Since its first appearance in 1821 22 The Christian Faith has had a fractious history of
reception. It implements decisive departures for theology founding the possibility to speak
about God on human freedom. It recognises the role of historical consciousness and the need to
relate to advances in the natural sciences. The study investigates the early critiques of
Schleiermacher's analysis of the feeling of utter dependence of his conception of Christ as
the archetype of the God-consciousness and of his doctrine of God in terms of absolute
causality. It reconstructs the revisions carried out in the second edition of 1830 31 as a
break-through to a transcendental argumentation. Does Schleiermacher's elaboration of the
anthropological turn in theology leave it defenseless against the dissolution of faith in a
saving God in Feuerbach's projection thesis? Does it offer a naturalising account of religion?
And where does the interconnectedness of nature established by God leave what was prized by the
Romantics human individuality? Ongoing objections and new constellations of questions are
examined in their relevance for a modern theology that spells out faith in God as a practical
self-understanding. Maureen Junker-Kenny's book is an outstanding presentation of
Schleiermacher's theology. She attends not only to the development of his method from the first
to the second edition of The Christian Faith but also to his concrete interpretation of
Creation Christology Redemption Theological Anthropology especially human freedom and his
understanding of God. The book has an exceptional value in the way she relates Schleiermacher
not only to his contemporaries but also contemporary concerns. Schleiermacher's theology is
shown in its relation to the modernity of his age but also the ongoing modernity of today. The
book has a depth and breath that make it indispensable not only for historical theology but
also contemporary constructive theology.- Francis Schüssler Fiorenza Harvard Divinity School
In Self Christ and God in Schleiermacher's Dogmatics. A Theology Reconceived for Modernity
Maureen Junker-Kenny proves herself to be not only a distinguished interpreter of
Schleiermacher's work but a creative practitioner in her own right of his dialogical method.
Elegantly conceived and beautifully written the book shows how Schleiermacher connected the
different aspects of his thought-form content structure doctrine piety critical rigor-into a
coherent system. Self Christ and God in Schleiermacher's Dogmatics is now the only guide to
Schleiermacher's magnum opus Christian Faith anyone needs.- Christine Helmer Northwestern
University Chicago
