Theology In A Global Context: The Last Two Hundred Years

In an increasingly global world, context becomes more important than ever. As our national and international narratives intertwine, untangling them can become a difficult task, especially in the field of theology. In this book, Hans Schwarz leads us into the web of Christian theology’s recent past from Kant to Schleiermacher to Mbiti and Zizioulas, pointing out all the theologians of the last two hundred years who have had a major impact beyond their own context. With an eye to the blending of theology and biography, Schwarz skillfully draws the lines of connection between theologians, their history, and wider theological movements.

Schwarz’s initial focus on European and American Protestant theology broadens to include the rich worlds of Catholic and Orthodox theology, also looking into liberation, feminist, African, East Asian, and Indian theology. Extensive primary source quotations from such varied and eminent theological figures as John Henry Newman, Karl Barth, Paul Tillich, Jacques Maritain, Gustavo Gutiérrez, Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza, Desmond Tutu, and more enrich the experience by allowing them to speak in their own voices. All who are interested in doing theology will find Schwarz’s Theology in a Global Context invaluable in charting their relation to the past, thus enabling them to set a course for the global theological future.