Karkkainen - The doctrine of god : a global introduction

For some time I had wanted to revise this textbook, written more than a decade ago. My initial plan was to correct some inaccuracies and poor formulations, update the references, and make documentation more detailed. However, having started planning for the work, it became clear to me that a virtual rewriting would be necessary because of the rapid growth of publications and proliferation of views in this field. Furthermore, when preparing for another textbook on a closely related topic a few years after the publication of this worknamely, The Trinity: Global Perspectives (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2007)I was given another opportunity to continue investigating the topic. Even more important, recent sustained engagement with the doctrine of God in the context of both Christian tradition and four other living faiths, leading to the publication of Trinity and Revelation , the second volume of A Constructive Christian Theology for the Pluralistic World (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2014), forced me to deepen my understanding, clarify some issues, and formulate my own current understanding. Hopefully, all these learning experiences have come to bear on this second edition.

At the same time, I have continued to teach theology students not only in the United States (Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California) and Europe (University of Helsinki, Finland) but also in various locations in the Global South. That long experience has forced me to think about how best to communicate these lessons to students and other interested readers. I have done my best in making the book more accessible and classroom friendly.

Throughout the text I have used insights and contributions from the most recent publications and research at the international and ecumenical levels. In addition to having revised the whole text, including taking stock of recent literature and adding a number of new references, I have also added a whole new section. Part 3 places the Christian doctrine of God in the context of religious plurality and focuses on perceptions and interpretations of the Divine among three living faith traditions: Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. It also attempts some important comparisons in relation to the Christian doctrine of God.

As it now stands, the text provides a concise introduction to biblical and historical developments in the doctrine of God as well as a wide survey of contemporary global diversity in both the Global North and South, including teachings of some living faith traditions. It seems to me that no other textbook attempts such a wide reach.

I am deeply grateful to Robert Hosack at Baker Academic, who helped me gain this opportunity for revision. Throughout the final editorial process, Baker Academic editor Eric Salos attention to details and need for clarity helped make the text more precise and user friendly. My Hungarian American doctoral student Viktor Toth checked all the bibliographic references and compiled the indexes. As always, I am deeply grateful to my wife of over three decades, Anne-Paivi, without whose support this book would never have seen daylight, either in its first or second edition.