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:22:19Z
Beth Felker Jones (PhD, Duke University) is associate professor of theology at Wheaton College and former assistant professor of Bible and Religion at Huntington University. She is the author of The Marks of His Wounds: Gender Politics and Bodily Resurrection and Practicing Christian Doctrine: An Introduction to Thinking and Living Theologically. Jones is a columnist for the Christian Century and has written articles for publications such as Duke Divinity School's Faith and Leadership and Christianity Today's Her.meneutics blog. She lives in Wheaton, Illinois, with her husband Brian, a United Methodist pastor, and their four children.