The other day on Facebook, a discussion arose on the basis of a claim about what the best theological book of the last decade was. As I thought on the question I found it exceedingly difficult to answer, so I thought I’d pose the question here. What do you think the best theological book of the last decade was, and why?
UPDATE: By “theological” I’m thinking not of biblical studies, religious studies, or philosophy, but books that are setting out to solve or differently frame central theological issues (God, Christ, church, world, salvation, mission, etc.) from a distinctively Christian perspective (so yeah, we’re just talking Christian theology here). Hopefully that narrows it down somewhat.
“‘Best’ is not a theological category.” (You knew that was coming from somebody; let’s get it out of the way now.) That said, it will be fun to see the fireworks over this. But isn’t “theology” too broad of a category?
I’m not sure how to measure, but certainly the book from the last decade that I keep wrangling with the most is Jeff Stout, Democracy and Tradition.
Good call, I’ve updated the post a bit to account for this.
OK, so Stout’s out.
My metric is the number of “a-ha” moments and the winner by a landslide is Peter Rollin’s The Orthodox Heretic.
Not sure if it counts, as its a collection of essays. But, ‘Orthodox and Modern’ is brilliant, despite whether one agrees with everything.
Jesus, Humanity, and the Trinity, by Kathryn Tanner. Best in terms of systematic theology…
Good choice.
Having thought about it myself, here’s my list of potential candidates (mind you, these are books first published in the 00s, not necessarily written then):
John Howard Yoder, The Jewish-Christian Schism Revisited
J. Kameron Carter, Race: A Theological Account
David Bentley Hart, The Beauty of the Infinite
Alan Lewis, Between Cross and Resurrection
Rowan Williams, On Christian Theology
Stanley Hauerwas, With the Grain of the Universe
Nate Kerr, Christ, History and Apocalyptic
Obviously not all these are created equal, even in my mind. I include them as books I read in the last decade that made me do a lot of work, theologically speaking; game changers as it were. If I were to narrow down the list to books I think really might qualify for “best” I think I’d have to narrow it down to Yoder and Williams and then Carter and Kerr. The reason for the distinction between the two groups being that that latter rely to some degree on both the works in question by the former.
All of Halden’s “nominees” seem on target to me, with the notable qualification that he does not include my top choice: Keller, Face of the Deep. Though Yoder’s Jewish-Christian Schism is a close second.
I have to confess that I haven’t gotten around to reading Keller’s book yet. Thanks for the reminder.
Keller’s not typically on my radar, but it’s time.
Of Halden’s, my vote’s for Kerr or Williams. I found Carter more suggestive than constructive for the most part (and really tortuous to read at times), and Hauerwas, while great, didn’t win me over with his reading of Barth.
Yeah Hauerwas didn’t win me over on that front either. Check back tomorrow for a post on that, actually.
I know I don’t read enough to be useful in this conversation, but Claiborne’s Jesus For President impacted my theology personally more than any other book. His way of framing the gospel has been around for years, but I had never been exposed to it. It was also helpful for him to explain his theology in a modern context that I can relate to.
“Orthodox and Modern” is a good suggestion as well as the “Beauty of The Infinite.” Another good suggestion might by Kevin Vanhoozer’s “The Drama of Doctrine.”
I almost included Vanhoozer as well.
I think of a Trinity of theologians Timothy Radcliffe, Rowan Williams and John Zizioulas. All three have produced books which are what theology is all about `faith seeking understanding`. I would concede Tanner is a close runner behind in which case I believe I counted all forms of Christianity
Depending on how you define “the decade,” I’d add to the list of possible candidates Graham Ward’s Cities of God (2000), which IMHO is one of the landmarks of theological cultural criticism. Also, while he never wrote a blockbuster of the sort we seem to be discussing, what about our friend Herbert McCabe? I see Timothy Radcliffe mentioned, so why not St. Herbert?
And Kathryn Tanner? I’ve never been able to finish one of her books, so bored to tears by her prose.
If only McCabe had survived through this decade. There’d doubtless be some amazing stuff indeed to be reading right now.
Vanhoozer’s Is There a Meaning in This Text?
I’m pretty rusty, theologically speaking. I haven’t read much theology since I graduated from seminary 4 years ago. So these may not be ground breakers in the field, but they certainly broke ground in my own faith and practice:
Dorothee Soellee’s The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance
William Cavanaugh’s Theopolitical Imagination
Vincent J. Miller’s Consuming Religion
John Howard Yoder’s Body Politics
I think some Sarah Coakley might belong on this list.
Coakley’s Powers was good, but didn’t have the same of coherence as the ones on Halden’s list above, I thought. There were chapters in Powers that were fantastic, and then ones that I could have read the original article and been fine.
Just to stretch the bounds here, I’d put whatever of the Bonhoeffer critical editions that came out this decade on this list.
