This is Alister McGrath’s best-known work, currently in its sixth edition, with the seventh edition in preparation. It is based on McGrath’s lectures on Christian theology at Oxford University in the 1980s and 1990s, and has constantly been updated in the light of reader feedback since its original publication in 1994. It is used throughout the world, and has gained praise for its accessibility, its comprehensive account of theology, and its absence of theological partisanship. It has been adopted by Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and evangelical seminaries and universities throughout the world.
The book has three main sections. The first deals with the four main periods in the history of theology, sketching the main ideas under discussion, and the major theologians of these periods. The second deals with the sources and methods of theology. The third section consists of 10 chapters, each dealing with a major theme in Christian theology – for example, the identity and significance of Christ, the nature and grounds of salvation, and the doctrine of the Trinity.
McGrath has developed a series of teaching resources to help students using this textbook, whether they are studying on their own or in taught classes. You may find this series of short videos, explaining how to use the textbook and introducing each of its chapters, helpful in using this work. More material is under development, both in audio and video form, and will be posed on this site as it becomes available. All this material is free for you to use and share. Here is a link to the YouTube playlist of 19 videos that introduce the book and each of its 18 chapters: enjoy!
Because this book is comprehensive, it is quite long (265,000 words). Some readers thus prefer to use Theology: The Basics, which is roughly one third of this length, and is pitched at a lower level. Follow this link to learn more about this shorter work, which is widely used in college settings, but is especially popular in church study groups.