Foundations of Modern Church History

Contents: Foundations contains an introduction to semiotic, Structural analysis, a study of the Church historical writings of Ferdinand Christian Baur, and August Neander, and reflections on contemporary theological, and Church historical trends derived from their writings.

The Author: Dr. Frank Kaufmann, Executive Director of the Inter Religious Federation for World Peace, teaches Religion at Pace University in New York, and Modern European Church History at the Unification Theological Seminary.

"Kaufmann's 'Foundations of Modern Church History' is a significant, innovative approach to the doing of history. Its moderate and dialogical stance stands in marked contrast to previous works employing new intratextual methods. Scholarly discussion of this approach will surely take place upon publication. Furthermore, the book is 'reader friendly', guiding the uninitiated reader easily through the intricacies of structural analysis. This ease of reading and understanding sets this book apart." (Clayton L. McNearney, Marshall University)
"Kaufmann's comparison of the early 19th-century theologians/New Testament critics, Neander and Baur, in terms of their 'systems of convictions' (and not their'theologies') opens up a new approach to Church History, following in the steps of Michel Foucault's study of 'Epistemes' in his treatments of medicine, madness, sexuality, and punishment. For this purpose, Kaufmann successfully employs a specific structural method, which he introduces cogently by means of example, rather than through technical discussion. This is a study which offers important new insights on this formative period of the history of Biblical criticism." (Daniel Patte, Vanderbilt University)