[.ca] Foundations of Christian Faith: An Introduction to the ... (ISBN 0824505239)

Tough transcendental sledding:
Rahner's "Foundations" is a long, bumpy, difficult ride. The concepts are brilliant and challenging. They undoubtedly illuminate the faith of Christians and profoundly portray Catholicism. Rahner's mode of expression, however, is dense and difficult....

Rahner's "Foundations" is outstanding theology!:
This book is a must if one is studying Christian Theology. Rahner touches on the vital aspects of the "person" and their interaction with God. Not really an introduction, it takes several passes to pull the most important details out of the text. This book is a true work of moderm theology and will sure to be ranked amongst the best theological works ever. I strongly recomend this work!

Excellent - but hardly introductory in the usual sense:
Karl Rahner's brilliance in presenting systematic theology is well-illustrated in this work, the material of which will give those with such an interest much food for thought, reflection, and (in the outcome) prayer. Of particular interest is Rahner's theology of the Church, critical in an era when too much of what passed for spirituality was seen as totally personal. Place this book on the shelf of anyone with an interest in systematic theology. However, it is not an "introductory" text in the sense of a catechism at all, nor is it a reflective work for spiritual reading. It assumes a knowledge of Scripture, doctrine, and the like, and could be very confusing for those who do not have a previous background.

An outstanding introduction. . .:
. . .to the theology of the foremost Catholic theologian of the 20th century. I'll admit up front that I am not a "Rahnerian" in my thinking. Nevertheless, the contributions this man made to philosophy and theology in the 20th century cannot be measured. In "Foundations of Christian Faith", the reader can gain an understanding of Rahner's beliefs presented in a more or less systematic fashion. This is refreshing, because most of Rahner's writings are preserved in collections of essays -- very valuable in and of themselves, but not systematic in their presentation. This volume is a systematic presentation. Rahner begins from a philosophical perspective informed primarily by St. Thomas Aquinas, but filtered through the lens of German idealism. He begins with discussions on such subjects as Man as Person, Man as Transcendent Being, Questions of Personal Existence, and moves first to God as Absolute Mystery, Guilt, God's Self-Communication, and leads naturally into soteriology, Christology, and ecclesiology. Whether at the end of the day one find's Rahner's arguments convincing (I don't fully) they are nevertheless compelling and should be studied by Protestants as well as Catholics.

A book which started my interest in theology:
Though densley packed and, at least at the outset, entirely too "transcendental" to be understood in a proper light, Rahner's "Foundations" provides an excellent introduction to his themes and ideas. Written in the latter part of his life, it is amazing that he was able to condense his more than 50 published works into one 400 page book. This is a fantastic book for the late undergraduate or early graduate student who studies theology. It is particularly useful having read Husserl, Heidegger, and Sartre, from whom Rahner borrows heavily (amazing, to have a Catholic theologian borrow from two atheists and an agnostic). Though it is devoid of the normal scriptural references found in a theology book, and it does not treat the foundations of Christianity in Judaism in a fair way, it is nevertheless an important and vital work of philosophical catholic theology. Rahner will argue that God is the constitutive element of man... and after reading the book it is hard to truly disagree.