Uniting History and Theology

Book Description

Seth Heringer challenges Christians to reconsider how they approach the intersection of faith and historical understanding in this thought-provoking examination of theological methodology. The author argues that believers have become too dependent on traditional historical methods that inadvertently separate their investigations from both aesthetic considerations and divine perspective.

Drawing on the work of influential theologians Martin Kähler, Wolfhart Pannenberg, and N.T. Wright, Heringer demonstrates why previous attempts to bridge history and theology have fallen short. He contends that these scholars, despite their contributions, remained constrained by conventional historical approaches that limit deeper spiritual inquiry into past events.

Rather than accepting existing compromises between historical and theological perspectives, Heringer turns to contemporary philosophy of history for fresh insights. He proposes that Christians need an intentionally faith-centered approach to understanding the past, one that acknowledges the interconnected nature of past, present, and future.

The book outlines five guiding principles for this new methodology, emphasizing the importance of narrative, questioning claims of objectivity in historical accounts, integrating temporal perspectives, applying aesthetic judgment to historical narratives, and encouraging Christians to write history from an explicitly Christian worldview.

For readers seeking to deepen their understanding of how faith informs their interpretation of history and events, this work offers a framework for approaching the past through a lens that honors both scholarly rigor and spiritual truth.