Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen is Professor of Systematic Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary.

From the publisher:

Kärkkäinen’s Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World is a five-volume project that aims to develop a new approach to and method of doing Christian theology in our pluralistic world at the beginning of the third millennium. Topics such as diversity, inclusivity, violence, power, cultural hybridity, and justice are part of the constructive theological discussion along with classical topics such as the messianic consciousness, incarnation, atonement, and the person of Christ.

With the metaphor of hospitality serving as the framework for his discussion, Kärkkäinen engages Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism in sympathetic and critical mutual dialogue while remaining robustly Christian in his convictions. Never before has a full-scale doctrinal theology been attempted in such a wide and deep dialogical mode.

From the Winter 2016 issue
Volume 1: Christ and Reconciliation
Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Christ and Reconciliation, A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World series, Volume 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2013), 467 pages, ISBN 9780802868534.

From the Winter 2018 issue
Volume 2: Trinity and Revelation
Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Trinity and Revelation, A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World, Volume 2 (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014), 486 pages, ISBN 9780802868541.

From the Fall 2018 issue
Volume 3: Creation and Humanity
Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Creation and Humanity, A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World, Volume 3 (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 2015), pages x+554.

From the Spring 2020 issue
Volume 4: Spirit and Salvation
Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Spirit and Salvation, A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World, Volume 4 (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans, 2016), xi+498 pages, ISBN 9780802868565.

From the Summer 2020 issue
Volume 5: Hope and Community
Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Hope and Community, A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World, Volume 5 (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Press, 2017), x+574 pages with indices.

Hope and Community constitutes the fifth and final of the planned volumes for Kärkkäinen’s opus, A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World. Constructive theology is different from traditional systematic and dogmatic theologies in that constructive theologies are purposely interconfessional, interdisciplinary and interreligious and intercultural (cf. p. xvii). Less attention is paid to biblical and exegetical issues and more to engaging with the “truths” and perspectives of those outside one’s group. Kärkkäinen believes that truth can be found outside of Christianity and that external perspectives are useful in helping us understand our own beliefs more fully. For readers, accustomed to foundationalist approaches to theology, Kärkkäinen’s coherentist approach can be quite disorienting. Nevertheless, those, willing to be led on this journey with no defined destination will find the path full of thought-provoking insights both for Christian theology and their understanding of the great religions of Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.

Like other volumes, Kärkkäinen disrupts the typical sequence of topics by discussing eschatology (i.e., hope) before the church (i.e., community). How much that disruption helps reorient readers, I will let readers decide for themselves. Part 1 delves into the topic of hope or eschatology. He discusses eschatology regarding three spheres, personal and communal, human and cosmic, and present and future (p.17). As is characteristic of constructive theologies, Kärkkäinen investigates how science understands the end. He accepts Science’s negative predictions based on a Neo-Malthusian understanding of humanity’s impact on creation. But Kärkkäinen should be commended for reminding scientists that they often make non-scientific statements as they move to metaphysical ones. He then reviews, in a non-critical manner, how eschatological themes are taken up by Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.

In chapter 7, Kärkkäinen addresses the ecofeminist criticism that Christianity’s focus on the afterlife allowed her members to ignore/degrade the present condition of the planet. He correctly rejects the notion that belief in the afterlife requires a rejection of the present but grants too much weight to the socialist’s critique of capitalism and biocentrism’s critique of anthropocentrism as sources of environmental degradation. Though Kärkkäinen’s reading list is enormous, he neglected to read works sufficiently critical of the so-called environmental movement such as my own, Dominion over Wildlife? An Environmental-Theology of Human-Wildlife Relations (2009) or by E. Calvin Beisner to name two. The fact is many of the nations who have degraded their environments have anti-Christian cultures allowing rampant corruption along with the lack of economic freedom required by capitalism.

On the thorny subject of heaven and hell, Kärkkäinen offers what he calls “hopeful universalism”. He is hopeful that God will provide a way for all to accept Christ without violating the personal choice of those who persist in rejecting him. Those of a Calvinistic persuasion will find much to critique in this chapter.

