Theological Foundations: Concepts and Methods for Understanding Christian Faith [Paperback]

SJ PhD J.J. Mueller (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0884899209 | ISBN-13: 978-0884899204 | Publication Date: September 21, 2007

Here, a team of award-winning teaching scholars has come together to create an introductory text that offers a truly unique and innovative contribution to the discipline of theological studies. This "first book" provides students of any religious tradition with the foundational skills, vocabulary, conceptual understanding, and research abilities that they need to succeed in theology and religious studies.

Theological Foundations provides the following:

• Ten chapters that introduce the major sub-disciplines of theology creating a well-rounded source for understanding the discipline as a whole
• Contributions that are clear, accessible, and steeped in content
• A strong basis for vigorous intellectual and personal exploration of life and our relation to God
• Flexibility that allows the instructor to assign readings in any order that fits his or her syllabus
• A one-of-a-kind, integrated library research component, "From the Reference Librarian," which teaches students the foundational skills needed for successful study in theology and in any academic discipline

Product Details

• Paperback: 418 pages
• Publisher: Anselm Academic (September 21, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0884899209
• ISBN-13: 978-0884899204
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #58,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deserves a place in any community or college library collection on theology, September 13, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Theological Foundations: Concepts and Methods for Understanding Christian Faith (Paperback)

Faith is not something easily understood; it has baffled philosophers and thinkers for centuries. "Theological Foundations: Concepts and Methods for Understanding Christian Faith" is a scholarly text for amateur and professional theologians who want to better understand the most basic concepts of faith, from a thinker's standpoint. Breaking down Christian faith in the chapters and books of the Bible, J.J. Mueller presents a fairly complete and comprehensive treatise on faith. "Theological Foundations" deserves a place in any community or college library collection on theology.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Intro Book for Catholic Theology, September 2, 2009

By 

T. Richardson "theology tj" (Saint Charles, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Theological Foundations: Concepts and Methods for Understanding Christian Faith (Paperback)

I use this book to teach an Advanced College Credit Course in Theology for high school students. Each chapter gives a broad overview of important ideas and topics in the development of the Christian faith. Each chapter was written by one of the theological faculty members at Saint Louis University in his/her own field which makes it a very good source for study especially for students who do not have a deep background in theological academia. The library resource materials are invaluable in demonstrating the student how to do proper research within the realm of theology. The Theology Department specifically went to the SLU library staff to help with this project. That resource alone is valuable for the student in his/her college career.
I cannot possibly cover everything that is in the textbook within a semester and I have to pick and choose what I cover and what I need to supplement as most teachers do with any textbook and course. I also like the Q/A section in the text for each chapter that identifies for the student what the author intends the student to take from the chapter. Most helpful for me is the Reflection Questions for the chapter. This is where the challenge for the student can be found. These questions force the student to think, not in pre-determined and unchallenged ways, but in self reflection for their own life and putting together their own faith outlook.
I highly recommend this book as a "jump off" text for discussion but also as a reference book for those students/teachers interested in Theological Foundations of the Christian Faith.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's really western, Roman Catholic--no Eastern or Protestant, January 26, 2009

By 

MarbleFarb - See all my reviews

This review is from: Theological Foundations: Concepts and Methods for Understanding Christian Faith (Paperback)

This book is designed for an introductory college course in Theology. One of the strengths is the extensive information on performing library searches. The book also includes chapters on Judaism and on Islam, important for today's interfaith relations. However, the value of those chapters is more than offset by the complete lack of information on Protestant Christianity and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Anyone who uses this book for teaching purposes will need to supplement it with information from other sources--a real nuisance.