Because of Christ: Memoirs of a Lutheran Theologian

In this compelling memoir Carl Braaten tells the story of his life as a theologian, from his early years as a missionary kid in Madagascar, to his years of study at the universities of Paris, Harvard, Heidelberg, and Oxford, to his decades of teaching. Throughout his narrative Braaten delves into the many theological movements, controversies, and personalities that have shaped his thinking and writing.

A well-written theological autobiography exhibiting Braaten's signature accent --- "evangelical without being Protestant, catholic without being Roman, and orthodox without being Eastern" --- Because of Christ is an intellectual travelogue par excellence, an informed chronicle of the chief theological conflicts of the twentieth century that have put the integrity of the gospel to the test.

"The story I am telling unavoidably unfolds as a chronicle that includes many conflicts and controversies. The very struggle for the truth of the gospel entails the negation and at times even the condemnation of rival doctrines. Some of these are blatant heresies that flourish within the church; others are alternative religions or ideologies whose most virulent forms threaten the survival of the Christian faith. The theologian's task is to turn the spotlight of the gospel on the intellectual challenges of our time and to keep the church from crossing the line from orthodoxy into heresy.... My quest for truth is the red thread that runs through the story I am about to tell."--- from the preface

CARL E. BRAATEN is professor emeritus of systematic theology at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and former executive director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology. He is the author of many other books, including Principles of Lutheran Theology and That All May Believe: A Theology of the Gospel and the Mission of the Church.