Timeless Truth in the Hands of History

Timeless Truth in the Hands of History

Author: Gale Heide

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2012-03-16

Total Pages: 231

ISBN-13: 1556354975

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What is the purpose of theology for the church? Systematic theology provides an inroad into this question by offering both a method for doing theology and an explanation for the purpose of that method. However, system is itself the product of a specific understanding of knowledge grounded in rational demonstration of facts. This study attempts to address the historical debate over when systematic theology began. Much of the debate is centered on the definition of system and revolves around the use, or lack thereof, of external philosophical categories or language. Specific historical figures have been selected to serve as illustrations of how theological prolegomena functioned in works prior to and following the influence of Enlightenment thought. In the early chapters it will be seen that theology was neither totally saturated with, nor totally devoid of, external philosophical reference points or programmatic intentions. On the contrary, both external points of reference and programmatic intentions have played a role in theology since the church's inception. In other words, certain elements of system (e.g., logic, non-contradiction, organization) have played a role in theological investigation and construction since, at least, the second century. The last two chapters of this study demonstrate that these may not be the same influences that have marked post-Enlightenment systematics. One of the primary characteristics of pre-Enlightenment theology is its intentional focus on the life of the church. Theology, like the Scriptures, was often written for specific circumstances. Enlightenment influences significantly changed the intentions of much of theology in that theological knowledge was studied and displayed for the sake of knowledge itself. The church no longer mattered, or was at best an afterthought, in the realm of what is now seen as the domain of academic theology.


Book Synopsis Timeless Truth in the Hands of History by : Gale Heide

Download or read book Timeless Truth in the Hands of History written by Gale Heide and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2012-03-16 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is the purpose of theology for the church? Systematic theology provides an inroad into this question by offering both a method for doing theology and an explanation for the purpose of that method. However, system is itself the product of a specific understanding of knowledge grounded in rational demonstration of facts. This study attempts to address the historical debate over when systematic theology began. Much of the debate is centered on the definition of system and revolves around the use, or lack thereof, of external philosophical categories or language. Specific historical figures have been selected to serve as illustrations of how theological prolegomena functioned in works prior to and following the influence of Enlightenment thought. In the early chapters it will be seen that theology was neither totally saturated with, nor totally devoid of, external philosophical reference points or programmatic intentions. On the contrary, both external points of reference and programmatic intentions have played a role in theology since the church's inception. In other words, certain elements of system (e.g., logic, non-contradiction, organization) have played a role in theological investigation and construction since, at least, the second century. The last two chapters of this study demonstrate that these may not be the same influences that have marked post-Enlightenment systematics. One of the primary characteristics of pre-Enlightenment theology is its intentional focus on the life of the church. Theology, like the Scriptures, was often written for specific circumstances. Enlightenment influences significantly changed the intentions of much of theology in that theological knowledge was studied and displayed for the sake of knowledge itself. The church no longer mattered, or was at best an afterthought, in the realm of what is now seen as the domain of academic theology.

Timeless Truth in the Hands of History

Timeless Truth in the Hands of History

Author: Gale Heide

Publisher: Casemate Publishers

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 0227680065

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This study attempts to address the historical debate over when systematic theology began. Much of the debate is centered on the definition of system and revolves around the use, or lack thereof, of external philosophical categories or language. Specific historical figures have been selected to serve as illustrations of how theological prolegomena functioned in works prior to and following the influence of Enlightenment thought. In the early chapters it will be seen that theology was neither totally saturated with, nor totally devoid of, external philosophical reference points or programmatic intentions. On the contrary, both external points of reference and programmatic intentions have played a role in theology since the church's inception. In other words, certain elements of system (e.g., logic, non-contradiction, organization) have played a role in theological investigation and construction since, at least, the second century. The last two chapters of this study demonstrate that these may not be the same influences that have marked post-Enlightenment systematics. One of the primary characteristics of pre-Enlightenment theology is its intentional focus on the life of the church. Theology, like the Scriptures, was often written for specific circumstances. Enlightenment influences significantly changed the intentions of much of theology in that theological knowledge was studied and displayed for the sake of knowledge itself. The church no longer mattered, or was at best an afterthought, in the realm of what is now seen as the domain of academic theology.


