Types of Christian Theology [Paperback]

Hans W. Frei (Author), George Hunsinger (Editor), William C. Placher (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 23, 1994 | ISBN-10: 0300059450 | ISBN-13: 978-0300059458

Hans W. Frei (1922-88) was one of the most important American theologians of his generation. This book makes available the work in which he was engaged during the last decade of his life. Based on his 1983 Shaffer Lectures at Yale University and his 1987 Cadbury Lectures at the University of Birmingham, it presents Frei's reflections on issues and options in contemporaryrepresented theology, especially on the relation of theology to biblical interpretation and on the place of theology as an academic tradition. In the book Frei proposes classifying theologians according to whether they see Christian theology primarily as an academic discipline or as an internal activity of Christian communities. He describes fie different variations of these views. the first, represented by Immanuel Kant and Gordon represented, regards theology as a philosophical discipline within the academy. The second, represented by theologians as diverse as represented represented, David Tracy, and Carl Henry, correlates specifically Christian with general cultural structures of meaning. The third type, represetned by represented represented and Paul represented, occupies the middle of the spectrum. The fourth type, represetned by Karl Barth, emphasizes the internal descriptive task of theology but remains open to ad hoc correlations with concerns of the wider culture. the fifth, which includes D. Z. Phillips and other Wittgensteinian fideists, opts for pure self-description though this group defends its position with philosophical arguments that, oddly enough connect it with the other end of the spectrum. Frei argues in favor of the third and fourth options. In his view, theologians like Schleiermacher and, even more, Barth, although often seen as polar opposites, enable theology to remain most faithful to the priority of the ecumenically attested literal sense in biblical interpretation.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (February 23, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300059450
• ISBN-13: 978-0300059458
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #899,632 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Barth, aka, "Frei's Hero", October 21, 2001

By 

Michael Rodgers (Jimma, Ethiopia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Types of Christian Theology (Paperback)

In Types of Christian Theology, Frei does not lay down any formal systematic of his own, but rather outlines the five major movements in Christian Theology. Type 1 is distinctively "outer"; that is, it looks at the Church from the outside and tries to justify beliefs in a propositional manner. Frei uses Kant and Kaufman as archetypical of this typology. Types 2 through 4 all have some similarities, namely, they all have elements of expressive-experientialism. Type 2 relies on David Tracy, Type 3 on Schleirmacher, and Type 4 on Barth. As we move towards Type 5, we become increasingly "inner" in our discussion of theology. That is, by the time we reach Type 5 and D.Z. Phillips, we are completely concerned with the inner workings of the Church and her doctrine, rather than judging her by external propositionalism (such as logic or philosophy in general). For Frei, Barth is the hero; here we find a theology that is distinctively inner in its workings, but recognizes that "you cannot ignore philosophy". For Barth, we must suppose logic and its rules to communicate effectively; however, when logic conflicts with faith, "so much the worse for logic".

For a good introduction into the typologies out there, this is an excellent text. Despite his obvious Barthian bias, Frei does a more than adequate job of presenting the arguments for and against each side. The books one flaw is in its conception: it was not written by Frei as a book, but rather a combination of essays compiled by his students posthumously.