Description

‘For three decades, he flashed like a meteor across the theological horizon, and then vanished.’ So writes Alan P.F. Sell of Nels F.S. Ferré 1908-1971, a widely published and widely travelled theologian of the mid-twentieth century whose work is largely neglected today. While Professor Sell speculates upon the reasons for this inattention, the primary concern of his enquiry is to show that Ferré’s works raise timeless questions about the relations between content and method in Christian theology. How far do the personal convictions of theologians influence their theological method? May methodological decisions yield attenuated accounts of Christian doctrines? Through his in-depth analysis of Ferré’s thought, the author deftly elucidates the doctrinal consequences of Ferré’s predilection for the ontological above the moral, particularly in the case of the doctrine of the atonement. Content and Method in Christian Theology is a cautionary tale concerning the importance of the choice of starting-points for theological reflection and construction and will prove an invaluable resource for theologians and historians of Christian thought, whilst also remaining an approachable and instructive text for all those with a general interest in theology.