Books in the Outstanding Christian Thinkers series

Augustine of Hippo is a giant in the history of Christian thought, commended by St Jerome for having virtually 're-founded the old faith'. He was a philosopher, theologian, preacher, interpreter of scripture, monk and bishop.

The Cappadocians are the 4th-century writers St Basil the Great, St Gregory Nazianzus and St Gregory of Nyssa. They were central to the defence of Christian Orthodoxy and should be of interest to students of the early Church.

The author reviews the background to Tillich's theology including his debts to Schelling, Kant and Husserl. He surveys Tillich's achievement as a philosophical theologian, examining his ontological approach to christology, and his understanding of the church as a spiritual community.

Karl Rahner has been called the most important and influential Roman Catholic thinker of the 20th century and was a major influence at the Second Vatican Council. This work is a concise introduction to the whole range of Rahner's theological interests.

From her earliest years, Catherine of Siena (1347-80) was griped by the mystery of God incarnate. This was the beginning of a life-long love story, a life-long conversion in which Christ spoke to Catherine and she communicated the truth of his being to the world of her time.

St Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109) was one of the greatest Christian writers of medieval Europe. Although best known as the inventor of the famous 'ontological argument' for God's existence, his writings cover all the chief aspects of Christian doctrine and have been a major influence on western theology.

Archbishop Rowan Williams's study of Teresa of Avila exemplifies his own deep spiritual theology.Together with her contemporary and friend, St. John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila stands at the highest point of Catholic spiritual writing in the troubled age of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. She is also one of the founding figures of modern Spanish literature. Teresa's vivid descriptions of her experiences in prayer have long made her an object of intense interest to psychologists of religion.This book makes use of recent historical research on Teresa and her society and provides a full introduction to all her major works. It shows Teresa as more than just a chronicler of paranormal states of consciousness. She emerges as a genuine theologian in her own right, with a powerful contribution to make to contemporary understanding of God.

This study places the Oxford, or Tractarian, Movement in the general political and social context of Victorian movements that were seeking to revitalize traditional English institutions during a time of urbanization and industrialization. It considers developments after Newman's departure.

This is a critical exploration of Bonhoeffer's writings that illuminates his ethical theology showing that what linked all his work was the attempt to listen to God's word in, to and for the secular world. As a theologian Bonhoeffer is admired for his independence of mind, creatvity and brilliance.

St. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-1274) is widely viewed as one of the greatest Christian thinkers of all time. Aquinas was the ultimate combination of theologian and philosopher; and his influence on Christian life and thought reaches from the Council of Trent to the Second Vatican Council and through to today.Brian Davies shows that Aquinas''s approach to the common questions of faith and existence is just as pressing and significant in our time. Here, the latest scholarship is incorporated with a clear and indispensable guide to Aquinas''s thought.

An exposition of the life and teachings of the diminutive Carmelite Friar whose influence has been so very profound. It argues that St John of the Cross as a multifaceted, 'myriad minded man' is an Outstanding Christian Thinker.

Kierkegard raised and addressed vital philosophical and ethical-religious questions about existence in as way that continues to be relevant across disciplines, generations and cultures. This work introduces Kierkegaard to new readers as a Christian religious thinker.

In this introduction to Calvin's theology the author concentrates on Calvin's major work "The Institutes of the Christian Religion", and explains its relevance to Christians of all times. This volume should give readers a sense of Calvin both as a Christian and as a thinker.

Desiderius Erasmus was one of the most influential writers of his time and widely acclaimed as the principal Northern humanist. He was, however, not only a man of letters but also a shrewd observer of society, a sharp critic of the institutional church, and a scholar on the cutting edge of biblical studies.

The corpus of Denys the Areopagite appeared in the 6th century and has been deeply influential on Christian thinking in both East and West. This volume examines the traditions on which Denys' work draws, and documents and comments on his vision of the beauty of God's world and revelation.

Edith Stein was beatified in 1987 and canonized in 1998. Sarah Borden presents an overview of St Edith Stein's life and thought, beginning with a biographical chapter and then covering her writings on politics, women, phenomenology, medieval physics, and her spiritual and religious texts.