Originally published: Nashville : Broadman & Holman, 1994.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Introduction -- The nature and task of theology -- The theological task -- [Part I.] Theology: the doctrine of God -- [1.] The God who is -- The reality of God in an era of atheism -- Knowledge of God in an era of agnosticism -- [2.] The triune God -- Trinitarian doctrine in theological history -- The formulation of trinitarian doctrine -- The theological implications of trinitarian doctrine -- Trinitarian doctrine and Christian life -- [3.] The relational God -- The nature of the relational God -- The divine attributes -- [4.] The creator God -- God as the creator of the world -- God as the providential administrator of the world -- [Part II.] Anthropology: the doctrine of humanity -- [5.] The human identity and our origin in God -- Our place in creation -- 'Openness to the world' and general revelation -- God as our origin -- Our temporal origin -- [6.] Our nature as persons destined for community -- Our ontological nature -- Humans as the image of God -- [7.] Sin: the destruction of community -- The nature of sin -- Original sin -- The results of sin: our human situation -- [8.] Our spiritual co-creatures -- The nature of the spiritual realities -- Angelology and structures of existence -- The demonic and superstition --

[Part III.] Christology: the doctrine of Christ -- [9.] The fellowship of Jesus the Christ with God -- Implications: Jesus as one with God -- [10.] The fellowship of Jesus the Christ with humankind -- Jesus as a human -- Jesus as the true human -- Jesus as the universal human -- [11.] The fellowship of deity and humanity in Jesus -- Jesus as divine and human -- The incarnation -- The virgin birth -- [12.] The mission of Jesus -- The vocation of the earthly Jesus -- The atonement and the mission of Jesus -- The ongoing work of Christ -- [Part IV.] Pneumatology: the doctrine of the Holy Spirit -- [13.] The identity of the Holy Spirit -- The Spirit in salvation history -- The Spirit in the trinitarian life -- [14.] The Spirit and the scriptures -- The Spirit as the foundation of scripture -- The task of the Spirit speaking through scripture -- The Bible and revelation -- Biblical authority -- [15.] The dynamic of conversion -- The divine aspect of conversion -- The community aspect of conversion -- [16.] Individual salvation: the wider perspective -- The process of salvation -- The eternal context of salvation --

[Part V.] Ecclesiology: the doctrine of the church -- [17.] The church - the eschatalogical covenant community -- The church as a covenant people -- The church as the sign of the kingdom -- The church as community -- [18.] The ministry of the community -- The purpose of the church -- The mandate of the church -- [19.] Community acts of commitment -- Acts of commitment and the church -- Baptism: the seal of our identity -- The Lord's supper: reaffirming our identity -- [20.] The organization for community life -- Membership in the community -- Community structure -- Leadership for the community -- Ordination by the community -- [Part VI.] Eschatology: the doctrine of last things [21.] The consummation of personal existence -- The significance of death -- Overcoming death in the resurrection -- Hope in the face of death -- [22.] The consummation of history -- The meaning of history -- The presence of community in and beyond history -- the climax of history -- [23.] The consumation of God's cosmic program -- The transition from creation to new creation -- The dark side of the judgment -- The new creation -- [24.] The significance of eschatology -- Eschatology as insight into the present -- Eschatology as God's call in the present -- Eschatology as insight for living.