Background
Colin Gunton was born on January 19, 1941, in Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom. He was the eldest of three sons born to Herbert Ewart and Mabel Priscilla Gunton.
Catte St, Oxford OX1 3BW, United Kingdom
In 1964 Colin Gunton received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hertford College, Oxford.
Mansfield Rd, Oxford OX1 3TF, United Kingdom
In 1967 Colin Gunton obtained a Master of Arts degree from Mansfield College, Oxford. In 1973 Gunton gained a Doctor of Philosophy degree from this college.
Waverley Mount, Nottingham NG7 4ED, United Kingdom
Colin Gunton attended Nottingham High School.
Colin Gunton with Robert Jenson
(Becoming and Being presents an analysis and comparison of...)
Becoming and Being presents an analysis and comparison of two influential modern approaches to the doctrine of God. Though they are in many respects diametrically opposed, the one finding its basis in biblical revelation and steeped in the tradition of trinitarian reflection, the other relying on pure speculative reason, there are numerous and surprising points of contact.
https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Being-Doctrine-Charles-Hartshorne/dp/0334028299
1978
(First published in 1983, this book has now been reissued ...)
First published in 1983, this book has now been reissued with a new epilogue in which the author re-examines the debate on Christology in the light of recent developments. The book argues that the classic tradition in theology remains highly relevant to Christianity today.
https://www.amazon.com/Yesterday-Today-Study-Continuities-Christology/dp/028105083X
1983
(Colin Gunton focuses on the concepts of truth, freedom, a...)
Colin Gunton focuses on the concepts of truth, freedom, and faith. He argues that in these areas the emphasis of Enlightenment thought on knowledge which is observable and objective has alienated us from understanding or believing in whatever cannot be seen or scientifically deduced and cut us off from reality, form ourselves, and form God. But the trinitarian structure of Christian belief contains within itself the resources to overcome this alienation and achieve an integrated perspective. Gunton finds in the doctrine of the Trinity - especially in Jesus Christ, in whom the mysterious and divine joined the physical and observable - a way to give validity both to scientific frames of thought and to religious belief.
https://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-Alienation-towards-Trinitarian-Theology/dp/1597529486
1985
(In a reissue of a masterly examination of both the Christ...)
In a reissue of a masterly examination of both the Christian doctrine of Atonement and the nature and working of theological language, Professor Gunton reassesses the doctrine and the language in which it is expressed in the light of modern scholarly developments. He explains how the traditional metaphors of Atonement, drawn from the battlefield, the altar, and the law courts, all express something of the meaning of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus-and examines their bearing on human life in today's world.
https://www.amazon.com/Actuality-Atonement-Rationality-Christian-Tradition/dp/0567080900/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Actuality+of+Atonement%3A+A+Study+of+Metaphor%2C+Rationality+and+the+Christian+Tradition&qid=1599465944&s=books&sr=1-1
1988
(A reissue of a brilliant and accessible introduction to T...)
A reissue of a brilliant and accessible introduction to Trinitarian thought. Colin Gunton argues that the theology of the Trinity has profound implications for all dimensions of human life. Central to his work is his argument that the doctrine should offer ways of articulating the being of God and of the world so that we may be better able to live before God and with each other.
https://www.amazon.com/Promise-Trinitarian-Theology-Colin-Gunton/dp/0567081001/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Promise+of+Trinitarian+Theology&qid=1599466033&s=books&sr=1-1
1991
(The relation, the connection, between Christ and creation...)
The relation, the connection, between Christ and creation is the subject of this book, which author Colin Gunton describes as a summary dogmatic Christology. Central to Gunton's Christology are a strong incarnation-creation link and the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Constituting the published version of the 1990 Didsbury Lectures delivered by Gunton at British Isles Nazarene College, 'Christ and Creation' offers thought-provoking reflections on major theological themes and realities: creation, redemption, the Trinity, horizontal and vertical relatedness; Christ's incarnation, virgin birth, passion, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension; election, freedom, the Kingdom of God, and the church. Weaving pneumatological, teleological, eschatological, anthropological, and ecological strands into his Christology, Gunton draws from and interacts with a wide range of theologians, from ancient to modern - Paul, Irenaeus, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Calvin, Schleiermacher, Barth, Moltmann, Pannenberg, Thomas Torrance, John Robinson, and many others.
https://www.amazon.com/Christ-Creation-Didsbury-Lectures-1990/dp/1597522473/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Christ+and+Creation&qid=1599466341&s=books&sr=1-1
1992
(This study, based on the Bampton Lectures delivered in th...)
