In the recently revised edition of Volume One, Father van Beeck not only offers a compelling introduction to systematic theology, but also an accessible, thorough account of the Christian faith understood as a coherent system of worship, conduct, and teaching. This account is placed in the context of the various theological perspectives and secular ideologies that have occurred in the modern age.

Frans Jozef van Beeck, born in the Netherlands in 1930, a Jesuit since 1948, and a priest since 1963, has lived and learned (and taught) in the United States since 1968. He is a senior professor of theology at Loyola University, Chicago.