Rethinking fundamental theology : toward a new fundamental theology / Gerald O'Collins.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Cover; Contents; Abbreviations; 1. History, Terms, Identity, and Themes; Historical background; Apologetics and fundamental theology; Terms and boundaries; Themes for fundamental theology; A coda: the contribution of Bernard Lonergan; 2. Faith in a Personal God; The divine attributes; Special divine activity; The existence of God; Approaches to the God-question; Conclusion; 3. The Human Condition; Four possible visions; Homo experiens; Religious experience; 4. General and Special Revelation; General revelation; General revelation and faith; Special revelation; Means of revelation. Word and event Mediators of special revelation; Discerning the prophetic experience; True and false prophets; Conclusion; 5. Jesus the Fullness of Revelation; The fourfold witness to the historical Jesus; The preaching of the kingdom: parables and miracles; The kingdom in person; The Trinity revealed?; Revelation past, present, and future; 6. The Crucified and Resurrected Revealer; Revelation through the cross; Revelation through the resurrection; A case for the resurrection; The meaning of the claim; The Easter appearances; The discovery of the empty tomb; Novelties to explain. The resurrection as revealing7. The Faith that Responds to Revelation; Three Positions; A narrative theology of faith; Some conclusions; 8. Tradition and the Traditions; The human reality of tradition; Christian tradition; Toward an ecumenical convergence?; Discerning the tradition within the traditions; Revelation, tradition, and Scripture; 9. Revelation, the Bible, and Inspiration; The formation of the Bible; The use of the Bible; The inspiration of the Bible; The function of inspiration; 10. The Truth, Canon, and Interpretation of the Bible; The saving truth of the Bible. The canon of Scriptures Interpreting the Bible; A coda: hearing the word; 11. The Founding of the Church; The founder of the Church; The call of the Twelve; Any time for the Church?; The early Church; Early leadership; Into the second century; The kingdom and the Church; 12. World Religions and Christ the Revealer and Saviour; Two preliminaries; The doctrinal background; The universal presence of Christ; Christ's universal presence and the religions; The transformation of Christ; The permanence of Christ's humanity; The universal presence of the Holy Spirit; The faith of others and the Church. A coda: the omnipresence of the risen Christ13. Theological Styles and Methods; Three styles of theology; Risks and possibilities; Some guidelines; Epilogue; Index of Names; Subject Index; Biblical Index

Addressing the potential for confusion about basic Christian claims and beliefs, Gerald O'Collins sets out to relaunch fundamental theology as a discipline by presenting a coherent vision of basic theological questions and positions that lay the ground for work in specific areas of systematic theology.