Book Synopsis Timeless Truth in the Hands of History by : Gale Heide

Download or read book Timeless Truth in the Hands of History written by Gale Heide and published by Casemate Publishers. This book was released on 2012 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study attempts to address the historical debate over when systematic theology began. Much of the debate is centered on the definition of system and revolves around the use, or lack thereof, of external philosophical categories or language. Specific historical figures have been selected to serve as illustrations of how theological prolegomena functioned in works prior to and following the influence of Enlightenment thought. In the early chapters it will be seen that theology was neither totally saturated with, nor totally devoid of, external philosophical reference points or programmatic intentions. On the contrary, both external points of reference and programmatic intentions have played a role in theology since the church's inception. In other words, certain elements of system (e.g., logic, non-contradiction, organization) have played a role in theological investigation and construction since, at least, the second century. The last two chapters of this study demonstrate that these may not be the same influences that have marked post-Enlightenment systematics. One of the primary characteristics of pre-Enlightenment theology is its intentional focus on the life of the church. Theology, like the Scriptures, was often written for specific circumstances. Enlightenment influences significantly changed the intentions of much of theology in that theological knowledge was studied and displayed for the sake of knowledge itself. The church no longer mattered, or was at best an afterthought, in the realm of what is now seen as the domain of academic theology.

System and Story

System and Story

Author: Gale Heide

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2009-01-01

Total Pages: 350

ISBN-13: 1630877972

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System and Story is intended to develop a means for bridging the gap between critics of system and those who may find value in doing systematics from a Biblically oriented context. Narrative theologians have rightly identified and critiqued the development of system in academic theology. Unfortunately, they have not identified the ways in which systematic elements have always played a role in theological knowledge. This study demonstrates the inherent systematic tendencies that still exist in narrative approaches to theology, while at the same time acknowledging the appropriateness of aspects of the narrative critique of system. The reaction against Enlightenment modernism is examined from the perspective of the heightened role of system in religious epistemology. The work of Stanley Hauerwas serves to carry much of the conversation regarding the critique of system and a narrative alternative as it is discovered in communal formation. After "summarizing" Hauerwas' theology, if such a thing is possible, the final chapters explore the ecclesiological concerns of narrative theologians according to a more systematic rendering of pneumatology. A Biblical rendering of pneumatology from the perspective of the Spirit's role in ecclesiology allows for a modest (i.e., pre-modern) systematic presentation commensurate with narrative communal formation. Thus, the narrative attempt to once again "do" theology for the church is seen as compatible with a Scriptural (i.e., modestly systematic) theology of the Spirit.


Book Synopsis System and Story by : Gale Heide

Download or read book System and Story written by Gale Heide and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: System and Story is intended to develop a means for bridging the gap between critics of system and those who may find value in doing systematics from a Biblically oriented context. Narrative theologians have rightly identified and critiqued the development of system in academic theology. Unfortunately, they have not identified the ways in which systematic elements have always played a role in theological knowledge. This study demonstrates the inherent systematic tendencies that still exist in narrative approaches to theology, while at the same time acknowledging the appropriateness of aspects of the narrative critique of system. The reaction against Enlightenment modernism is examined from the perspective of the heightened role of system in religious epistemology. The work of Stanley Hauerwas serves to carry much of the conversation regarding the critique of system and a narrative alternative as it is discovered in communal formation. After "summarizing" Hauerwas' theology, if such a thing is possible, the final chapters explore the ecclesiological concerns of narrative theologians according to a more systematic rendering of pneumatology. A Biblical rendering of pneumatology from the perspective of the Spirit's role in ecclesiology allows for a modest (i.e., pre-modern) systematic presentation commensurate with narrative communal formation. Thus, the narrative attempt to once again "do" theology for the church is seen as compatible with a Scriptural (i.e., modestly systematic) theology of the Spirit.

