Abstract
‘The heart of the Great Tradition of Christianity is the truth proclaimed about Jesus by the Church from its earliest times … in this book we seek to understand the central beliefs and practices of the Christian faith,’ writes Cone (p. xxii), an academic at Lincoln Christian University, USA. This is a breeze-block sized, ambitious volume. There are 15 ‘Module’ sections, each subdivided into three chapters and offering broad coverage of theological approaches as well as standard doctrinal themes. The scale and format of the book seem suggestive of an attempt to equal or supersede Alister McGrath’s Christian Theology: an introduction and The Christian Theology Reader (currently issued as ‘25th anniversary’ editions). Closer exploration of Cone’s work reveals something rather different. The authorial style is warm and clear; sections are short; and black and white illustrations and explanatory tables plentiful. Many topics and writers are looked at, but in all instances there is a frustrating lack of depth and debate. Undergraduates and seminarians will need to look above and beyond Cone’s book. It can be confidently recommended to able adult confirmation candidates; discipleship course attendees with bigger questions; and above all to those who are on the brink of moving into some form of theological training and want to make a start at mapping out the broad territory (across which Cone’s book would continue to have its uses).
Theology from the Great Tradition is conceived as a coursebook for students. Within the thematic modular scheme – for example, ‘The Trinity’, ‘Sin’, ‘The person of Christ’ – come the chapters. Each chapter ends with discussion questions and full, sharp bibliographies that include some internet sources. In every instance the third chapter is a spotlight on a handful of key writers: for ‘The person of Christ’ these are Tertullian, Athanasius of Alexandria, Cyril of Alexandria, Leo the Great and T. F. Torrance.
There would certainly be academic rigour in Cone’s ‘course’ if it were to include explorations of his discussion questions in the light of a conscientious engagement with recommended reading from the chapter bibliographies. But where are its student cohorts?