The Gift of the World: An Introduction to the Theology of Dumitru Staniloae

Until recently (and partly because of the political circumstances of the Romanian church prior to 1989), English-speaking readers have had access to very little of Staniloae’s writing. But his great masterpiece, Orthodox Dogmatic Theology, is at last beginning to appear. Staniloae’s theological stature has been compared to Barth, Rahner and Schillebeeckx. In him we meet not only a contemporary master of Orthodox thought but a Christian thinker of ecumenical proportions—one who addresses the needs and aspirations of Christians living in a technological age, and who offers an important and timely contribution to “Green” theology.

The present volume is described by the author as a “prolegomenon” to the reading of Staniloae. It takes one vital theme from the centre of his dogmatic system—that of creation as the primordial gift of God—and shows how this applies both to sacramental theology and to ecclesiology. Containing a guide to the works of Staniloae, Charles Miller’s book will be of immense value to all those who are struggling to understand the meaning of the created order: Anglicans, Catholics and Orthodox alike.