Contemporary Theology

Contemporary Theology

Taught by Kirk R. MacGregor

In this Contemporary Theology course, theologian Kirk MacGregor introduces major thinkers and schools of thought from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present. Included are units on non-Western voices, evangelical perspectives, and philosophical developments alongside the widely acknowledged main streams of modern theology.

Course Details

  • 40 Units

  • Self-paced

  • 9.5 hours of video

  • Beginner

  • Contemporary Theology

12 Month Access
$199.99 USD


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Course Description

In this introductory Contemporary Theology course, Kirk R. MacGregor provides a chronological survey of the major thinkers and schools of thought in modern theology. Accessible and comprehensive, units include the influence of philosophy and the recent Christian philosophical renaissance on theology as well as key developments in exegetical theology. Units also cover evangelical perspectives alongside mainline and liberal developments, global contributions, and the implications of theological shifts on ethics and church life.

The Contemporary Theology course is noteworthy for making complex thought understandable and for tracing the landscape of modern theology in a well-organized and easy-to-study manner. The clear language will appeal to formal students, pastors seeking to continue their education, and independent learners alike.

By completing this course, you’ll gain

  • A broad understanding of theology and where the discipline stands today
  • A deeper grasp of the major schools of theological thought and the history behind each
  • Insights into theological and philosophical shifts in church life today
  • Confidence in your growing knowledge through personalized review sessions and unit assessments

Meet Your Instructors

Kirk R. MacGregor

Ph.D., University of Iowa

Kirk R. MacGregor is assistant professor of philosophy and religion at McPherson College in McPherson, Kansas. He is the author of several scholarly works including A Molinist-Anabaptist Systematic Theology and Luis de Molina.

Course Outline

  • Philosophical Backgrounds

  • Friedrich Schleiermacher: The Founder of Modern Liberal Theology

  • G.W.F. Hegel: Dialectical Theology

  • Soren Kierkegaard: Existentialism

  • Early Dispensationalism

  • Princeton Theology

  • Charles Haddon Spurgeon: Practical Biblical Theology

  • Vatican I and Neo-Thomism

  • Revivalist Theology

  • The Social Gospel

  • Fundamentalism

  • Karl Barth and Neo-Orthodoxy

  • Christian Realism

  • Pentecostalism and Latin American Pneumatology

  • Ludwig Wittgenstein and Language Games

  • The Birth of Contemporary Evangelicalism

  • Rudolf Bultmann: Demythologization

  • Paul Tillich: Theology of Culture

  • Death of God Theologies

  • MIDTERM

  • Vatican II: Aggiornamento

  • Process Theology

  • Jürgen Moltmann: Theology of Hope

  • John Howard Yoder: Current Anabaptist Theology

  • Liberation Theology

  • Feminist Theology

  • Evangelical Complementarianism and Egalitarianism

  • Reformed Epistemology

  • African Christology: Healer and Ancestor

  • Postmodern Theology

  • Open Theism

  • Philosophy of Religion and Analytic Theology

  • Chinese Eschatology

  • Postliberal Theology

  • Theology and the Arts

  • A New Perspective on Paul and Justification

  • Theological Interpretation of Scripture

  • Evolutionary Creation

  • Postconservative Theology

  • FINAL EXAM


BibleMesh is now offering an integrated reading experience for our new book-based courses. As before, students will be guided through their reading with book excerpts embedded within the course. This allows for an improved reading experience within the course. Students will also be able to pop out the book reader into a full-screen, fully-featured web-based reading platform where they will be able to see the wider context of each excerpt and access the complete book.

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