Understanding Pannenberg: Landmark Theologian of the Twentieth Century (Cascade Companions)

Wolfhart Pannenberg has forever changed the face of twentieth-century theology. His book on Christology constituted a turning-point away from Bultmann’s existentialist theology, and convincingly vindicated belief in the bodily resurrection of Jesus and its importance for theology. His numerous other works, especially his Systematic Theology, Theological Anthropology, and Theology and the Philosophy of Science, show both depth of learning and an unsurpassed and enviable range of interests. This book aims to explain the vast scope of Pannenberg’s thought, his understanding of the sovereignty and majesty of the God as the God of all reality (not only Israel and the church), who also revealed himself in Jesus Christ. Jesus is not simply the pre-resurrection Jesus of many Gospel narratives, but the raised and exalted Christ of the whole New Testament. Pannenberg shines a light on the centrality of futurity, and of the whole of reality in God’s purposes. Meaning becomes clear in the light of the whole, as his hermeneutics explains. He expounds the role of God as Trinity and the Holy Spirit. His vision of God and the whole world is breath-taking, and often heartening and practical.