This study, based on the Bampton Lectures delivered in the University of Oxford in 1992, examines what is often called the crisis of modernity, with reference not only to modernity but to modern culture in general. Problems of social, theological, and philosophical thought are traced back beyond the Enlightenment to the very roots of Western Christian theology. A response to these problems is essayed by constructively developing conceptual possibilities to be found in ancient and modern theology of the Trinity.
https://www.amazon.com/One-Three-Many-Creation-Modernity/dp/0521421845/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+One%2C+the+Three+and+the+Many%3A+God%2C+Creation+and+the+Culture+of+Modernity&qid=1599466654&s=books&sr=1-1
1993
(This book seeks to re-examine important aspects of revela...)
This book seeks to re-examine important aspects of revelation which have received inadequate attention in recent years. Professor Gunton asks whether there is more to be said for the notion of Christianity as a 'revealed religion' than some of the more simplified recent treatments allow. He analyses the concept of revelation, contends that natural theology and natural revelation are distinct, and considers revelation in relation to scripture and tradition, and the nature of inspiration. In conclusion he provides an outline of a complete, modern theology of revelation.
https://www.amazon.com/Brief-Theology-Revelation-Colin-Gunton/dp/0567041115/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=A+Brief+Theology+of+Revelation&qid=1599467046&s=books&sr=1-1
1995
(A new paperback edition of an important work by the late ...)
A new paperback edition of an important work by the late Colin E. Gunton. This book begins by treating the nature of Christian theology and the doctrine of God, leading to discussions on Christology, pneumatology, atonement, creation, and the church. Professor Gunton's study will be invaluable for all scholars and students of systematic theology and Christian doctrine - and of modern theology in general.
https://www.amazon.com/Theology-Through-Theologians-Selected-1972-1995/dp/0567085279/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Theology+Through+the+Theologians%3A+Essays+1972-1995&qid=1599467144&s=books&sr=1-1
1996
(This book provides a theological history of the Christian...)
This book provides a theological history of the Christian doctrine of creation and explores the implications of the doctrine for our modern scientific age. Colin Gunton begins by looking at the origins of the doctrine of creation in the Bible and relating the biblical view to Greek cosmology. He then examines the history of the doctrine, showing how theologians from Irenaeus to Barth have spoken of creation. Gunton argues that early in the development of the doctrine serious mistakes were made that have led to highly problematic outcomes, such as the divorce of theology from science. In the closing chapters, Gunton focuses on related themes, such as providence, eschatology, and the ethics of creation.
https://www.amazon.com/Triune-Creator-Historical-Systematic-Constructive/dp/0802845754/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+Triune+Creator%3A+A+Historical+and+Systematic+Study&qid=1599467357&s=books&sr=1-1
1998
(This is a carefully chosen collection of some thirty serm...)
This is a carefully chosen collection of some thirty sermons by Colin Gunton with a foreword by Christoph Schwöbel. Together, they provide a broad overview of the Christian faith. An introduction by Professor Christoph Schwöbel includes a sustained reflection on the importance of theological preaching. These sermons and their theological significance, by one of the world's foremost theologians, will be of interest not only to preachers, professional and lay, but also to theologians and students.
https://www.amazon.com/Theology-Through-Preaching-Gospel-Christian/dp/0567082792
2001
(This book offers a comprehensive and lively look at the C...)
This book offers a comprehensive and lively look at the Christian faith by internationally-respected theologian, Colin Gunton. Distilling a lifetime's experience of teaching and thought, this is a book for those who wish to understand the meaning and relevance of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity. The order of the book follows the central themes of the Nicene Creed, the manifesto of the Christian faith. Beginning with consideration of creation and providence, it moves on to the person and work of Christ, and then to the human appropriation of belief and eschatology. A concluding chapter brings together, in a treatment of the Trinity, a discussion of the divine attributes and the doctrine of God that has been revealed in the process of the book's argument. No other book offers such a comprehensive, systematic and accessible overview of the Christian faith. It will prove invaluable to students of introductory theology, as well as anyone interested in the fundamental claims of Christianity.
https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Faith-Introduction-Doctrine/dp/0631211829/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=The+Christian+Faith%3A+An+Introduction+to+Christian+Doctrine&qid=1599468007&s=books&sr=1-2
2002
(After two thousand years of theological discussion, there...)