Kärkkäinen addresses other topics such as the church’s nature (i.e. triumphant vs militant) and her offices. Surprisingly, he does not even believe that the Bible mandates any particular offices in the first place. But if there are to be offices, women should have equal access to hold them. Sadly, the lack of exegetical discussion diminished the force of his views for this reader.

In this final volume, Kärkkäinen does take a few pages to revisit his methodology (pp. 1-4). He reiterates his commitment to a post-foundationalist (i.e. coherentist) theory of truth. He affirms the necessity of integrating insights from outside one’s faith to help reduce, but not eliminate, the inherent biases of our cultural-historical conditionedness. Kärkkäinen is certainly a careful thinker, who seeks to avoid the traps and naivete of arbitrary dogmatisms. But he made a couple of comments that were troubling to me. On page 2 he writes, “… we hasten to add that we humans never have a direct, uncontested access to the infinitely incomprehensible God.” I appreciate where he is probably coming from, that there is a distinction between how we perceive something versus the nature of the thing itself, but can a Christian affirm that? Did Paul when he was taken to the third heaven have direct access to God? What about Paul’s Damascus Road encounter? Perhaps more troubling is the statement from page 3 which says, “That tradition, however, is neither a straitjacket that limits creative pursuit of knowledge nor a basis for mere repetition and defense.” I would agree that tradition is not a straitjacket as that is too restrictive. But tradition does act as a guard rail on the road that tells us the absolute limits of orthodoxy. Jude 3 assumes that there is a tradition, a body of faith that is fixed. Accept it or deny it but don’t tweak it. I would simply ask, “Are Christians called to be creative or faithful?” I wonder if academics, under pressure to always say something new, are too often motivated to be creative at the expense of faithfulness. We can be creative but in our presentation, not the substance. Ultimately, we must ask ourselves, “What is the substance of the faith that empowers us to evangelize like the Apostles did?” If we make that faith too uncertain, too squishy, too historicized, what is there left to care about let alone share with the world?

To conclude, I thought I would highlight several benefits that readers can glean from this series.

1. Categories. Kärkkäinen provides readers with lots of helpful categories and distinctions on a range of topics. These alone are worth the price of the series.
2. Engagement with world religions. Kärkkäinen has done some heavy lifting by outlining the beliefs of various religions and how they relate to similar areas within Christianity. If you are interested in inter-religious dialogue or apologetics, you would do well to get started here.
3. Science and Christianity. Though the series is not focused on science and religion, Kärkkäinen’s engagement of cutting-edge scientific theories/speculations are helpful introductions to some very arcane, but important, topics. His analysis of time/space, and mind/brain are particularly noteworthy.
4. Lack of Evangelical shibboleths. If you wish to learn how to write about Christian theology while avoiding Evangelical buzzwords or fighting words, then Kärkkäinen’s volumes will lead the way.

Reviewed by Stephen M. Vantassel

Preview Hope and Community: https://books.google.com/books/about/Hope_and_Community.html?id=eCxbDwAAQBAJ

Publisher’s page: https://www.eerdmans.com/Products/6857/hope-and-community.aspx

Read Stephen M. Vantassel’s reviews of all five books in Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen’s series A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World:

Volume 1: Christ and Reconciliation

Volume 2: Trinity and Revelation

Volume 3: Creation and Humanity

Volume 4: Spirit and Salvation

Volume 5: Hope and Community

As a constructive theologian, Kärkkäinen works to create a coherent explanation of religious belief (in this case Christian) by honest engagement with a variety of voices, including Christian (i.e. Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, third-world, feminist and mainline.), non-Christian (Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist), and scientific. In this sense, Kärkkäinen’s work is negatively described as non-foundational and non-dogmatic and positively as inclusive and dialogical flowing from an attitude of hospitality. This text is Kärkkäinen’s fourth of five installments in the development of that coherent theology.

As in the previous volume, Kärkkäinen divides this work into two main but interrelated topics, the Spirit (third person of the trinity) and Salvation. Readers are cautioned that while this project gives the appearance of a systematic theology, it is not a typical one. Kärkkäinen’s approach engages questions that have been neglected by traditional theologies as well as discusses questions typically never asked. In light of this non-traditional approach, readers must read Kärkkäinen’s ideas carefully lest they make premature judgments about what is being proffered.

