This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. As a pastoral systematic, The Christian Story rises from, and strives to be a resource to, the life and witness of
This is a print on demand book and is therefore non- returnable. As a pastoral systematic,
The Christian Story rises from, and strives to be a resource to, the life and witness of the church and its leadership. The first volume (revised edition, 1984) offered an introductory overview of the basic Christian doctrine.
Now turning his attention to the individual doctrines, Gabriel Fackre here surveys a spectrum of views on authority — from inerrantist to experientialist — and sets forth an alternative perspective along ecumenical and narrative lines. The author's search for a full-orbed position affirms Scripture as the source, the church and its traditions as resource, the world of human experience as setting, the Gospel as substance, and Christ as the center of authority.
A detailed analysis of hermeneutical issues is included in the book. The quest for evangelical catholicity leads to a restatement of the fourfold method of scriptural interpretation: common sense, critical scholarship, canonical perspective, and the contextualization process — personal and social. An extensive exegesis of a key Christological text, John 14:6, illustrates how this method works.
Donald G. Bloesch
"A penetrating and illuminating study of problems in authority and hermeneutics by a respected ecumenical theologian. While pioneering and innovative, this work nevertheless stands in unmistakable continuity with the basic insights of the Reformation and the apostolic tradition."
Wallace E. Fisher
"A compelling exposition of the authority of Scripture. . . . Challenging the intellect, warming the heart, and prodding with will, the book is pastoral systematic at its best."
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Gabriel Fackre (1926–2018) was Abbot Professor Emeritus of Christian Theology at Andover Newton Theological School. Well known as an "ecumenical evangelical" pastor and theologian, he was also a prolific author. His many books include The Christian Story (three editions); Christian Basics: A Primer for Pilgrims (with his wife, Dorothy); Judgment Day at the White House; Christology in Context; The Church: Signs of the Spirit and Signs of the Times; and The Promise of Reinhold Niebuhr (3rd edition).
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