I will keep the voting open maybe a day or so more, it would be great to have some more votes. It would make it possible to make the final list a little longer without too much random in the lower regions. I feel I can already announce the top three, since these are right now in a class of their own.
1. John D. Zizioulas, Being as Communion (1985)
2. George A Lindbeck, The Nature of Doctrine (1984)
3. Hans Urs von Balthasar, Theodramatik (completed 1983)
I wonder if an Orthodox theologian could have made it to the top of a list like this even ten years ago. Right now, Zizioluas leads of Lindbeck with two votes, and over von Balthasar with three, so things can still change.
So congratulations to Zizioulas and the others!
And remember, you can still contribute to the list by voting, as well as by linking to bring in more people!
Update: actually, I won't have time to look at this today, so the voting remains open for some time still.
1. John D. Zizioulas, Being as Communion (1985)
2. George A Lindbeck, The Nature of Doctrine (1984)
3. Hans Urs von Balthasar, Theodramatik (completed 1983)
I wonder if an Orthodox theologian could have made it to the top of a list like this even ten years ago. Right now, Zizioluas leads of Lindbeck with two votes, and over von Balthasar with three, so things can still change.
So congratulations to Zizioulas and the others!
And remember, you can still contribute to the list by voting, as well as by linking to bring in more people!
Update: actually, I won't have time to look at this today, so the voting remains open for some time still.
7 comments:
That's actually a pretty good list. It is some of the most important works in Roman Catholic, Orthodox and mainline protestent theology in the last 25 years. A good spread.
Though, of course von Balthasar will eat up the most time, being 5 long volumes. Each of which is better than the last. It was one of the best reading experiences of my life.
An interesting threesome. In some ways conservative. I'm a bit surprised Moltmann or Pannenberg aren't at the top considering their longstanding importance. But then this is a matter of the voters preferences!
Hmmm...
Don't get me wrongl Zizioulas is a first-rate theologian and is certainly influential. But I wonder if his book Being as Communion really is the most important and influential work in systematic theology of the past 25 years. I just do not see it "changing the whole climate" like Lindbeck's, Balthasar's or Milbank's nominated work.
Michael,
I guess you are right. Because of the way this list have been voted on, it will favour works that the most people find important. And it seems (and I haven't studied this thoroughly), that people that have very different preferences in their other choices all like Zizioulas, whereas the other works you mention seem to divide people. You do not get a lot people voting for Millbank and Volf, for example, but many people vote for either of those and Zizioulas.
This is also a measure of greatness I think.
And I think it could be disputed that Zizioulas HAS had a major impact, particularly outside of his own tradition. Ecclesiology is rapidly becoming a (or the) major locus of contemporary theological reflection and it's simply not possible to do ecclesiology without engaging Zizioulas.
Thanks for this. I voted and I also used it to write on my blog. It's always fun to have have something to get me thinking. . .
Good work and great blog!
p.s. On Zizioulas I read him when I got my degree at an evangelical seminary. I think he has a lot of play outside his tradition. I voted for him. :)
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