Chapter 2 is where Kärkkäinen discusses the theology of the Spirit in earnest. He properly reviews some key theological points concerning the Spirit and then delves into the challenge of the filioque. Following a brief historical-theological discussion of the debate surrounding the topic, he ultimately concludes that the clause can be removed or amended in a manner that satisfies the eastern church without undermining the Spirit’s place in the Godhead.

In part 2, Salvation, the author reviews different steps of the Ordo Salutis. He is somewhat critical of the way the topic has been historically discussed, noting that the early church did not investigate the steps of salvation and that the church (Reformational?) had not paid sufficient attention to the role the Spirit played in salvation.

As with other doctrines, Kärkkäinen surveys how other major religions conceive of salvation, noting areas of agreement and divergence. What is useful about these explorations of other faiths is that readers can discover different illustrations and descriptions to articulate Christian doctrine. In this regard, this theological series can jump start a theologian’s entry into understanding non-Christian religions.

As a relatively newcomer to Calvinism, I had difficulty reading Kärkkäinen’s treatment of the doctrines of grace as taught by Reformed theologians. My challenge lay not with the author’s rejection of TULIP, but the nagging suspicion that his characterization of the system was not fully accurate. I will leave the ultimate verdict to those more grounded in Calvinism than myself. But I will say that very little attention was paid to the exegetical foundation of Calvinism’s view of salvation. This was disappointing. For even though Kärkkäinen is correct that Calvinistic understanding of salvation is somewhat absent in the church fathers, that fact does not by itself answer the question of whether Calvinism’s view of salvation is correct.

Chapter 12 covers the often-neglected topic of healing, restoration and empowerment. Kärkkäinen is to be commended for discussing the healing work of God and the thorny question of baptism of the Holy Spirit. While rejecting cessationism, he does not accept the Pentecostal notion that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is always subsequent to conversion. He strangely accepts the sacramentalist notion that Spirit baptism can, but not exclusively, occur at the event of water baptism. Here, as in his treatment of salvation, a greater focus on key scriptures would have been helpful.

At times, however, the theological discussion seemed quite disconnected from a biblical foundation. I often had this nagging suspicion that key theological issues (e.g. justification/sanctification) whose edges are established by scripture were weakened or ignored in order to bridge divides toward an ecumenism. I could be wrong. Perhaps the resources Kärkkäinen appeals to provide the evidence for his positions. But by not providing that evidence in his volume he undermines the impact of his argument. Readers interested in ecumenical and constructive theology will find much in this book and Kärkkäinen’s previous volumes to stimulate and challenge ideas. The breadth of his reading across the major religions and leading lights in mainline Christian theology is truly remarkable. Sadly, the author paid little attention to evangelical theologians and so should be read with that understanding.

Reviewed by Stephen M. Vantassel

Publisher’s page: https://www.eerdmans.com/Products/6856/spirit-and-salvation.aspx

Preview Spirit and Salvation: https://books.google.com/books/about/Spirit_and_Salvation.html?id=EIy9CwAAQBAJ

Read Stephen M. Vantassel’s reviews of all five books in Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen’s series A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World:

Volume 1: Christ and Reconciliation

Volume 2: Trinity and Revelation

Volume 3: Creation and Humanity

Volume 4: Spirit and Salvation

Volume 5: Hope and Community

As a constructive theologian, Kärkkäinen works to create a coherent explanation of religious belief (in this case, Christian) by honest engagement with a variety of voices, including Christian (i.e. Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, third-world, feminist, Evangelical etc.), non-Christian (Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist), and scientific. In this sense, Kärkkäinen’s work is non-foundational and non-dogmatic. He says, citing Pannenberg’s Systematic Theology that, “…theology, must check the “correspondence” of its statements with both inner and external statements.” (p.3.) This text is Kärkkäinen’s third of five installments in the development of that coherent theology.

