The Passionate Intellect - by Alister McGrath (Paperback)

About the Book

Alister McGrath argues that Christian thought has a vital role to play in the survival of the Christian vision of reality. By setting the gospel in the great tradition of Christian theological reflection, we have the makings of a robust engagement in the public sphere of ideas.

Book Synopsis

• 2011 Christianity Today Book Award winner

Alister McGrath, one of the most prominent theologians and public intellectuals of our day, explains how Christian thinking can and must have a positive role in shaping, nourishing and safeguarding the Christian vision of reality. With this in our grasp, we have the capacity for robust intellectual and cultural engagement, confidently entering the public sphere of ideas where atheism, postmodernism and science come into play.This book explores how the great tradition of Christian theological reflection enriches faith. It deepens our appreciation of the gospel's ability to engage with the complexities of the natural world on the one hand and human experience on the other.

Review Quotes

"For McGrath, the study of theology isn't a disengaged and abstract exercise; rather, it finds its authentic purpose and best expression when put into practice in the local church."

"In The Passionate Intellect, Alister McGrath provides engaging, accessible, energetic help for Christians who are skeptical about the existential relevance of Christian theology, or who have come to doubt its credibility in the face of the attacks of new atheists and those wedded to a shallow scientism. This series of essays not only provides important support for believers seeking their footing in the current cultural morass, but can also stimulate a new curiosity about the intellectual and spiritual fruitfulness and integrity of the theological enterprise as a whole. It is obviously written by one who, well informed about alternatives to Christian faith, finds in that faith a source of life and of intellectual pleasure."

"McGrath skillfully translates his own deep learning into a delightfully accessible and enjoyable reading experience. . . . I certainly experienced the soul-stirring thrill of a sharp, devout mind debunking the old familiar, dubious claims against Christianity's intellectual coherence and credibility."

"McGrath, a prominent theologian and public intellectual, explains how Christian thinking can and must have a positive role in shaping, nourishing, and safeguarding the Christian vision of reality."

"McGrath's attempt to show that science is not necessarily a foe to faith is admirable."

"This book is not only about the passionate intellect; it exhibits the phenomenon on every page. Drawing on the rich heritage of Christian faith and practice, McGrath is as much on his home ground in engaging contemporary issues in faith and culture, especially the relation to science. The author argues that good theology not only explains but transforms, and in this well-researched and eminently readable work it's easy to see what he means. The Passionate Intellect is a feast that will delight, provoke and challenge as well as inform us all."

About the Author

Alister McGrath (D.Phil. D.D., Oxford University) holds the chair of theology, ministry and education and is head of the Centre for Theology, Religion Culture at King's College, London. He is the author of many books, including Christianity's Dangerous Idea and The Dawkins Delusion?