Christianity: Essence, History, Future

by Hans Küng

Book Overview

"A mammoth and important rendering of the Christian faith, by one of the most prominent living Roman Catholic theologians. . . . Impressive work that could become essential reading for students and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0826408842
• ISBN13: 9780826408846
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Continuum
• Length: 968 Pages
• Weight: 2.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Book

This is an excellent book. The author does an excellent job in describing the essence of Christianity, placing the reader in the actual history of Christianity, and also placing the reader in a position to look at the future of Christianity. The book is well written.

Brilliant

Kung's brilliance as a religious historian and a Christian theologian carry this erudite review of the paradigm shifts of Christianity over the past two millenium. It is not an easy read, as are none of his books, however, it is by far the most enlightening. It is clear why Pope John XXIII chose Kung to participate in Vatican II even though he was outside the curia. It is tragic that the great pope's followers repudiate Kung.

Both a liberal education and a book of questions

Kung's book is a tour de force polemical - and yes, read it critically, in bite-sized chunks, think over each of his points before buying or rejecting anything. Kung will challenge and perhaps even surprise (shock?)you. Many will block out his words, because they question many pat, traditional beliefs that have become doctrine in Christian circles. But do not fail to appreciate the faith in (and deep love) of God exemplified in Kung's search for the real Christianity. Anyone looking to find Jesus and Christ in their Christian faith, to work toward returning the "Christ" to Christianity, and who is willing to think, ponder, re-consider and weigh, should read this book. In Kung we once again have one of the finest living minds at work in the field of theology. You may conclude to disagree with him on many points, but you will not find him shallow, or closed-minded. His courage to question marks him as a great Christian as well as a great Christian thinker. His books are stimulating and inspiring. But if you prefer a keeping a closed mind, skip this book.

Paradigm shifts in christianity

The book of Hans Kung, "Christianity: Essence, History and Future" is a must read for any person who is serious in her/his commitment to Christianity as a transforming agent in the world.The book is of three parts: 1. A look into what is authentically and essentially Christian; 2. The origins of Christiantiy and a definition of what is central to Christianity: the person of Christ, the cross and discipleship for a radical humanity; 3. the last part consist in the study and reflection on the major paradigm shifts in the historical evolution and development of Christianity. It is a book that looks on not only the meaning of history but the directions it is taking, enablilng the reader and the Christian to get involved in making history. It gives a good portion of reflection on women in history and challenges the female reader to continue in the reclaiming of women traditions in Church History and making history a common history.

Hans Kung--A Great Christian Thinker!!

This book is a must-read for any serious Christian theologian or Church historian. While the book is tremendous in size and scope, it is very readable and is full of Kung's keen insights and humor. Kung looks at five different theological/cultural paradigms in the history of Christianity -- The Jewish Christian Apocalyptic, The Hellenistic, The Medieval Roman, The Protestant Evangelical, and the Liberal Modern. He analyzes and critiques these 5 paradigms in the light of their faithfulness to the original Gospel message of Christ. Then he asks intriguing questions about the lessons that can be learned from each paradigm, and projects the future of Christianity in terms of a 6th paradigm: An Ecumenical Post-modern Paradigm. Both for its theoretical insights and for its practical relevance, you won't find a better analysis of church history!