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{"id":17894,"date":"2016-02-10T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-02-10T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/leithart.level2d.com\/?p=2716"},"modified":"2016-02-10T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-02-10T00:00:00","slug":"formation-of-christian-theology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/leithart\/2016\/02\/formation-of-christian-theology\/","title":{"rendered":"Formation of Christian Theology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

One of the best and most comprehensive of the new works on the development of Nicene theology is John Behr\u2019s Formation of Christian Theology<\/a>. The second volume covers the \u201cNicene Faith,\u201d examining the theological background of the Arian debate, the development of the controversy, and the theologies of Athanasius and the Cappadocians. Behr has drawn the best insights from current scholarship, but much of his book is a lucid and detailed exposition of the main treatises of the most important theologians of the period.<\/p>\n

One of Behr\u2019s most arresting claims is that the Eastern Fathers were not really concerned with developing \u201cTrinitarian theology,\u201d if by that is meant reflection on the internal mysteries of the immanent Trinity. Rather, the Fathers were concerned to expound the gospel \u2013 how is the crucified Jesus related to the one God \u2013 and their fundamental grammar for doing so was the biblical narrative of the Creator God\u2019s promise to Abraham and Israel,<\/span> realized finally in the advent of the Son and the coming of the Spirit.<\/p>\n

<\/span>Failure to recognize that this<\/em> was the patristic obsession has led to all manner of mischief \u2013 a perceived abyss between the apostles and the fathers, institutionalized in the division of \u201cNew Testament Studies\u201d from \u201cPatristics,\u201d the myth that Trinitarian theology represents a \u201cHellenization\u201d of the gospel, indulgence of abstract speculations of divine procession and notions and relations.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"