Christianity 101: A Textbook of Catholic Theology

St. Anselm described the study of theology as "faith seeking understanding." Christians doing theology have strived in various ways to examine more critically, understand more fully, and live more faithfully. This important new introductory text for courses in Christian theology is designed to help students of theology understand that history. Christianity 101 provides a lucid and comprehensible history of Christian thought--classic questions, classic answers--in each of the key areas of Catholic theology and discusses the major debates and thinkers in the tradition. Organized according to the traditional outline of systematic theology, the text takes a historical approach, tracing the development of thought in the ancient church, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, the modern era, and post modernity. It clearly reveals the scope and diversity of Christian theology that has existed over the past two millennia. Chapters include discussions on the nature of theology; the Bible; the Christian tradition; faith and revelation; the concept of God in patristic and medieval theology; the concept of God in Reformation and modern theology; Christ and salvation in scripture and the Fathers; Christ and salvation in the Middle Ages, Reformation, and modern age; the church; the sacraments of initiation; the sacraments of healing and commitment; moral theology; Christian spirituality; and eschatology. For each key area and period, the text identifies the relevant scriptural material and traces the developments within the field. Every chapter is followed by discussion questions and a list of suggested readings. Written in a clear and engaging style, Christianity 101 will appeal to faculty and students alike, and will serve as the ideal basic text for introductory theology courses at the college level.