H. H. Farmer's Theological Interpretation of Religion Towards a Personalist Theology of Religions

“Christopher Partridge’s book is to be welcomed first and foremost for drawing attention to Farmer and his writing: Farmer surely was one of the more important British theologians of the twentieth century. The second thing that Dr. Partridge succeeds in doing is to demonstrate the contemporary relevance of Farmer’s work, particularly his approach to Christianity’s place among, and relationship to, ‘non-Christian’ religions’. . . . The argument in the book is clear, careful and systematic, drawing on and quoting from the wide variety of Farmer’s published and unpublished work. Often the information is set in a wider context by comparing and contrasting with the writing of other prominent theologians of the time. . . . He concludes by offering possible avenues for further exploration, recognising that Farmer himself was probably too broad and general about other religions, failing to recognise the piety, and the ‘personalism’, of the individuals involved. . . . it must be highly recommended, particularly to those who are interested either in British theology or in the theology of religions.” – Journal of the United Reformed Church History Society

". . . provides a comprehensive overview of Farmer's writings with special attention to his treatment of the relationship of Christianity to other religions. It makes particular use of privileged access to the unpublished second volume of Gifford Lectures, and provides a critical survey of this material. It demonstrates that Farmer developed in Cambridge a sophisticated theology of religions during the mid-twentieth century, and that his treatment continues to repay scholarly attention. . . . displayed a careful reading of Farmer's writings and an impressive grasp of recent literature on Christian theologies of other religions." - David AS Fergussen

"The subject of interfaith relationships and dialogue is important in its own right. Farmer was one of the first to give serious theological attention to the relationship between various faith traditions. His work deserves wider attention than it has received and Partridge's study adds to an important contemporary field of scholarship." - Brian Haymes "In this fine book Farmer's thought is unfolded and subject to careful critical scrutiny in a way which lays bare both its limitations and (more significantly) its enduring promise for those interested in the pursuit of a Christian theology of religion and religions." - from the Preface by Trevor Hart

Table of Contents:
1. Revelation & Apprehension: The World of Persons; Apprehending God as Personal; Immanent Teleology & Pragmatic Verification; A Self-authenticating Encounter?; 'I and Thou'; Significance and Authority of the Bible
2. Religion & Reflection: What is Religion?; Is Christianity a Religion?; Friedrich Schleiermacher, Rudolf Otto & John Oman; Divine Hiddenness & Hamartiological Blindness; Revelation or Discovery? ; General Revelation; Study of Religion
3. Inhistorisation & Reconciliation: Prophet; Christological Continuity & Discontinuity; Inhistorisation, Uniqueness & Finality; Priest; King; Universalism
4. Trinity & Normativity: Worship; Divine Otherness; Father, Son & Spirit; Monotheism, Reconciliation & the Trinity; Distinctive Feeling-tone
5. Interpretation & Classification: Primal Encounter; Classification of Religious Types; Five Types of Substantival Religion; Five Adjectival Elements in Religion
6. Reconciliation & Religion: Unification & Mysticism in Theology; God & the World - Immanence & Transcendence; God & the World - Time & Eternity; God & the Self - God's Demand & God's Succour; God & the Self - Morality & Religion; Self & the World - Significance & Non-significance of the Self; Self & Other Selves
7. Problems & Proposals: Faith, Belief & God; Religions & Ways; General Revelation & Apprehension of God in Non-Christian Faith; Issues Christological & Pneumatalogical; Towards a Personalist Theology of Religions; Note on Interfaith Dialogue
Bibliography and Index

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