Methodologies in Systematic Theology

Methodologies in Systematic Theology

Author: Louis Roy

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2024-06-21

Total Pages: 109

ISBN-13:

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For readers eager to seek an improved understanding of the Good News, this book provides a way of better construing the Christian message. It begins with the church fathers, continues with the medieval thinkers, and covers modernity’s doubters who published critiques of faith and elaborated new conceptions of faith. It thus surveys the various theological methods that were employed over two thousand years of Christian experience. The principal theologians and philosophers that are presented here are Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Schleiermacher, Lonergan, Ricœur, Congar, and Geffré. The author also presents several modern authors’ nuanced assessments of historicity, which fashioned and are still fashioning a large variety of cultures. This sense of history has allowed scholars to appreciate both the particular and the permanent in religious studies that convey meanings. The originality of the author of this volume consists in combining a competence in systematic interpretations with an expertise in pastoral theology. In addition, readers will find in these pages a living ecumenical dialogue characterized by correct construals of those “others” whose understandings of religion may appear as contradicting one’s own views.


Book Synopsis Methodologies in Systematic Theology by : Louis Roy

Download or read book Methodologies in Systematic Theology written by Louis Roy and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2024-06-21 with total page 109 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For readers eager to seek an improved understanding of the Good News, this book provides a way of better construing the Christian message. It begins with the church fathers, continues with the medieval thinkers, and covers modernity’s doubters who published critiques of faith and elaborated new conceptions of faith. It thus surveys the various theological methods that were employed over two thousand years of Christian experience. The principal theologians and philosophers that are presented here are Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Schleiermacher, Lonergan, Ricœur, Congar, and Geffré. The author also presents several modern authors’ nuanced assessments of historicity, which fashioned and are still fashioning a large variety of cultures. This sense of history has allowed scholars to appreciate both the particular and the permanent in religious studies that convey meanings. The originality of the author of this volume consists in combining a competence in systematic interpretations with an expertise in pastoral theology. In addition, readers will find in these pages a living ecumenical dialogue characterized by correct construals of those “others” whose understandings of religion may appear as contradicting one’s own views.

Handbook for the Christian Faith

Handbook for the Christian Faith

Author: James M. Dawsey

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2023-08-15

Total Pages: 427

ISBN-13: 1666738085

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Is religion disappearing from American life? Less than 50 percent of Americans now hold membership in any religious institution, and even fewer attend worship services. The decline in Christian churches is especially pronounced among the young and cuts across all denominations. But for Methodists and like-minded Protestants, concerns are deeper than shrinking denominational membership. Polls show disconcerting ignorance about religious and spiritual matters even among churchgoers. Our values as a society are in large measure molded by religion. What shape will Protestant Christianity take in the twenty-first century? And of Methodism? And beyond that, what kind of community will we be? Dawsey proposes returning to the roots of Christianity. And with anecdotes and stories and a sweeping grasp of church history, he examines those essential practices and beliefs necessary to revitalize American churches. Key, he argues, is rediscovering Christianity as a philosophy of living. John Wesley characterized the practice of religion as first, doing no harm; second, doing good; and third, keeping the ordinances of faith. Loving God and God’s creation—the doing of Christianity—marks the path for becoming the churches and individuals Christians were called to be.


Book Synopsis Handbook for the Christian Faith by : James M. Dawsey

Download or read book Handbook for the Christian Faith written by James M. Dawsey and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2023-08-15 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is religion disappearing from American life? Less than 50 percent of Americans now hold membership in any religious institution, and even fewer attend worship services. The decline in Christian churches is especially pronounced among the young and cuts across all denominations. But for Methodists and like-minded Protestants, concerns are deeper than shrinking denominational membership. Polls show disconcerting ignorance about religious and spiritual matters even among churchgoers. Our values as a society are in large measure molded by religion. What shape will Protestant Christianity take in the twenty-first century? And of Methodism? And beyond that, what kind of community will we be? Dawsey proposes returning to the roots of Christianity. And with anecdotes and stories and a sweeping grasp of church history, he examines those essential practices and beliefs necessary to revitalize American churches. Key, he argues, is rediscovering Christianity as a philosophy of living. John Wesley characterized the practice of religion as first, doing no harm; second, doing good; and third, keeping the ordinances of faith. Loving God and God’s creation—the doing of Christianity—marks the path for becoming the churches and individuals Christians were called to be.