The book divides into two main parts. Part 1 discusses creation and Part 2 covers humanity. Discussion of angelic beings, demonic and sacred are not addressed in this volume. Kärkkäinen, like many Christians, believes that the historic Christian view of Creation requires reappraisal both to correct the Church’s reliance on dualism (body/spirit; secular/sacred; p.9), and to respond to the pending environmental collapse and the findings of science (p.10). After orienting the reader to his approach, Kärkkäinen discusses how science and theology should relate. In his usual way, Kärkkäinen engages the subject by explaining how various religious faiths relate to scientific inquiry. As mentioned in my reviews of earlier volumes, Kärkkäinen faithfully describes various belief systems and avoids caricatures or straw men. Readers will frequently find his rubrics to be helpful in articulating and categorizing various viewpoints. For instance, his review of the different types of scientific naturalism in Chapter 2 and perspectives on nature in Chapter 3 are particularly instructive. While this reviewer believes that Kärkkäinen can be too generous with his interlocutors, readers can be assured that when he does criticize a viewpoint, his criticisms will be well founded.

Second, the author appears to accept the truth of evolution as a given. Therefore, he is obligated to spend a great deal of ink exploring ways to harmonize creation (theology) and evolution (science). This reviewer appreciated Kärkkäinen’s commitment to a divine purpose and action in creation as well as his thoughts on understanding divine action without falling into determinism (Chapters 6-7). On the downside, Kärkkäinen’s readiness to modify classical beliefs, such as God’s timelessness (pp.129ff), is troubling and indicates an excessive willingness to be swayed by contemporary winds.

In Part 2, Humanity, Kärkkäinen’s acceptance of evolutionary theory means that he must find a way to discuss humanity’s beginning, transmission of sin, and nature that accords with Scripture and science. He holds to a dynamic understanding of the “image of God” by emphasizing its social and communal nature, while not denying essentialist ideas.

This is the second volume in Kärkkäinen’s five-volume series developing a constructive Christian theology. Constructive theologies differ from systematic theologies by their use of a coherentist model of truth (in contrast to a foundationalist model of truth) and their fuller engagement with different faith traditions both within Christianity as well as without. The guiding assumption for constructive theologies is that other faith traditions contain information about God because God, whether through common grace or the direct work of the Holy Spirit, connects, influences, or reveals himself to people throughout the world. By engaging other traditions, theologians purposely avoid the solipsism and biases inherent to their own context and are challenged to think of new ways to understand and articulate their faith. The result of reflective thought on this process is the creation of a theology that is both contemporary and comprehensive.

Kärkkäinen, professor of systematic theology at Fuller Theological Seminary and a docent of ecumenics at the University of Helsinki, applies both disciplines to great effect in this first volume. While most systematic theologies tend to be a conversation amongst Christians and often a subset of Christians, Kärkkäinen expands the conversation to include Christians around the world as well as the views of non-Christian religions. He believes that Christian theology must willingly, humbly, and cogently engage the challenges presented by a post-modern and pluralistic world. The openness to engage competing (i.e. Western vs non-western Christianity) and even hostile belief systems (Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism) is to Kärkkäinen a form of hospitality. Honest and open dialogue leads to truth because it helps expose our blind spots and opens up new ways to understand our beliefs and engage other faiths.

The book contains two major sections. Part 1, Christ, investigates the person of Jesus. But rather than simply rehashing biblical and historical teaching on the person of Jesus, Kärkkäinen reviews areas that are not as frequently discussed. For example, he focuses on the dynamics of Jesus’ character and mission, paying particular attention to Jesus’ roles as prophet, liberator, and Spirit bearer. Kärkkäinen’s emphasis on the Spirit’s role in Christ’s ministry is, as he contends, to correct this oversight in many theologies on Christ. In addition, he argues that a dynamic Christology that a spirit Christology can provide can be useful in handling difficulties that abound in discussing the dual nature of Christ’s person. After discussing Christian perspectives on Christ, though not always arriving at a complete conclusion, Kärkkäinen engages alternative theologies and religions as lenses to view Christ and evaluate how the traditional views match up to the evidence.

Part 2, Reconciliation, follows the same process as found in Part 1. Kärkkäinen reviews Christian teaching on Christ’s atoning work and then discusses elements of those ideas in conversation with other belief traditions. Kärkkäinen is respectful of traditional ways of understanding Christ’s atoning work (Recapitulation, Ransom, Christus Victor, Satisfaction, and Moral example). But he thinks that they should be balanced with the reconciliation view, which emphasizes Christ’s work to restore relationships between God and individuals, groups, between groups, and creation itself. Interestingly, Kärkkäinen spends a great deal of space on the issue of the relationship between the atonement and violence and the atonement and liberation.

