The Nature of Christian Doctrine: A Conversation with My Critics

Abstract This article opens with a brief account of the six main themes of The Nature of Christian Doctrine , noting in particular the role of the early church as an ‘epistemic community’ of knowledge production, and the significant and helpful parallels between the modern scientific tool of ‘inference to the best explanation’ and early Christian attempts to identify the best overall account of the biblical witness to the identity and significance of Christ. I then respond to the helpful and insightful comments of my six critics, noting how their comments help us to move ahead discussion of early Christian doctrinal development and its contemporary significance.