Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction / John D. Woodbridge, Thomas Edward McComiskey -- A tribute to Kenneth S. Kantzer / Walter C. Kaiser -- Doing theology today: the helping disciplines -- Is systematic theology a mirage? an introductory discussion / J.I. Packer -- The role of exegesis in systematic theology / D.A. Carson -- The role of church history in the study of systematic theology / Richard A. Muller -- Christ and concept: doing theology and the "ministry" of philosophy / Kevin J. Vanhoozer -- On method and means in theology / Harold O.J. Brown -- The theologian's craft / David Wells -- Doing theology today: contemporary evangelical protestant perspectives -- How do Lutheran theologians approach the doing of theology today? / David P. Scaer -- How reformed theologians "do theology" in today's world / Fred H. Klooster -- Thinking theologically from a free-church perspective / John H. Yoder -- How Wesleyans do theology / Allan Coppedge -- Theological style among Pentecostals and Charismatics / Russel P. Spittler -- Doing theology today: other significant approaches -- Reaching for fidelity: Roman Catholic theology today / Stephen Bevans -- Light from the east? "Doing theology" in an Eastern Orthodox perspective / John Meyendorff -- The task of feminist theology / Rosemary Radford Ruether -- The subversiveness of faith: a paradigm for doing liberation theology / Orlando E. Costas -- Doing theology from a liberal Christian point of view / Gordon D. Kaufman -- Doing theology today / Schubert M. Ogden -- How do neoorthodox and post-neoorthodox theologians approach the "doing of theology" today? / Gerald T. Sheppard -- Doing theology today: the approach of Kenneth S. Kantzer -- A systematic biblical dogmatics: what is it and how is it to be done? / Kenneth S. Kantzer -- Biography of Kenneth S. Kantzer.

This volume focuses on a central question: What does a person need to know for developing a theology? In other words, this book will not only answer objections lodged against the study of theology but will explain to students, pastors, and laypersons alike what a theologian actually does. It will also present different approaches to the study of theology and review the present status of theological reflection in various Protestant, Orthodox, and Roman Catholic traditions. In the first section of the book evangelical Protestant scholars describe the contributions various disciplines make to the study of theology. In the next section, evangelical Protestant scholars explain the distinctives of their particular tradition's approach in doing theology. In the third part, theologians who do not identify with evangelical Protestant convictions seek to explain the distinctives of their approaches to doing theology. In the final section, Dr. Kantzer provides a summary analysis of how he does theology and interacts critically with a number of the essays in this volume. Among the contributors are Gordon D. Kaufman, Schubert Ogden, J.I. Packer, John Meyendorf, Richard A. Muller, Orlando Costas, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Gerald Sheppard, Harold O.J. Brown, John Yodel, and D.A. Carson.