An Introduction to Systematic Theology

by Wolfhart Pannenberg

Introduction of Systematic Theology for beginning students or for the lay person who needs to understand the vital importance of theology. New paperback.

Genres: Theology

69 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1991

About the author

Wolfhart Pannenberg, born in Stettin, Germany (now Szczecin, Poland), was a German Christian theologian. His emphasis on history as revelation, centred on the Resurrection of Christ, has proved important in stimulating debate in both Protestant and Catholic theology, as well as with non-Christian thinkers.

Reviews

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent little gem, and one I am extremely grateful that I read right after reading John Cooper's treatment of Pannenberg in his Panentheism. Pannenberg offers an extremely cursory look at systematic theology and offers a methodological structure and contemporary considerations for our present day for doing systematic theology. Not only why it is necessary, but why it is more necessary now than ever. This was extremely encouraging to read. Highly recommend. I look forward to going through Pannenberg's Systematic Theology in the future.

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read, but ended in a let down. Pannenberg rightly suggests that a lot of our categories for doing systematic theology are not only outdated, but a few are contradictory and wildly at odds with the Hebrew narrative. Our understanding of God, for example, owes more to the quasi-heretic Origen's definition of God-as-mind (that is how Origen glossed "pneuma" in John 4:24ff), which raises problems when we discuss God's immutability, infinity, and other doctrines. Interestingly, and some EO guys won't like this, but John of Damascus and essentially everyone else in the ancient world followed Origen on this point. Glossing pneuma as spirit in the Hebraic sense solves all these problems

The take on Creation was good.

The Christology section was a let down. He did a great job emphasing the Hebraic-ness of Jesus but conceded to much to neo-Protestantism and didn't deal with the potential tensions in Chalcedonian ontology.

[Reinhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Neither an introduction in the form of a prolegomena nor a summary of his Systematic Theology but rather a framework to think about systematic theology. What are the key elements that need to be considered? In four chapters, he lays out the need for theology, the problem of God and creation, and Christology in a systematic framework. Worth the read.

Here are a few notes from each chapter:

The Need for Theology.
The church needs to be sure and confident in what it teaches, or it will devolve into ‘causes’. The truth must be consistent and coherent and therefore systematic. Theology deals with God, God as a fundamental reality, and God as creator and sustainer of all. These aspects of theology must always be renewed in each age to include all truth. As there is only one consistent truth, theology must be done in the public square with the insights of secular truth. Nevertheless, the methodological basis of secular truth must always be examined.

Problem of God
God is the central problem, as without God, Jesus was only an eccentric teacher, and the church a moral and psychological institution. Metaphysical questions about God are necessary. Tillich recognized the problem, but his ground of being solution is weak, especially with regard to the personal nature of God. This can be traced to his downplaying of the Trinity. The process philosophy of Whitehead has some positive contribution in that it makes God part of the metaphysical system, but the process God is a finite being inside the system. God is the infinitely transcendent on which all finite things depend. The personal nature of God depends on him as Father. The contradiction between infinite and personal centers around God as mind, an Aristotelian idea. The Biblical God is not an intellect but rather spirit. God is not a mind. God is personal only because he exists as Trinity.

Creation in the Scientific Age.
Theology must deal with scientific truth as we have it. But science is not the limit of knowledge. Science is in large part mathematics, and mathematics has a known limitation in ascertaining ultimate truth. Creation refers not only the ex nihilo creation but also the preservation. The Trinitarian aspect is key to understanding God’s relation to creation. The Son is differentiated from the Father, which provides the basis for the differentiation of creation. The Spirit empowers all of creation as a force field. Bodies are not the locus of force, rather, force fields influences bodies. The Spirit provides the ability to transcend and reach the ecstatic outside oneself. Humans, as the self-conscious animal, are given dominion. In this way, they act like God, but they must exercise this dominion under God as modeled by the Son, the Logos of creation.

Christology
The church is the community that is centered on Jesus Christ. The claim is that there is no other way of salvation except through the grace of Jesus. One must be tolerant, but not indifferent to truth. We know in part. We know the Son as he intimately addresses God as Father. And in this sonship, he includes others as adopted sons. The incarnation of the Son includes the destiny of all of creation. This inevitably leads to the recognition of God sovereignty over all creation. The church exists to further the kingdom of God and reveal the relation of God as a caring Father. The Son is the image of the new humanity.

[Judy]

According to Richard Neuhaus on the cover of this book, systematic theology is "thinking through carefully, and coherently, the truth of the Christian proposition." Salvation for anyone in the world can only come through Jesus. p. 62? Pannenberg seems very critical of Tillich, yet Tillich resonates so much more strongly with me.

[Matthew Richey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Insightful in some places but also frustrating.

[Warren Backman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only places this book fails is in undeveloped assumtions about other religeons in an unfounded need to self justify.

[Sean Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very brief introduction to the subject by this geezer who is a well known theologian.

[Benjamin Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for a person with a degree or advanced degree in Bible or theology to read as a refresher on both theological method and the beauty of systematic theology

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The name says it all. As an introduction, it falls closer to being a prolegomenon than being his theology in nuce. However due to its brevity and failure to touch on typical areas treated in a prolegomenon (i.e. revelation and scripture) it's not really a theology prolegomenon proper. Further, the final chapter, "Christology in Systematic Theology" could be conceived of as his Christology in nuce. Thus, this volume falls somewhere in between a prolouge and a summary, closer to the first.



But, as mentioned above, it is brief. Very brief. Too brief actually. It only scims the surface of the issues he touches. But because he writes with a clarity and pizazz, his light touches say a great deal ans serves as a teaser to encourage one to move deeper into his more substantial works - noteably his Systematic Theology volumes as well his volume on theological anthropology.

[Ken McGuire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pannenberg has a well deserved reputation as a theological giant of today. Collected in this very slim volume are some addresses he gave at Western Theological Seminary, and they serve as both an introduction to some important theological issues, and since they were made at the time he was writing his Systematics, as an introduction to this much larger work. As such, it is an approachable introduction to this great Christian thinker. All the essays are interesting, and all leave this reader wanting more.

[Zachary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seems to be a good introduction to Pannenberg's areas of concern, such as cosmology, science, and history, as well as his basic theological moves. There is not a whole lot of depth here, but that is to be expected in a collection of this sort. Most importantly, this left me wanting to read a lot more of his work!