Richard Hooker

Richard Hooker

Author: Paul Anthony Dominiak

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2019-12-12

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 056768508X

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Richard Hooker's Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity has long been acknowledged as an influential philosophical, theological and literary text. While scholars have commonly noted the presence of participatory language in selected passages of Hooker's Laws, Paul Anthony Dominiak is the first to trace how participation lends a sense of system and coherency across the whole work. Dominiak analyses how Hooker uses an architectural framework of 'participation in God' to build a cohesive vision of the Elizabethan Church as the most fitting way to reconcile and lead English believers to the shared participation of God. First exploring Hooker's metaphysical architecture of participation in his accounts of law and the sacraments, Dominiak then traces how this architecture structures cognitive participation in God, as well as Hooker's political vision of the Church and Commonwealth. The volume culminates with a summary of how Hooker provides a salutary resource for modern ecumenical dialogue and contemporary political retrievals of participation.


Book Synopsis Richard Hooker by : Paul Anthony Dominiak

Download or read book Richard Hooker written by Paul Anthony Dominiak and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-12-12 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Richard Hooker's Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity has long been acknowledged as an influential philosophical, theological and literary text. While scholars have commonly noted the presence of participatory language in selected passages of Hooker's Laws, Paul Anthony Dominiak is the first to trace how participation lends a sense of system and coherency across the whole work. Dominiak analyses how Hooker uses an architectural framework of 'participation in God' to build a cohesive vision of the Elizabethan Church as the most fitting way to reconcile and lead English believers to the shared participation of God. First exploring Hooker's metaphysical architecture of participation in his accounts of law and the sacraments, Dominiak then traces how this architecture structures cognitive participation in God, as well as Hooker's political vision of the Church and Commonwealth. The volume culminates with a summary of how Hooker provides a salutary resource for modern ecumenical dialogue and contemporary political retrievals of participation.

Faith Speaking Understanding

Faith Speaking Understanding

Author: Kevin J. Vanhoozer

Publisher: Presbyterian Publishing Corp

Published: 2014-01-01

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 0664234488

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In this volume, highly esteemed scholar Kevin Vanhoozer introduces readers to a way of thinking about Christian theology that takes the work he began in the groundbreaking 2005 book, The Drama of Doctrine, to its next level. Vanhoozer argues that theology is not merely a set of cognitive beliefs, but is also something we do that involves speech and action alike. He uses a theatrical model to explain the ways in which doctrine shapes Christian understanding and forms disciples. The church, Vanhoozer posits, is the preeminent theater where the gospel is "performed," with doctrine directing this performance. Doctrines are not simply truths to be stored, shelved, and stacked, but indications and directions to be followed, practiced, and enacted. In "performing" doctrine, Christians are shaped into active disciples of Jesus Christ. He goes on to examine the state of the church in today's world and explores how disciples can do or perform doctrine. Written in an accessible and engaging style, Faith Speaking Understanding sets forth a compelling vision of what the church is and what it should be doing, and demonstrates the importance of Christian doctrine for this mission. Disciples who want to follow Christ in all situations need doctrinal direction as they walk onto the social stage in the great theater of the world. The Christian faith is about acknowledging, and participating in, the great thing God is doing in our world: making all things new in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Doctrine ministers understanding: of God, of the drama of redemption, of the church as a company of faithful players, and of individual actors, all of whom have important roles to play. In an age where things fall apart and centers fail to hold, doctrine centers us in Jesus Christ, in whom all things hold together.


