I’d been thinking that pointing you to the Christian Century‘s authors’ lists of the 5 most essential theological books of the last 25 years would spur you to give your own lists, but apparently not. Ranking people, making lists, and sharing such judgments are usually very popular here, but apparently not as popular as I thought.
So, please, give us your lists of the five most essential theological books of the last 25 years. Not best, necessarily, but most essential. You might offer separate lists for your ecclesial tradition and the general reader.
October 7th, 2010 | 7:35 am
My recommendation would be George Weigel’s “Letters to a Young Catholic” — while not necessarily a great work of theology it is nonetheless a beautifully written book that will remind any Catholic, young or old, of the beauty and power of their faith.
October 7th, 2010 | 9:04 am
Oliver O’Donovan, Begotten or Made.
Oliver O’Donovan, Resurrection and Moral Order
Oliver O’Donovan, Desire of the Nations
Oliv….okay, I’ll stop. : )
matt
October 7th, 2010 | 10:03 am
Here is my list, for what it’s worth. It seems to have a bit of everything, and I hope that it meets the criteria. To be quite honest, I spend most of my time reading people that have been dead for centuries, and I am not sure whether this is a good or bad thing. :)
1. Aidan Nichols–”Redeeming Beauty: Soundings in Sacral Aesthetics” (2007)
2. Aidan Nichols–”No Bloodless Myth: a Guide Through Balthasar’s Dramatics” (2000)
3. Josef Ratzinger–”The Nature and Mission of Theology” (1993)
4. Herbert McCabe–”Faith Within Reason” (2007)
5. Peter Kreeft–”Making Sense Out of Suffering” (1986)
October 7th, 2010 | 11:19 am
Well, we should keep in mind that “essential” need not connote approval. Some things can be essential reading even if they are fundamentally wrong.
I am not really competent to make such a list, though I suspect that Jenson’s Systematic Theology and O’Donovan’s Desire of the Nations would be on it. And probably Hart’s Beauty of the Infinite.
October 7th, 2010 | 11:36 am
Interesting time span: subsequent to all the most important works of Balthasar, Rahner, Kasper, Ratzinger, Dulles, Tracy. Has there really been anyone to replace these giants in the last 25 years?
I’d say:
1. John Milbank, “Theology and Social Theory”–the stake in the heart of Rahnerian constructions of political theology, and the genesis of probably the biggest theological publishing movement in the last 25 years (Radical Orthodoxy).
2. Robert Barron, “The Priority of Christ”–one of the best recent genuinely systematic theological works, which courageously tries (and I think suceeds) in getting past the liberal/conservative dialectic hegemony.
3. David Burrell, “Freedom and Creation in Three Traditions”–masterful synthesis and best account of how St. Thomas (as understood by the early Lonergan!) far better than his later commentators gave the definitive account of grace and freedom, and how (properly understood) it is indeed a non-problem.
4. Fergus Kerr, “Theology After Wittgenstein”–keel-hauled many continental presuppositions in contemporary mainstream theology, and led the way for possibilities of analytic philosophy as a handmaid for theology.
5. Together Servais Pinckaers’ “The Sources of Christian Ethics” and John Paul II’s “Veritatis Splendor”–they were published around the same time in English (as well the third part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church) and are a real theological unity; their collective effect was to permanently re-situate Catholic moral theology once again in St. Thomas after years of dominance by disciples of Rahner, Haring, Fuchs, and McCormick.
October 7th, 2010 | 1:49 pm
I don’t have five, but how about:
Systematic Theology by Wolfhart Pannenberg and The Logic of God Incarnate by Thomas Morris.
October 7th, 2010 | 3:24 pm
1. Richard Hays: The Moral Vision of the New Testament
2. Gerhard Lohfink: Does God Need the Church?
3. Tim Keller: The Reason for God (if you consider apologetics Theology)
4. Stanley Hauerwas and Will Willimon: Resident Aliens
5. probably some Lindbeck book on Narrative Theology that I haven’t read, but in lieu of that, Jesus and the Victory of God by N. T. Wright
October 7th, 2010 | 3:55 pm
1. Alexander Schmemann, For the Life of the World
2. Joseph Raya, The Face of God
3. Alexander Men, Christianity for the 21st Century
4. John Meyendorff, Byzantine Theology
5. N.T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God
October 7th, 2010 | 5:54 pm
I thought I’d go for a couple of areas that are often ignored, particularly among Protestant Evangelicals
Pastoral Theology– generally ignored and or treated like the illegitimate child of the discipline, but I’d have to say that Father Neuhaus’ Freedom for Ministry shaped my calling significantly.
Ecclesiology — RR Reno’s In the Ruins of the Church” helped me (as a conservative/orthodox/evangelical type in a liberal denomination) hang on to my sense that I should remain in the denomination to which I was called as a witness.
October 7th, 2010 | 9:38 pm
Trying to recommend both influential and good books:
NT Wright’s trilogy, given the Jesus Seminar stuff.
Ratzinger’s Jesus of Nazareth project, given his position and history.
Robert Gagnon’s book on homosexuality, given our current conflict.
Hart’s The Beauty Of The Infinite, given the apologetic shift we have experienced.
Pannenberg’s Systematic Theology, given no one else of his stature has cranked on out in that time period.
October 8th, 2010 | 2:13 am
I was going to suggest the first 3 installments of N. T. Wright’s Christian Origins series, but it seems others already have that covered.
Something by David Tracy (maybe Plurality and Ambiguity)
I also agree with whoever said Veritatis Splendor
October 9th, 2010 | 8:51 am
The greatest theologian living, IMHO, is Fr. Donald Keefe, S.J., whose Covenantal Theology should give him one day the title of Doctor of the Eucharist. (I know Chrysostom has that title, but Fr. Keefe has advanced the theology of the Eucharist immeasurably). I also loved Fr. Paul Quay’s The Mystery Hidden for Ages in God. And I hear no mention of Louis Bouyer, another great. De Lubac?
But the one who has brought me to my knees is Keefe.
October 9th, 2010 | 12:48 pm
How does Keefe’s work on the Eucharist compare to that of Alexander Schmemann?
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