A cloud of witnesses: Ten great Christian thinkers

by Alister E. McGrath

You are in a Bible study, with a group of people. You are all studying the same passage. And someone points out something that you hadn't noticed before. New light is suddenly shed on familiar material. And you realize that, left to yourself, you'd have missed that. Other people help us understand both Scripture and our faith more deeply. It helps to study Scripture and think about the gospel in good company -- and this book aims to put you in good company as you think through some key areas of the Christian faith. Reading about the great Christian thinkers of the past is like being at a really good Bible study. They can help you think through things you may have been puzzled by. They can cast new light on a familiar scriptural passage. They can inspire with their testimonies. They can stretch your thinking, helping you wrestle with important questions which you ought to think through at some point. What better way to begin, than to be introduced to a classic discussion of such questions? --from the Introduction

Genres: Christian, Biography, Theology, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Church History, History

141 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

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

[Amy Heap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten easy to read in one sitting chapters, each covering the significant contribution ten Christian thinkers made to theological understanding. A bit of church history, biography, and a great reminder to be always seeking to understand.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Cloud of Witnesses" is a great introduction to ten important Chrisitan thinkers through history. The weakness of this book is that the chapters are a bit too short and omit many of the controversial points, like for instance Calvin's predestination teaching. The idea here is to focus on a few important things each of these thinkers contributed with, and with McGrath's writing, the result is very good and enjoyable reading. I would like to read this kind of writing in a longer format sometime, so I may look into a few of these thinkers in more detail - other than the ones I'm already familiar with, like Lewis.

I read this in a Norwegian edition, but since it omitted the chapters on Zwingli and Edwards, I read them in the English edition.

[Imogen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great introduction to the theologians often quoted in evangelical circles. Definitely keeping to reread as a reminder of key facts about them. I think I read the 1990 edition - I’d be intrigued to compare it with the most up to date version at some point to see if there are any differences! Reason why it doesn’t have 5 stars as McGrath really pushes the reader to read a lot of his own work further, so book sometimes felt like his own self promotion!

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have known the name but this is the first McGrath book I have ever read. It was loaned to me from my good Australian friend and Bible study partner, Lois. I am so glad I read it as it was a great blessing and encouragement to me. McGrath is an excellent writer, clear and concise. This book is a great introduction to Christianity's leading thinkers. I especially loved the chapter on Martin Luther'r theology of the cross. This book is one to have in your library. I'd also like to buy it in bulk so I can give it out to all my Christian friends and family.