Rethinking Christian Identity

“A brilliant, compelling, agenda-setting book … Volpe has written this thoughtful, passionate, informed critique that invites us all to think through precisely what is involved in being formed in the Christian tradition.”
Ian Markham, Virginia Theological Seminary

“A model for those of us who seek to combine the vocations of academic theology and pastoral ministry, Rethinking Christian Identity offers a compelling vision of Christian formation. Volpe deftly shapes her vision in conversation with contemporary theologians and voices from the history of the Church … combining erudition with a passion for Christian discipleship.”
Kathryn Greene-McCreight, St. John’s Episcopal Church

Recent decades have seen major shifts in our understanding of Christian identity. This timely book explores contemporary theological theory in asking what makes a Christian in the twenty-first century: what unites and sets Christians apart from other social or political groups, and how is this identity forged and then passed on to others?

Volpe engages with these changing ideas through the work of Kathryn Tanner, Rowan Williams, and John Milbank, whose accounts of Christianity challenge older views. Drawing these theologians into conversation with Gregory of Nyssa, she clearly and persuasively discusses the importance of doctrine in identity formation, the unexplored ideas of the significance of sin on Christian identity and its effects, and the need for an inclusive account of Christian identity. As Christianity declines in parts of the Western world, and yet expands in others, the nature of Christian identity is more crucial and vexed than ever before. This important book makes a valuable contribution to these ongoing debates.

Medi Ann Volpe is Lecturer in Theology and Ethics at Cranmer Hall, Durham University. She has published in Modern Theology, amongst other journals, and is co-editor of The Oxford Handbook of Catholic Theology (forthcoming, with L. Ayres).