Book Synopsis Faith Speaking Understanding by : Kevin J. Vanhoozer

Download or read book Faith Speaking Understanding written by Kevin J. Vanhoozer and published by Presbyterian Publishing Corp. This book was released on 2014-01-01 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this volume, highly esteemed scholar Kevin Vanhoozer introduces readers to a way of thinking about Christian theology that takes the work he began in the groundbreaking 2005 book, The Drama of Doctrine, to its next level. Vanhoozer argues that theology is not merely a set of cognitive beliefs, but is also something we do that involves speech and action alike. He uses a theatrical model to explain the ways in which doctrine shapes Christian understanding and forms disciples. The church, Vanhoozer posits, is the preeminent theater where the gospel is "performed," with doctrine directing this performance. Doctrines are not simply truths to be stored, shelved, and stacked, but indications and directions to be followed, practiced, and enacted. In "performing" doctrine, Christians are shaped into active disciples of Jesus Christ. He goes on to examine the state of the church in today's world and explores how disciples can do or perform doctrine. Written in an accessible and engaging style, Faith Speaking Understanding sets forth a compelling vision of what the church is and what it should be doing, and demonstrates the importance of Christian doctrine for this mission. Disciples who want to follow Christ in all situations need doctrinal direction as they walk onto the social stage in the great theater of the world. The Christian faith is about acknowledging, and participating in, the great thing God is doing in our world: making all things new in Christ through the Holy Spirit. Doctrine ministers understanding: of God, of the drama of redemption, of the church as a company of faithful players, and of individual actors, all of whom have important roles to play. In an age where things fall apart and centers fail to hold, doctrine centers us in Jesus Christ, in whom all things hold together.

A Theology of Preaching and Dialectic

A Theology of Preaching and Dialectic

Author: Aaron P. Edwards

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2018-07-12

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 0567678571

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How does the preacher know what God might say now based upon the many things God said then? Preachers and theologians throughout Christian history have grappled with Scripture's diverse emphases alongside the urgent task of declaring the authoritative Word of God in the contemporary pulpit. Aaron Edwards offers a new way of engaging with this problem, by exploring the theological relationship between biblical dialectics and heraldic proclamation. Edwards highlights the theological necessity of dialectical variety, without forfeiting assertiveness in the prophetic moment of preaching. A vast array of key voices from the theological tradition are drawn upon - including Augustine, Aquinas, Eckhart, Luther, Calvin, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Chesterton, Barth, Bultmann, Tillich, Ebeling, and others - to navigate the connection between Scriptural unity, clarity, and paradoxical plurivocality, leading to a nuanced account of dialectic. Applying this to the homiletically neglected concept of 'heraldic' confidence in preaching, Edwards examines the theological possibility of preaching in light of dialectical complexity via its 'prophetic' dimension. He shows how the uniquely revelatory relationship of Word and Spirit enables Scriptural illumination, prophetic discernment, and dialectical decisiveness in the 'momentary' encounter which undergirds all Christian proclamation.


Book Synopsis A Theology of Preaching and Dialectic by : Aaron P. Edwards

Download or read book A Theology of Preaching and Dialectic written by Aaron P. Edwards and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2018-07-12 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How does the preacher know what God might say now based upon the many things God said then? Preachers and theologians throughout Christian history have grappled with Scripture's diverse emphases alongside the urgent task of declaring the authoritative Word of God in the contemporary pulpit. Aaron Edwards offers a new way of engaging with this problem, by exploring the theological relationship between biblical dialectics and heraldic proclamation. Edwards highlights the theological necessity of dialectical variety, without forfeiting assertiveness in the prophetic moment of preaching. A vast array of key voices from the theological tradition are drawn upon - including Augustine, Aquinas, Eckhart, Luther, Calvin, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Chesterton, Barth, Bultmann, Tillich, Ebeling, and others - to navigate the connection between Scriptural unity, clarity, and paradoxical plurivocality, leading to a nuanced account of dialectic. Applying this to the homiletically neglected concept of 'heraldic' confidence in preaching, Edwards examines the theological possibility of preaching in light of dialectical complexity via its 'prophetic' dimension. He shows how the uniquely revelatory relationship of Word and Spirit enables Scriptural illumination, prophetic discernment, and dialectical decisiveness in the 'momentary' encounter which undergirds all Christian proclamation.

