Mere Theology

by Alister E. McGrath

Mere Theology sets out to explore how the great tradition of Christian theological reflection enriches our faith and deepens our engagement with the concerns and debates of the world around us.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Christianity, Christian

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 23, 2010

About the author

Alister Edgar McGrath is a Northern Irish theologian, priest, intellectual historian, scientist, and Christian apologist. He currently holds the Andreas Idreos Professorship in Science and Religion in the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford, and is Professor of Divinity at Gresham College. He was previously Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at King's College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture, Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford, and was principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, until 2005. He is an Anglican priest and is ordained within the Church of England.

Aside from being a faculty member at Oxford, McGrath has also taught at Cambridge University and is a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. McGrath holds three doctorates from the University of Oxford, a DPhil in Molecular Biophysics, a Doctor of Divinity in Theology and a Doctor of Letters in Intellectual History.

McGrath is noted for his work in historical theology, systematic theology, and the relationship between science and religion, as well as his writings on apologetics. He is also known for his opposition to New Atheism and antireligionism and his advocacy of theological critical realism. Among his best-known books are The Twilight of Atheism, The Dawkins Delusion?: Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine, Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life, and A Scientific Theology. He is also the author of a number of popular textbooks on theology.

Reviews

[Jonatan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It opened my eyes to a world full of wonders... thanks Alister

[James Bunyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a story of two halves and it is the second that I felt warranted the 5 star rating. Essentially a collection of lectures, the first half is spent describing the role and nature of theological study and the second is spent reflecting on and refuting some of the key ideas of the "New Atheism," which McGrath makes look laughably easy.
Worth giving away to a student to see that the Christian faith does stand up in this culturally secular climate.

Part 1: Purpose, Place and Relevance of Christian Theology
1. Mere Theology: landscape of faith (1)
2. Mere Theology: landscape of faith (2)
3. The Gospel and the Transformation of Reality: George Herbert's "Elixir"
4. The Cross, Suffering and Theological Bewilderment: reflections on Martin Luther and C S Lewis
5. The Theatre of the Glory of God: a Christian view of Nature
6. The Tapestry of Faith: Theology and Apologetics

Part 2: Engaging with our Culture
7. The Natural Sciences: friends or foes of faith?
8. Religious and Scientific Faith: the case of Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species"
9. Augustine of Hippo on Creation ad Evolution
10. Does Religion Poison Everything? The New Atheism and Religious Belief
11. Atheism and the Enlightenment: reflections on the intellectual roots of the new atheism

[Dayo Adewoye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an engaging introduction to the nature of Theology. We are brought to see that theological reflection can help us see beyond bare doctrines and concepts and lead us on to an encounter with God himself. Like a glass, we can either gaze on the pane itself or decide to look through it to the beauties outside. Theology is much the same.

He examines how Christian Theology relates to scientific investigation. Are they really at odds, as is often portrayed? Do the scriptures oppose scientific research or do they even motivate an engagement with God's creation? Can religious belief (particularly Christian faith) still stand up to modern critics, as exemplified by the new atheists? And the author soundly points out that not only is the Christian worldview compelling and defendable, it is a powerful stimulation to intellectual development and discipleship.

Theology beckons us to enter into a rich and vibrant relationship with the God who has made us, to walk closely with him, and kneel reverently before him, along with others.

Such an existence will doubtless leave us with a radically different perspective on the world around us. It will shape how we engage with others across business, science, and even politics. As it were, it would leave us with a new set of lens by which we look at the world. And we are profoundly better for it.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a mix of essays on theology, science, George Herbert and Dawkins. McGrath is a theistic evolutionist, which shows through quite a bit.

