Schubert M. Ogden – författare

As artists not uncommonly keep sketchbooks, so thinkers often write notebooks. Schubert Ogden is a thinker for whom writing notebooks has been an essential discipline throughout his long career of trying to think as a Christian systematic theologian. By his own confession, constantly writing down his thoughts so he could discover what he wanted to think has always been as necessary to learning how to think theologically as constantly reading in order to think fruitfully with the minds of others. This volume is a selection from the indefinitely larger corpus of Ogden's notebooks now archived in the Drew University Library. All arising from his thinking as a theologian, the entries selected are addressed to some of the more fundamental, and therefore mainly philosophical, issues now facing anyone who would do Christian theology systematically. While each entry stands on its own and may well be read discretely, they together make up a single many-sided argument for a distinctive way of doing theology today by resolutely pursuing a comparably distinctive way of doing metaphysics and ethics.

As an introduction to Christian systematic theology, this volume treats all the main theological topics-from God to last things-seeking to explicate critically the understanding of them implicit in Christian faith itself in terms at once appropriate to Jesus Christ and credible to human existence. Its criteria, accordingly, are the ultimate criteria of on the one hand, specifically Christian experience of Jesus as expressed by the apostolic witness, and on the other hand, generically human experience of existence as expressed by a sound philosophy. And, as befits an introduction, it employs these same criteria to clarify the process of actually doing Christian systematic theology. Thus it begins by explaining both what such a theology has to do and how it is to do it, and ends by considering what it means to do theology as a Christian calling, particularly as a professional theologian.

But will it preach? The only good answer to this question often asked about a Christian theology is to preach it, which is to say, to preach according to it, to what it indicates, reflectively and critically, valid Christian preaching ought to be. This volume of selected sermons and homilies documents a career-long attempt to do exactly that. Concerned at once to be faithful to the Christian witness and to speak intelligibly and credibly to women and men here and now, it represents the way of preaching, and so directly calling for a Christian commitment, that is of a piece with the distinctive way of doing Christian theology set forth and argued for in Schubert Ogden''s other books and articles. This is why each sermon or homily seeks so to interpret its scriptural text as to bring out its existential meaning for understanding ourselves and leading our lives as human beings today. It is also why each of them, in its way, directly puts the question of decision raised by Christian faith. Thus, together with its companion volume, To Teach the Truth, this book offers a model for bearing witness to the truth as Christians understand it.

But will it teach? The only good answer to this question often asked about a Christian theology is to teach it, which is to say, to teach according to it, to what it indicates, reflectively and critically, valid Christian teaching ought to be. This volume of selected courses and seminars documents a career-long attempt to do exactly that. Concerned at once to be faithful to the Christian witness and to speak intelligibly and credibly to women and men here and now, it represents the way of doing church teaching, and so clarifying the meaning of the Christian commitment, that is of a piece with the distinctive way of doing Christian theology set forth and argued for in Schubert Ogden''s other books and articles. This is why the courses and seminars seek to address the real questions of persons about being a Christian today and include extended treatment of such basic issues as the authority of Scripture and the credibility of the Apostles'' Creed. It is also why each of them, in its way, indirectly calls for a Christian decision. Thus, together with its companion volume, To Preach the Truth, this book offers a model for bearing witness to the truth as Christians understand it.

Here is an essential handbook for all those who would "e;do theology today, written by one of America's most distinguished theologians. The book is divided into four parts:-- "e;Theology of Theology, which extends, deepens, and renders more persuasive the author's lines of thought on theological prolegomena-- "e;Theology and Christology, which argues that to do theology today one must be concerned above all with the fundamental questions of God and Jesus-- "e;Theology of Religions, which implies that to do theology today is to do it in a truly global context, in the presence of the plurality of ways of being human, including those represented by non-Christian religions-- "e;Theology in Conversation, which claims that to do theology today is to enter into close and sustained conversation with others who either are or have been engaged in the same task of critical reflection

In dieser Einführung in die christliche systematische Theologie widmet sich Schubert Ogden den grundlegenden theologischen Themen: von Gott bis zu den letzten Dingen. Dabei stellt er klar, dass den vielen verschiedenen christlichen Glaubenswahrheiten dasselbe Verständnis des letzten Sinns der menschlichen Existenz zugrunde liegt; sie sind letztlich allesamt Ausdrucksformen ein und derselben christlichen Glaubenswahrheit. Auf dieser Grundlage zeigt Ogden, was Theologie heutzutage leisten kann und muss – und wie der professionelle Theologe dieses Wissen praktisch umsetzen kann.