Gregory Edwards

The Substance of Our Faith

Theology

“In an era of specialization (and overspecialization?), this book takes us back to the general scholarship practiced in earlier eras that is sorely lacking today. Written to address those Christians who are suspicious of doctrine as something that only divides, The Substance of Our Faith is aimed primarily at ‘those who want to teach in the churches across time and space.’ Deeply committed to a ‘traditional and global’ Christianity, Sweeney advocates convincingly for a Christianity that is best ‘explained with the whole counsel of God—not the whole counsel of God as imparted in the West, but the whole counsel of God as conveyed by the whole people of God, past and present.’ In particular, Sweeney’s willingness to foray into the neglected Eastern fathers and explore patristics beyond Augustine is a welcome relief. Sweeney’s work is a useful textbook on the development of doctrine, authority, and mission in the global church.”