Historicism: The Once and Future Challenge for Theology

The 200-year-old notion thatconcepts, ideas, and theories areall influenced by or occasioned byhistorical circumstances is today acommonplace in all fields, and laysbare the historical character of ourmost cherished convictions, honoredtraditions, and dogmatic formulations.

With clarity and skill, Davaney'sauthoritative text traces the historyof historicism and its various meanings from the GermanEnlightenment through its Continental and distinctlyAmerican developments to its contemporary postmodernincarnations. She demonstrates how it has forced theologyto pioneer methods that specifically acknowledge sociallocatedness, particularity, and pragmatic intent, effectivelyreplacing theology's metaphysical and dogmatic basiswith a largely historical one. Yet, says Davaney, Christiantheology has yet to come to terms fully with historicismand its imperatives, and her final chapter charts a possiblefuture course.