I must confess that my initial reaction to the introductory chapters on methodology was less than charitable. I fully expected this volume to be yet another book written by an evangelical that had gone soft on the faith in order to dialog with non-Christian belief systems. Fortunately, Kärkkäinen quickly proved my initial reaction to be mistaken. He clearly affirms the historic creeds of Christendom as well as the uniqueness of Jesus Christ. But he also thinks that other faiths and perspectives (such as liberation theology) can challenge Christians to think more deeply about our faith and the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, An Introduction to Theology of Religions: Biblical, Historical, & Contemporary Perspectives (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 372 pages.

In a world where wars are waged over disagreements between world religions, widespread ignorance and indifference regarding theology of religions is an astounding and inexcusable reality. In this book Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen takes a bold step towards correcting this sad situation. Kärkkäinen, professor of systematic theology at Fuller Theological Seminary and a prolific author, is noted for insightful surveys and summaries of complex theological subjects (e.g., see his Pneumatology: The Holy Spirit in Ecumenical, International, and Contextual Perspective, Baker, 2002). His own Evangelical and Pentecostal background bring added depth and dimension to his writing which Pneuma Review readers will appreciate as well. In An Introduction to Theology of Religions he makes a tremendous amount of material more readily accessible and intelligible for readers. Key characters and concepts are introduced and investigated objectively. An extensive table of contents, detailed outline, full bibliography, and thorough author/subject indexes are helpful aids for readability and research. Anyone, whether pastor or teacher, student or scholar, interested in gaining a good working knowledge of one of the most challenging but stimulating fields of study among the theological disciplines will assuredly benefit from a reading of this book. It may be particularly well-adaptable as a college or seminary textbook.

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen begins with an introduction explicating the nature and needs of the newly developing discipline of theology of religions, and adds practical advice on how to use this book. Then he tackles, as the subtitle suggests, biblical, historical, and contemporary perspectives on theology of religions, closing with a brief epilogue. Noting that the rising challenge of religious pluralism now necessitates addressing theology of religions, Kärkkäinen distinguishes comparative religions, the study of world religions themselves, from Christian theology of religions, thinking theologically about “the meaning and value of other religions” and “the relationship of Christianity to other religions”. He also introduces the discipline’s search for paradigms, identifying the one he adopts (ecclesiocentrism, Christocentrism, theocentrism, realitycentrism¹), and its parameters, identifying the prevalent typology (exclusivism, pluralism, inclusivism). On opposite poles, exclusivism argues that no salvation exists outside Jesus Christ while pluralism insists that different religions are more or less equally valid paths to God/salvation. Inclusivism, more of a middle position, affirms that salvation is available only by and because of Jesus Christ but neither is Christ necessarily restricted to the Christian religion per se.

In the biblical perspective Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen observes that though a thoroughgoing theology of religions is not found in Scripture some important “leads” do exist. Significantly, an ongoing dialectical tension between universalist (God’s love for the world’s religions) and particularist (God’s judgment on the world’s religions) tendencies is evident. History shows “limited openness to other religions” among some early Church Fathers, but an increasing insistence over time on “no salvation outside the Church.” Occasional positive attitudes toward other religions are discernible after the early Church period. The Enlightenment Age definitely changed the direction more toward relativity of religions. But many missionaries and other thinkers in personal contact with non-Christian religions adopted a “fulfillment theory” of religions, arguing that Christianity completes and crowns what was anticipated in embryonic form in other religious faiths.

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Christology: A Global Introduction. An Ecumenical, International, and Contextual Perspective (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004) 300 pages, ISBN 9780801026218.

Christology is one in a series of books published in recent years by Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, a Finnish-born theologian who currently teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary. As the subtitle suggests, the author offers a broad, international and ecumenical approach to the doctrine of Christ. This book is the second of a three-part textbook series on God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, all published by Baker Academic. Pastors, teachers and scholars will benefit from this introductory text which offers a comprehensive survey of biblical, historical and modern reflections on the doctrine of Christ. This lucid presentation of Christian thinking stands out particularly for its unique and comprehensive treatment of contemporary contextual Christologies in non-Western cultures and their multi-faceted theological approaches as, for example, in African, Asian or Latin American thought.

