In Rethinking the Medieval Legacy for Contemporary Theology, six distinguished theologians bridge medieval and contemporary theologies by developing the theological significance of medieval insights in response to contemporary issues. Their nuanced readings of medieval texts, extended to major theological issues of our time, provide examples of the retrieval of the medieval tradition, an essential part of any contemporary theological reconstruction.

Barbara Newman extends the theology of perichoresis or mutual indwelling to illuminate the relationship between donor and recipient in the case of organ transplants; Marilyn McCord Adams applies insights about divine friendship to the perennial issue of horrendous evil; and Kevin Madigan brings principles of medieval exegesis to bear on the contemporary historical critical approach to biblical interpretation. Ingolf U. Dalferth applies insights from the doctrine of divine omnipotence and creation ex nihilo to deconstruct Heidegger’s limitation of the possibilities of authentic existence to historical facticity. Pim Valkenberg explores the possibilities of a theological encounter between Christianity and Islam in the works of Aquinas and Nicholas of Cusa; and Anselm K. Min applies the analogical insights of Aquinas on the nature and limits of human knowledge of God to a critique of contemporary theologies that claim to know either too little or too much about God.

Contributors: Marilyn McCord Adams, Ingolf U. Dalferth, Kevin Madigan, Anselm K. Min, Barbara Newman, and Pim Valkenberg.

“This is a splendid collection of essays. Anselm K. Min has assembled a distinguished group of theologians who persuasively argue for the relevance of the Christian theology of the Middle Ages to the problems we face in the twenty-first century.” — Kevin Hart, Edwin B. Kyle Professor of Christian Studies, University of Virginia

ISBN: 978-0-268-03534-1
224 pages
Publication Year: 2015

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Anselm K. Min is the John D. and Lilian Maguire Distinguished Professor of Religion at Claremont Graduate University.

“Fascinating and various . . . A learned and thought-provoking rehabilitation of medieval methods in the context of modern dilemmas, certain to appeal to patrons in academic libraries, seminaries, and many individual readers.” — Library Journal (starred review)

“The six essays are excellent examples of how medieval theological insight can impact issues in a postmodern world.” — Catholic Library World

“Assembled from papers delivered at a Claremont Graduate University conference (2010), this eclectic collection examines areas in which medieval theologies can profitably influence and correct contemporary approaches.” — Choice

“Taken as a whole, the essays present a view of the richness of the medieval tradition, proving in their application to such diverse modern issues as organ transplantation and the Heideggerian description of Dasein that medieval authors still offer valuable insights for reflection today. . . The fruitful ways in which the essays illumine contemporary questions by their retrieval of the medieval legacy should provide reason for a reappraisal of that tradition’s relevance today. In that, the collection serves an admirable purpose, while the essays themselves present scholarship of high quality.” — Gregorianum

“Each author is committed to retrieval of the medieval tradition in theology for our times. . . . Part of [the volume’s] achievement is that it leaves the reader longing for more, fully convinced that contemporary theological reflection can benefit greatly from reading the medievals.” — Irish Theological Quarterly

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