Introduction To Christianity (edit title/settings)

INTRODUCTION: "I BELIEVE--AMEN"

I. BELIEF IN THE WORLD OF TODAY

1. Doubt and Belief--Man's situation before the question of God
2. The Origin of Belief--Provisional attempt at a definition of belief
3. The dilemma of belief in the world of today
4. The boundary of the modern understanding of reality and the place of belief
5. Faith as standing firm and understanding
6. "I believe in you"

II. THE ECCLESIASTICAL FORM OF FAITH

1. Introductory remarks on the history and structure of the Apostles' Creed
2. Limits and meaning of the text
3. Creed and dogma
4. The Creed as expression of the structure of faith

PART ONE: GOD

I. PROLEGOMENA TO THE THE SUBJECT OF GOD

1. The scope of the question
2. The profession of faith in the one God

II. THE BIBLICAL BELIEF IN GOD

1. The problem of the story of the burning bush
2. The intrinsic assumption of the belief in Yahweh: The God of <Israel's> fathers
3. Yahweh, the "God of our Fathers" and the God of Jesus Christ
4. The idea of the name
5. The two sides of the biblical concept of God

III. THE GOD OF FAITH AND THE GOD OF THE PHILOSOPHIES

1. The decision of the early Church in favor of philosophy
2. The transformation of the God of the philosophers
3. The reflection of the question in the text of the Creed

IV. FAITH IN GOD TODAY

1. The primacy of the logos
2. The personal God

V. BELIEF IN THE TRIUNE GOD

1. A start at understanding
2. Positive significance

PART TWO: JESUS CHRIST

I. "I BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST, HIS ONLY SON, OUR LORD"

A. THE PROBLEM OF FAITH IN JESUS TODAY

B. JESUS THE CHRIST: THE BASIC FORM OF THE CHRISTOLOGICAL PROFESSION OF FAITH

1. The dilemma of modern theology; Jesus or Christ?
2. The Creed's image of Christ
3. The point of departure of faith in Jesus: The Cross
4. Jesus the Christ

C. JESUS CHRIST--TRUE GOD AND TRUE MAN

1. The formulation of the question
2. A modern stock idea of the "historical Jesus"
3. The claim of christological dogma

D. THE DIFFERENT PATHS TAKEN BY CHRISTOLOGY

1. Theology of the Incarnation and Theology of the Cross
2. Christology and the doctrine of redemption
3. Christ, "the last man"

II. THE DEVELOPMENT OF FAITH IN CHRIST IN THE CHRISTOLOGICAL ARTICLES OF THE CREED

1. "Conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary"
2. "Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried"
3. "Descended into hell"
4. "Rose again <from the dead>
5. "He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father"
6. "He will come again to judge the living and the dead"

PART THREE: THE SPIRIT AND THE CHURCH

I. THE INTRINSIC UNITY OF THE LAST STATEMENTS IN THE CREED

II. TWO MAJOR QUESTIONS POSED BY THE ARTICLES ON THE SPIRIT AND THE CHURCH
1. "The Holy, catholic Church"
2. "The resurrection of the body"