Theodor Lessing's Philosophy of History in Its Time

Theodor Lessing's Philosophy of History in Its Time

Author: Herman Simissen

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2021-05-25

Total Pages: 365

ISBN-13: 9004464778

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This study – the first full-length monograph in English on the subject – discusses the genesis of Theodor Lessing’s philosophy of history as mainly expressed in his books Geschichte als Sinngebung des Sinnlosen (1919 and 1927), as well as its philosophical implications.


Book Synopsis Theodor Lessing's Philosophy of History in Its Time by : Herman Simissen

Download or read book Theodor Lessing's Philosophy of History in Its Time written by Herman Simissen and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2021-05-25 with total page 365 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study – the first full-length monograph in English on the subject – discusses the genesis of Theodor Lessing’s philosophy of history as mainly expressed in his books Geschichte als Sinngebung des Sinnlosen (1919 and 1927), as well as its philosophical implications.

Also a History of Philosophy, Volume 1

Also a History of Philosophy, Volume 1

Author: Jürgen Habermas

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2023-08-23

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 1509543902

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This is the first volume of a ground-breaking new work by Jürgen Habermas on the history of philosophy. In this major new work, Habermas sets out the ideas that inform his systematic account of the history of Western philosophy as a genealogy of postmetaphysical thinking. His account goes far beyond a vindication of the enduring relevance of philosophical reflection founded on communicative reason as a source of orientation in the modern world. He contrasts this conception with prominent diagnoses of the supposed crisis of Enlightenment reason and culture that seeks redemption in the affirmation of traditional religious authority (Schmitt), the timeless validity of Greek metaphysics (Strauss), a numinous conception of nature (Löwith), and an occurrence of being that speaks to us from beyond the mists of pre-Socratic thought (Heidegger). Habermas situates Western philosophy in relation to traditions of thought founded in the major worldviews (Judaism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism) that continue to shape contemporary culture and civilization. At the same time, he lays the groundwork for his analysis in the later volumes of the constitutive role played by the discourse on faith and knowledge in the development of Western philosophy, which is the result of the unique symbiosis that Christianity entered into with Greek thought with the Christianization of the Roman Empire. Far from raising claims to exclusivity, completeness or closure, Habermas’s history of philosophy, published in English in three volumes, opens up new lines of research and reflection that will influence the humanities and social sciences for decades to come.


Book Synopsis Also a History of Philosophy, Volume 1 by : Jürgen Habermas

Download or read book Also a History of Philosophy, Volume 1 written by Jürgen Habermas and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2023-08-23 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first volume of a ground-breaking new work by Jürgen Habermas on the history of philosophy. In this major new work, Habermas sets out the ideas that inform his systematic account of the history of Western philosophy as a genealogy of postmetaphysical thinking. His account goes far beyond a vindication of the enduring relevance of philosophical reflection founded on communicative reason as a source of orientation in the modern world. He contrasts this conception with prominent diagnoses of the supposed crisis of Enlightenment reason and culture that seeks redemption in the affirmation of traditional religious authority (Schmitt), the timeless validity of Greek metaphysics (Strauss), a numinous conception of nature (Löwith), and an occurrence of being that speaks to us from beyond the mists of pre-Socratic thought (Heidegger). Habermas situates Western philosophy in relation to traditions of thought founded in the major worldviews (Judaism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism) that continue to shape contemporary culture and civilization. At the same time, he lays the groundwork for his analysis in the later volumes of the constitutive role played by the discourse on faith and knowledge in the development of Western philosophy, which is the result of the unique symbiosis that Christianity entered into with Greek thought with the Christianization of the Roman Empire. Far from raising claims to exclusivity, completeness or closure, Habermas’s history of philosophy, published in English in three volumes, opens up new lines of research and reflection that will influence the humanities and social sciences for decades to come.