6 Modern Theologians Every Thoughtful Person Should Read

odern theology is discourse about God in the context of modernity and the cultural ethos brought about by the Enlightenment. After Enlightenment thinkers denigrated special revelation in favor of natural theology, post-Enlightenment intellectual giants tried in various ways to move beyond their assertions. Kant focused on morality as the focal point of Christianity. Hegel homed in on the intellectual realm as Christianity’s center. Schleiermacher elevated the experience and intuition of the community.

Judging those responses to be aberrations from historic Christian teaching, the theologians on the following list attempted to carve out a more faithful path for post-Enlightenment Christianity. Thoughtful non-theologians will benefit from patient exposure to these scholars. Inclusion does not imply endorsement. The list encourages readers not to be denominational or chronological snobs, but instead to read the most important theologians slowly, patiently, and receptively. 

To read the rest of the article, originally published at First Things Magazine, click here.