Philosophy for Understanding Theology

by Eric O. Springsted and Diogenes Allen

Book Overview

Philosophy for Understanding Theology has become the classic text for exploring the relationship between philosophy and Christian theology. This new edition adds chapters on postmodernism and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0804206880
• ISBN13: 9780804206884
• Release Date: January 1985
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

The World Was Created

Allen's brilliant PHILOSOPHY FOR UNDERSTANDING THEOLOGY boils down the foundation of Christian Theology to this: The World was created. According to the Bible, God created heavens and the earth. He is eternal, not that which he created. Allen explains that this differs from Aristotle who believed the universe had no beginning. The exalted One for Aristotle, then, is no different than the world. The difference then between the Christian faith and Aristotle (and philosophical systems that posit the eternality of matter) is ontological and epistemological. That's just the first page of Allen, and in it he previews the conflict that has existed throughout the ages between theology and philosophy. Clear and concise in his writing, penetrating in his analysis of philosophical systems, expert in his understanding of theology, this is a great book to have.

A masterful introductory text

Allen is remarkably clear and easy to read, yet he does not sacrifice scholarship or content to be so. This volume packs an amazing amount of material in its 280 pages, containing every big name in the history of philosophy. Yet this book is not simply a historical overview of the major tenets of the discipline; it is focused at every turn on showing how philosophy has impacted Christian thought. While Allen covers all one would expect from Plato and Artistotle to Hegel and Kant, he makes a deliberate effort to show how such leading Christian thinkers as Augustine and Aquinas interpreted and applied philosophy to their theology. This text is a superior introduction to the relationship between philosophy and theology. Highly recommended.

learn philosophy and theology well

this is a good book for diving into the crux of philosophical issues in relation to christian theology through the centuries. A very good overview and in some detail. This book is not for beginners though, despite it's medium size. One needs to have some philosophical and theological familiarity in order to plow through this work. Another good one, and a bit more manageable, is: Consequences of Ideas by R.C. Sproul.

Outstanding

Allen, of Princeton Theological Seminary, writes here of the interrelatedness of philosophy and theology within the history of Christian thought and ideas. He covers the important influence of philosophical thinking on theology from the early years with Plato and Aristotle up to today. A must read for all serious about maturing in their theology. A very helpful book for those wanting to begin the process of being theologians themselves. We are in Allen's debt for writing such an informative and readable book.

great overview of philisophical history

It's about time! A book that brings together the great minds of philosophical thought and their theologies in a cronologically ordered system. This is a great resource for those interested in this field. It logically brings together a history of thought from Plato to Satre and explores in a way that is not over the abilities of most college graduates. I recommend this book for those who want to put together these two disciplines in a historical context but not to the depth of reading all of the original authors. Some prior reading of the classic works in philosophy and theology is recommended in order to be able to fully utilize this resource.