[Daniel Calle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alister McGrath es profesor de Ciencia y Religión en la Universidad de Oxford, y autor de varios libros acerca de teología y su relación con la ciencia. Se nota la influencia de C. S. Lewis en él al ver el título de este libro en inglés: Mere Theology. El propósito del autor es presentar a la teología como una disciplina que puede "dar forma, nutrir y mantener la visión cristiana de la realidad y aplicarla a los desafíos y oportunidades a los que los cristianos se enfrentar en la actualidad" (8). Lo que esto significa es que la teología cristiana tiene la capacidad para interactuar en el debate intelectual de los temas importantes del mundo actual. El libro tiene 11 capítulos basados en conferencias dadas por McGrath en diferentes ocasiones. Debido a este formato, no hay mucha unidad en el libro y los capítulos son desiguales en calidad. A mí me interesaron particularmente los de la segunda parte que tienen que ver con el rol de la teología en las ciencias naturales, una de las especialidades del autor. En general es un buen libro, dirigido a los que están interesados en herramientas para la defensa de la fe, aunque otros libros presentan el mismo material de forma más ordenada y completa.

[Jason Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. Contained here is not a systematic theology but a continued affirmation of. The life of the mind within the biblical meta narrative. Correctly citing theology as the handmaiden of worship, and citing its threefold source in scripture, reason and the exegetical tradition, he goes on to offer some great vignettes: a nice look at Christian poetry, good accounts of nature and suffering, and finally a penetrating look at new atheism. His look at Augustine’s account of self potential of the earth within divine creation is a good contribution to the theological relationship with evolution . Criticism that the book does not really form a cohesive whole in the way that theology actually does is fair , but very good ground is covered nonetheless.

[David Cheshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent general reader's guide to modern Christian theology and a good corrective to the more strident "New Atheists" such as Richard Dawkins. McGrath sometimes falls into the trap or relying on metaphor, opacity and rhetoric to advance his case. The truths of religion are "discerned" (by whom, and how?. But more convincing is his use of postmodernism. If no theory, religious or secular, can encompass all human experience then competing "interpretive communities" must coexist in an intellectual pluralism. Religion and science are two (scientists strongly object to this, seeing it as a downgrade). Rational explanation gives way to narratives. This consigns scientific demands for evidence of God to the dustbin of a positivist past. Proof becomes passe. A Christian narrative based on forgiveness and hope in death could be more attractive than the currently fashionable Stoic idea of "managing" our expectations of life (and death). McGrath is nearly always as clear in expression as he is profound in understanding. His intellectual challenges to shallow atheism and secularism deserve the widest possible audience.

[Roger Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the UK/Australia release version of "The Passionate Intellect: Christian Faith and the Discipleship of the Mind".

This is, without a doubt, one of the most compelling books I have read in some time - maybe ever. It is clear, concise, readable, cogent and well-researched (it is hard not to get distracted by the novel-sized collection of footnote sources!). It is simply compulsory reading for all thinking Christians and a book every Christian should place in the hand of their local village atheist to totally rock their world and pull the smug rug from beneath their over-confident trust in contemporary secular humanism and the new atheism. Words are inadequate to describe the existential joy this book provoked in me from front to back. Well done Prof McGrath! Buy this book!!

[Frank Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a series of some excellent essays, which unfortunately forms a relatively poor book. The title is especially misleading, as it alludes to the classic Lewis book, which McGrath hoped to reflect. Many of the essays do not really fit together, especially in the first half of the book. In the second half, the essays fit together nicely, but have little to do with Theology! The book should really be just a selection of essays relating to Theology, science and reason.

[Daniel Wright · Rating 1 out of 5]

McGrath achieved a good deal of name recognition when he published The Dawkins Delusion, his excellent response to The God Delusion. In the wake of the success of this he has, since then, been writing a number of incoherent books of a vaguely apologetic nature, of which this is one. Entire passages of it are taken word-for-word from DD, and the new content is nothing to write home about.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting set of essays on theology and the sciences. Also McGrath has some pointed analysis of the new atheism in how weak their arguments are, and how similar to the enlightenment their enterprise is. Very interesting reading, from one of Britian's top theologians.

[Nick Park · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good essays, but they don't form a cohesive whole as a book.