Kärkkäinen offers an exceptional overview of contextual Christologies that have emerged in and beyond the Western world. The reader will be hard-pressed to find another introduction to the subject with a similar spectrum of contemporary Christian thought. This highly relevant part of the book highlights the fact that Christology, like few other fields of study in theology, is intimately connected to culture and worldview. Feminist, black, process and postmodern approaches to the doctrine of Christ are among the images that bring color to this kaleidoscope of theological reflections. The book concludes with an important, if somewhat short, evaluation of the future of Christology.

Kärkkäinen also shines in his presentation of contemporary Western Christology. He introduces ten theologians who have written extensively on the doctrine of Christ, among them Karl Barth, Rudolph Bultmann and Paul Tillich from the first part of the twentieth century, as well as a number of contemporary representatives from the major Christian traditions, such as Karl Rahner (Roman Catholic), John Zizioulas (Eastern Orthodox), Jürgen Moltmann (Reformed), Wolfhart Pannenberg (Lutheran) and Stanley Grenz (Baptist). The only major Christian tradition not represented in this overview is Pentecostalism which, as the author remarks, has not yet offered a comprehensive treatment of the doctrine of Christ. This well-placed observation is sure to spark interest among Pentecostals; it reveals a glimpse of Kärkkäinen’s own Pentecostal origins and should be understood as an invitation to enter into dialogue with the rich and inspiring mosaic of contemporary thought on the person of Jesus Christ.

At a time when the continual publication of new books and articles on the person and work of Christ has created a panorama of opinions in which no one can keep up with all the developments, Kärkkäinen offers a concise introduction to the global situation. Similar to its companion volumes, Christology consists of about 30 chapters of very manageable length. The treatments of individual theologians generally consist of less than 10 pages each and make for a very enjoyable and educational reading experience. These snapshots of important theologians are undoubtedly the highlight of the book.

The Western authors chosen by Kärkkäinen in this volume are similar to those of the other books in the series. This has both positive and negative consequences. Kärkkäinen’s grasp of the various contemporary authors offers a remarkable survey of the Christological landscape that is sure to guide the reader into new territory. On the other hand, some readers may question Kärkkäinen’s principle of selection. For example, not all significant Catholic or Orthodox writers have been included in this survey. The immense Christological project of Edward Schillebeeckx, for example, is missing completely. In addition, a whole section on the growing importance of Spirit-Christology, not only among Roman Catholic theologians, would have been a justifiable and insightful addition to book.

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, The Doctrine of God: A Global Introduction. A Biblical, Historical, and Contemporary Survey (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), 315 pages.

The Doctrine of God is one in a series of books published in recent years by Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, a Finnish-born theologian who currently teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary. As the subtitle suggests, the book intends to offers a survey of biblical, historical and contemporary approaches to the doctrine of God. This book brings to completion a three-part textbook series on God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, all published by Baker Academic. Similar to the preceding volumes, this book is destined to become a standard textbook in many schools and seminaries. Teachers and scholars alike will benefit from this introductory text.

The book has two major purposes. First, to survey interpretations of God throughout Christian history and, second, to allow for a conversation between the classical theological tradition (“classical theism”) and its contemporary challengers. In order achieve this purpose, Kärkkäinen begins with an assessment of biblical texts concerning the doctrine of God. Following the biblical survey, he traces the development of classical theism from the early Church fathers to the beginning of the twentieth century. This main section of the book treats both European and North American theologians who significantly influenced the theological landscape. The final part of the book offers a condensed overview of contemporary interpretations of God outside the Western context, particularly African, Asian and Latin American voices.

Many readers will likely be most interested in the survey of contemporary theology. Kärkkäinen offers concise chapters on the work of Karl Barth, Paul Tillich, Karl Rahner, Wolfhart Pannenberg, Jürgen Moltmann and others. The section on North American texts addresses such challenging themes as process theology, the Death-of-God debate and open theism as well as African American, Native American and feminist theologies. Each chapter highlights the distinctive elements of these respective areas and introduces major theological voices. At the end of each section follows a short summary.