After two thousand years of theological discussion, there seems to be little clarity about the kind of being that God is. "Act and Being" - Colin Gunton's last book before his untimely death in spring 2003 -- explores this topic with brilliance, offering a fresh, meaningful understanding of the defining characteristics of the deity. In discussing the attributes of God, Gunton brings a unique combination of theology and philosophy to bear on this central topic of Christian thought. He first reviews past attempts to unpack the nature of God, showing how most fail as cogent, relevant teaching. He then outlines the facets of a new, intellectually stimulating, profoundly biblical portrait of the divine being. In the course of his book, Gunton also discusses the adequacy of theological language, compares the Greek and Hebrew views of divinity, and shows the difference that the Trinity makes to our understanding of the divine attributes.
https://www.amazon.com/Act-Being-Towards-Theology-Attributes/dp/080282658X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Act+and+Being%3A+Toward+A+Theology+of+the+Divine+Attributes&qid=1599468083&s=books&sr=1-1
2002
(The book is introduced by an account of Gunton's life wit...)
The book is introduced by an account of Gunton's life within Brentwood URC church, where he served as associate minister for over twenty-five years. This account offers a more rounded picture of the man to those of his readers who knew only the academic side of his work. Two interpretative essays explore how Gunton understood the life of the church and the ministry of preaching, the place of an academic theologian within that, and how the work of preaching affected the development of Gunton's theology. Gunton placed significant value on the preaching ministry, of the connection he saw between that ministry and the work of theology, and of his own conviction that preaching was a necessary task. This book explores through essay and example how these intellectual convictions were worked out in his own life.
https://www.amazon.com/Theologian-Preacher-Further-Sermons-Gunton/dp/0567031217/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Theologian+as+Preacher%3A+Further+Sermons+from+Colin+Gunton&qid=1599468545&s=books&sr=1-1
2007
clergyman educator theologian author
Colin Gunton was born on January 19, 1941, in Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom. He was the eldest of three sons born to Herbert Ewart and Mabel Priscilla Gunton.
Colin Gunton attended Nottingham High School. In 1964 Gunton received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hertford College, Oxford. In 1967 he obtained a Master of Arts degree from Mansfield College, Oxford. In 1973 Gunton gained a Doctor of Philosophy degree from this college.
Ordained a minister in 1972, Colin Gunton spent his career at King’s College London, beginning as a lecturer in philosophy and religion in 1969 and becoming a professor of Christian doctrine in 1984; he was also dean of the faculty of theology and religious studies from 1988 to 1990 and head of the department from 1994 to 1997.
An active secretary in the Society for the Study of Theology (from 1977 to 1987), he co-founded the International Journal of Systematic Theology and was co-editor of the Theological Review at King’s College. In 1992 he delivered the Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford and delivered the Warfield Lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1993.
He was also a prolific author and editor, and many of his works reflect his interest in particular in the Trinity. Among his books are Yesterday and Today: A Study of Continuities in Christology (1983; second edition, 1997), The Promise of Trinitarian Theology (1991; revised edition, 1997), The Triune Creator: A Historical and Systematic Study (1998), and The Christian Faith: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine (2001).
(In a reissue of a masterly examination of both the Christ...)
1988(This study, based on the Bampton Lectures delivered in th...)
1993(First published in 1983, this book has now been reissued ...)
1983(The relation, the connection, between Christ and creation...)
1992(This book provides a theological history of the Christian...)
1998(The book is introduced by an account of Gunton's life wit...)
2007(This book offers a comprehensive and lively look at the C...)
2002(After two thousand years of theological discussion, there...)
2002(This book seeks to re-examine important aspects of revela...)
1995(Becoming and Being presents an analysis and comparison of...)
1978(This is a carefully chosen collection of some thirty serm...)
2001(A reissue of a brilliant and accessible introduction to T...)
1991(Colin Gunton focuses on the concepts of truth, freedom, a...)
1985(A new paperback edition of an important work by the late ...)
1996Colin Gunton was a member of the United Reformed Church.
As a theologian, Colin Gunton strongly believed in asserting the autonomy of theology, which he felt should be studied separately from other disciplines in the humanities such as philosophy and history. He also turned away from the theological liberalism that characterized much of the thinking in the Anglican Church, feeling that theology should be explicative, not apologetic. He counted Karl Barth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge as a major influence on his work.
Quotations:
"To image the being of God towards the world, to be the priest of creation, is to behave towards the world in all its aspects, of work, and of play, in such a way that it may come to be what it was created to be, that which praises its maker by becoming perfect in its own way. In all this, there is room for both usefulness and beauty to take their due place, but differently according to differences of activity and object."
"From all those created in the image of God there is something to be received, and to them something to be given."
"In our desire to impose form on the world and our lives we have lost the capacity to see the form that is already there; and in that lies not liberation but alienation, the cutting off from things as they really are."
"Everything important seems already to have happened."
Colin Gunton was an energetic rambler, a keen choral singer, and a remarkably enthusiastic gardener. His many friends knew his zest for life, his constant cheerfulness, and his deep sense of vocation.
On August 8, 1964, Colin Gunton married Jennifer Osgathorpe. They have two daughters and two sons.