Yeah, I actually thought about the Bonhoeffer editions, but figured since the material had been published before I couldn’t really count it. It importance cannot be overestimated though. Or at least it would be really hard.
Fair enough—if we’re talking about full-form, coherent books, Powers and Submissions isn’t it. But the overall project expressed there is arguably “better” (more pressing, more creative, more groundbreaking, at least as intellectually rigorous) as the Hauerwas, Vanhoozer, McCormack… Though the first several books on Halden’s list are great candidates for the same reasons
I’d be willing to bet that Coakley’s next book, supposedly titled something like God, Sexuality, and the Self: An Essay on the Trinity, may be the book-form work you’re looking for. Maybe it’ll still make the decade (if we count right).
I think so, Brian. You’re right: her project is exciting on a number of levels, and I’m looking forward to her systematics whenever they come out.
Since the movie Avatar, do we really need any other theological resources? It’s impact will probably be greater than all the books y’all come up with combined. As for Marx and his minions (Adorno, Benjamin, Jameson, Obama, et al.) sorry, the world has been re-enchanted for around 300 million bucks (sounds cheap but WWI cost half that).
good one Daniel
Huzzah!
What’s Avatar?
ok if i must…
;)
Certainly the book of this decade that most moved my theological imagination, if I can write something so pretentious with a straight face, was Alan Lewis’s Between Cross and Resurrection. It drew me back in Jungel and, maybe more importantly, MacKinnon. It forced me out into very particular ministries, and has in significant ways changed my practices as a Christian. It made me want to worship God differently, and more. Some of its passages still haunt me.
I also found Rowan Williams quite helpful. And Jean-Luc Marion’s God Without Being, though Marion wouldn’t call himself a theologian, I’m sure.
But this was the decade I came into theology, very early into it, and the most formative voices were those from liberation theologies. Most of those books were released in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, though.
I identify with you in so many ways, Nathan. I only wish I had started reading liberation theology earlier into the decade.
Earlier into the decade? I started reading liberation theology a decade ago and I wish that I had started a decade before that!
In light of that, it’s worth mentioning the collection of Jon Sobrino essays published in 2008 with the title No Salvation Outside the Poor: Prophetic-Utopian Essays.
pass.
eh?
Ouch.
Jon Sobrino is a fantastic theologian.
I feel like a douche saying that I don’t like liberation theology as a method. But, I don’t. But then again, that’s not what this thread is about.
I will say that Sobrino is better than some in the camp, so I’ll give it a read.
The methodology of liberation theology has got to be one of the most disliked methodologies as well as one of the most untested. People don’t usually reject it because they try it and find it lacking — rather, they don’t like what it requires of them (you know, because solidarity with the poor and with the crucified Christ is such a pain in the ass) and so they reject it without trying it.
However, I challenge anybody to point out another theological school of thought that has arisen in the last sixty years and produced such a large body of shockingly cruciform theologians (because, let’s be honest, a theologian living a cruciform life seems like an exceedingly rare thing these days).
I gotta go with Dan on this one.
I think we’ll have to agree to disagree, Dan. I respect how you live the Gospel’s call.
It was actually my first exposure to theology–in general. Unless you wish to count the Concise Theology volume by Packer (is it?) that my youth group had us purchase. Even then, I only showed up for the summer and winter camps.
I just got lucky. Really lucky–but I’ll spare you the spiritual autobiography that was never asked for.
What, no one’s mentioned Lewis Ayres, Nicaea and Its Legacy?
I second that. And I might as well add my vote to the dozen others who have also nominated Beauty of the Infinite.
Honestly I think Ayres’ book is quite overrated.
Nope, I think it’s still underrated!
All the blogosphere take note! Ben and I disagree on something!
Nothing a good microbrew can’t fix.
God at War; Satan and the Problem of Evil by Boyd
nvm on God at War. That was in the 90′s.
This is an enormously helpful thread — Halden, how about a solid top 5 or 10?
Also, what about going backward in time, with the gift of hindsight and reflection: What was/were the best work(s) of theology in the 90s? And 80s? This sort of thing is both interesting and helpful; plus, I just like lists. So let’s keep it going!
Best theological work of the 00s? Battlestar Galactica
Can These Bones Live?: A Catholic-Baptist Engagement With Ecclesiology, Hermeneutics and Social Theory
by Barry Harvey
‘Jesus of Nazareth’ by Pope Benedict XVI or Richard Bauckham’s ‘Jesus and the Eyewitnesses’… .
Mere Discipleship (Lee Camp).
Good one.
Vanhoozer’s “Drama of Doctrine,” because it sets forth a sophisticated starting point for postmodern theology that’s at once “catholic” and “evangelical.” I think it’s brilliant, but I’m biased because Vanhoozer really helped clean out the cobwebs of Derrida and his ilk that had set in during college with “Is there a Meaning in this Text?”
I also really dig N. T. Wright’s “The Resurrection of the Son of God”
Purpose Driven Life