The trial of the witnesses : the rise and decline of postliberal theology /

DeHart (Vanderbilt Divinity School) treats the movement known as postliberalism. Associated with George Lindbeck's The Nature of Doctrine (1984) and the so-called Yale school of theology, it indicates a conscious attempt to be an alternative to liberal or revisionist theology. Discussions of postliberalism dominated American theology in the 1990s. DeHart sees these as passe, and indicates how and why they are. A first chapter gives a history of the thinking at Yale, highlighting Lindbeck's and Hans Frei's influence. Four subsequent chapters offer a thorough presentation and critique of Lindbeck and Frei; a concluding chapter treats the future after postliberalism. The book is thoroughly researched and clearly argued. It will be the first secondary source to consult on these issues in the future; it also stakes out a delineation of the issues that are a matter for discussion. DeHart sees postliberalism as a river whose future is in the many smaller streams of the delta it formed. Others may regard the very idea of a genuine and contained school of thought at Yale as overblown or parochial, seeing this school's contributions as part of a much bigger river flowing through 20th-century theology. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Upper-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. E. O. Springsted Center of Theological Inquiry