On Being a Theologian [Paperback]

John Macquarrie (Author), John H. Morgan (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 2011

This volume has been produced to celebrate the eightieth birthday in June 1999 of Professor John Macquarrie. It is indeed a Festschrift with a difference, in that most of the material has been supplied by Professor Macquarrie himself. The project was initiated by Dr John Morgan, President of the Theological Graduate Foundation in the United States, whose idea it was to produce a book which would give a picture of what it is like to live and work as a theologian. He and his associates engaged in conversation with Professor Macquarrie in a relaxed atmosphere over a period of five days, and organized the resulting material into this unusual tribute. The reflections recorded here are personal, specific and demonstrative of both Professor Macquarrie's genuine humility and his passion for his life's work. A selection of lectures marking important milestones in his life has also been included, among them his inaugural lectures at Union Theological Seminary, NewYork and Christ Church, Oxford, and lectures given before the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing. Georgina Morley has provided a substantial outline for each of his major books, and there is a comprehensive bibliography of all his published writings and translations. Professor Macquarrie's many admirers will welcome this tribute to one of the most popular and well-loved of twentieth-century theologians.

Product Details

• Paperback: 242 pages
• Publisher: SCM Press (July 28, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0334027713
• ISBN-13: 978-0334027713
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,342,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Memoirs of a master, February 17, 2004

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This review is from: On Being a Theologian (Paperback)

John Macquarrie is one of the finest Anglican theologians to come down the pike. Influenced by Heidegger, Rahner, and the Patristic tradition, he has spent a lifetime carefully and sensitively crafting a perspective that he prefers to call "dialectical theism," a panentheism that he believes can be traced back as far as Plotinus. In the face of the postmodern rejection of foundationalism, Macquarrie seeks to salvage the project of "natural theology," although his approach isn't that of classical natural theology. He's an intriguing thinker and a wonderfully clear writer (an uncommon trait amongst 20th century theologians!).

_On Being a Theologian_ collects several autobiographical essays by Macquarrie that discuss his Scottish heritage, his youth and early education, the years he spent teaching at Union in New York and Oxford in England, and his travels in retirement. Between the autobiographical chapters, the editors of the volume have interspersed wonderful essays on theology written by Macquarrie. Two of the most interesting include a lecture on Rahner and one on Christian theology at the end of the second millennium.

Finally, the editors of the volume cap the whole thing off with two absolutely great resources: a complete bibliography of Macquarrie's writings (running through 1998) and a book-by-book outline of his major works. Students and admirers of Macquarrie's theology couldn't ask for a better reference guide.