Schreiner argues that Europe in the sixteenth century was preoccupied with concerns similar to ours; both the desire for certainty -- especially religious certainty -- and warnings against certainty permeated the earlier era. Digging beneath overt theological and philosophical problems, she tackles the underlying fears of the period as she addresses questions of salvation, authority, the rise of skepticism, the outbreak of religious violence, the discernment of spirits, and the ambiguous relationship between appearance and reality.

In her examination of the history of theological polemics and debates (as well as other genres), Schreiner sheds light on the repeated evaluation of certainty and the recurring fear of deception. Among the texts she draws on are Montaigne's Essays, the mystical writings of Teresa of Avila, the works of Reformation fathers William of Occam, Luther, Thomas Muntzer, and Thomas More; and the dramas of Shakespeare. The result is not a book about theology, but rather about the way in which the concern with certitude determined the theology, polemics and literature of an age.

The historic teachings of four major Christian traditions--Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, Reformation and Union Churches, and Evangelical and Free churches--are set forth here in a comparative framework. Following a brief historical introduction of each tradition, Ted Campbell provides an extensive overview of the tradition's beliefs on religious authority, God and Christ, human nature and salvation, and church, ministry, and the sacraments. He concludes by considering whether a definable core of Christian teachings cuts across denominational and confessional boundaries.

For the First Time in English, a Foundational Work of One of the Church's Most Important Theologians

As some point in life, we all wonder: Who am I? What is the world, and what is my place within it? Only Christianity offers answers to these questions in a way that meets our truest needs and satisfies our deepest longings.

In this important book, translated into English for the first time, Herman Bavinck provides a framework for understanding why the Christian worldview is the only solution to the discord we feel between ourselves, the world, and God.