Christian theology has from the earliest years pointed to faith as the necessary path by which humans were to enter into a saving relationship with God. Faith has been taken to be the fundamental Christian virtue, the indispensable prerequisite for hope, charity, and good works. In this book, a leading Roman Catholic theologian provides an overview of the massive classical and contemporary literature on faith, and presents his own systematic theology of this essential factor of Christian life. In the first part of the book, Avery Dulles considers the biblical foundations of the theology of faith, and examines in detail the history of theological reflection on the subject, from the fathers of the early church through such modern thinkers as Tillich, Barth, Rahner, and Lonergan. The second part offers Dulles's own systematic synthesis, exploring such topics as the nature and object of faith; the birth, growth, and loss of faith; and faith and salvation. A major contribution by one of America's foremost contemporary theologians, this book will be of great interest to an ecumenical cross-section of Christian scholars and students of theology.

The Assurance of Things Hoped For: A Theology of Christian Faith

Religion & Spirituality

Dulles S.J., Avery

Worship & Devotion

Oxford University Press

Faith, since the earliest Christian theologians, has been regarded as the fundamental Christian virtue--the prerequisite for hope, charity, and good works. In this book, Avery Dulles examines the biblical foundations and history of theological reflection on faith, from the Greek and Latin fathers to such modern giants as Tillich, Rahner, and Lonergan. Further, Dulles presents his own systematic synthesis, reflecting on such topics as the nature and object of faith; the certitude of faith; the birth, growth, and loss of faith; and faith and salvation. The result is a refreshingly relevant theology of faith for our day.

History

World

The Catholicity of the Church

Avery Dulles, well-known for several previous works in ecclesiology, including Models of the Church, here surveys a theme that demands new treatment in the present global and ecumenical context. Nearly all Christians profess allegiance to the holy catholic church, but the meaning of the term "catholic" is widely disputed. This book investigates the historical use of the word and the various aspects of catholicity. Beginning with the word's divine source in Christ as "the first-born of all creation" Dulles goes on to discuss such topics as the "catholic principle" Catholicism as a specific ecclesial type, and the possibility of a "Protestant Catholicism" He concludes by asking how, given the current "parochial" appearance of Christianity, any Christian church can plausibly claim to be catholic.

Christian Books & Bibles

Clarendon Press

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Books by Dulles S.J., Avery