The Doctrine of God is a first-class introduction to the material every theology student should have in their library and an excellent overview of the texts for anyone who cannot afford to purchase those books. The overview of contemporary theologians represents the strongest part of the book. The chapters are concise, manageable and informative and offer a fine addition to many popular classroom collections.

Critique of the book will likely focus on the biblical and patristic sections. Kärkkäinen’s heavy and, at times, uncritical reliance on some authors, such as Walter Brueggeman and John Goldingay in the biblical section, as well as J. N. D. Kelly and Justo Gonzáles in the historical part, does not always offer the balanced view the author proposes. For example, the biblical section does not address aspects of Old Testament theology that speak of God as the one who destroys or the one who judges. Similarly, the patristic section speaks little about the often “unorthodox” view of some theologians even after the Council of Nicaea. Kärkkäinen seems more at home in contemporary European theologies, although treatment of Catholic authors could have included a number of other important theologians such as Yves Congar and Hans Urs von Balthasar.

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Pneumatology: The Holy Spirit in Ecumenical, International, and Contextual Perspective (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 195 pages.

When a writer sets out to produce a book on a generalized topic, the attempt can often end in one of two results: either an intimidating 500-page tome is published, or the many sub-topics are rushed through and incomplete. However, when it comes to Kärkkäinen’s new book, neither one of these disappointments were seen. Instead, I found a brief yet comprehensive introduction to the field of pneumatological thought.

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen is an associate professor of systematic theology at Fuller Theological Seminary, as well as an active member of the World Council of Churches (WCC). This places him in the perfect position for a fully ecumenical yet scholarly summary of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. For some, the task of covering such a wide topic can be quite daunting. Kärkkäinen, however, takes on the challenge with an obvious love of the subject, and has produced for us an interesting and very readable book.

In his preface, Kärkkäinen tells us that the reason he wrote his book was “to offer an up-to-date survey of the most noteworthy and theologically pregnant orientations to the Spirit in the worldwide ecumenical and intercultural situation at the beginning of the third millennium” (p. 10). His means to reach that end was to cover the topic of pneumatology from a wide range of perspectives, beginning with the biblical revelation and the understanding of the early church fathers, and up through history to the present day (including the contributions of the medieval mystics, the Anabaptists, and classical liberalism, among others).

From there he moves onto the various ecclesiastical understandings of the Holy Spirit and his role in the world, effectively describing the contributions of Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, the Lutheran tradition, the Pentecostal and charismatic movements, and ecumenism (represented specifically by the WCC). Of course, the contributions of any ecclesiastical body cannot effectively be addressed without considering the contributions of the individual members of that body. Therefore, Kärkkäinen naturally follows with a chapter on the pneumatological thinking of a number of contemporary theologians, representing a range of Christian traditions, including John Zizioulas (Eastern Orthodox), Karl Rahner (Roman Catholic), Wolfhart Pannenberg (Lutheran), Jürgen Moltmann (Reformed), Michael Welker (Reformed), and Clark Pinnock (evangelical).

At this point Kärkkäinen offers his readers what I believe is a relatively unique chapter on the topic of pneumatology. After approaching this subject from biblical, historical, ecclesiastical, and individual perspectives, many writers may be tempted to believe that they have sufficiently covered all perspectives. However, Kärkkäinen continues: “The one Spirit of God is not a numinous power hovering above the cosmos but a person living in and permeating people in various life situations and contexts … In our contemporary world, theology has the burden of showing its cultural sensitivity … [I]t must be context specific as it addresses God and God’s world in specific situations and in response to varying needs and challenges” (p. 147). Therefore, Kärkkäinen includes a chapter on contextual pneumatologies; that is, theologies of the Spirit that arose out of specific contexts and environments. These include process, liberation, ecological (“green”), feminist, and African pneumatologies. In the midst of all of these controversial perspectives, Kärkkäinen avoids making judgments on these specific theologies, but instead he simply presents them for what they are, and allows his readers to come to their own conclusions.