Theology: The Basics

Written by one of the world’s leading theologians, Theology: The Basics is designed for students taking a first short course in Christian theology or for lay Christians who wish to find out more about their faith. Completely revised and updated in response to feedback from readers, this second edition:

• Introduces readers to key theological issues, such as God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, faith, creation, salvation, atonement, religious history, and heaven
  
• Contains within each chapter an overview of one of these themes, presents relevant biblical passages, and summarizes the contribution of one major theologian
  
• Includes a major new chapter on sacraments and expanded discussion of key concepts throughout
  
• Features new sections on core topics, including the problem of suffering, the theology of sin, concepts of heaven, and views of the millennium
  
• Uses the Apostle’s Creed as a framework in order to provide a user-friendly structure
  
• Concludes with a section on how readers can take their study further, giving examples of the kind of detailed discussion that is possible.

The revisions to the second edition enhance the book’s accessibility and coverage, while retaining the clarity and style that made the first edition an international bestseller and student favorite.

Alister E. McGrath is Professor of Historical Theology at Oxford University, and Senior Research Fellow at Harris Manchester College, Oxford. He is the author of numerous popular theology textbooks, including Christian Theology, fourth edition and The Christian Theology Reader, third edition. Readers may wish to use this book in order to make the transition to these more challenging texts.