In recent decades a new movement has arisen, bringing the conceptual tools of analytic philosophy to bear on theological reflection. Called analytic theology, it seeks to bring a clarity of thought and a disciplined use of logic to the work of constructive Christian theology. In this introduction to analytic theology for specialists and nonspecialists alike, Thomas McCall lays out what it is and what it isn't. The goal of this growing and energetic field is not the removal of all mystery in theology. At the same time, it insists that mystery must not be confused with logical incoherence.McCall explains the connections of analytic theology to Scripture, Christian tradition and culture, using case studies to illuminate his discussion. Beyond mere description, McCall calls the discipline to a deeper engagement with the traditional resources of the theological task.



Thomas H. McCall (PhD, Calvin Seminary) is professor of biblical and systematic theology and director of the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is the author of Which Trinity? Whose Monotheism? and Forsaken: The Trinity and the Cross, and Why It Matters.



Introduction



1. What Is Analytic Theology?

A Brief History of Analytic Theology

What Analytic Theology Is (or Should Be)

What Analytic Theology Isn?t: Misunderstandings and Objections



2. Analytic Theology and Christian Scripture

Analytic Theology and the Response to Revelation

Biblically "Authorized" Analytic Theology?

"You Intended It For Evil": Biblical Theology and the Case for Compatibilism as a Case Study



3. Analytic Theology and the History of Doctrine

Historical Theology and Analytic Theology

Objections, Ontology and Orthodoxy: Christology as a Case Study

"I Am My Body, Broken for You"? Physicalist Christology as Case Study



4. Analytic Theology for the Church and the World

Analytic Theology and the Broader Aspirations of Christian Theology

The Historical Adam and the Crisis of Faith: A Recent Conversation on Creation, Evolution and Christian Doctrine as a Case Study

Unfinished Business: Toward Broader Horizons in Analytic Theology

Unstarted Business: Toward a Global Analytic Theology



5. Analytic Theology to the Glory of God

The Approach of the Theologian

The Telos of Theology

An Invitation to Analytic Theology, and Some Modest Suggestions



Author Index

Subject Index