Fortress Press

"Douglas John Hall is the most thoughtful, brooding, steadfast Reformed theologian in North America, a fine, crafted mix of dourness and joy. In this retrospect on his life as a teacher of the church, of course, we never get Hall alone. We get cadences of Luther and Barth, of Tillich and Niebuhr all into this personally artistic combination. We never get only theology, we get economics and environmentalism and epistemology and hope. Above all, we get the cross.... The process of reading has been for me, as so often with Hall, an occasion of repentance and of healing."
— Walter Brueggemann, McPheeters Emeritus Professor of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary

"How does someone become a theologian? Douglas John Hall's autobiographical sketch of his theological journey tells how it happened for Canada's premier Protestant theologian. This moving, insightful 'theology of the cross' for overly optimistic North American Christianity is a valuable text for all who want to think through their faith in the 21st century."
— Sallie McFague, Distinguished Theologian in Residence, Vancouver School of Theology

"In giving a reason for the faith that lies within him, Douglas Hall perceptively interweaves theology and autobiography. Rejecting triumphalism, he plumbs life through doubt, darkness, and despair to offer a way of trusting divine mysteries. This honest and eloquent book mediates grace."
— Phyllis Trible, Baldwin Professor of Sacred Literature, Emerita, Union Theological Seminary

"More than a welcome memoir of an eminent theologian, Douglas John Hall's reflections on his journey as a theologian are a treasure of instruction and inspiration. If you want to learn from one who has lived through fascinating times in theology and integrated life and thought in a theology of the cross with wisdom and humility, read this book!"
— James M. Childs, Jr., Edward C. Fendt Professor of Systematic Theology, Trinity Lutheran Seminary

As one the most respected and widely read theologians in North America, Douglas John Hall has developed an important theology of the cross. An emeritus professor of theology at McGill University, Montreal, Hall has authored numerous books, including the great trilogy, Christian Theology in a North American Context — which consists of the books Professing the Faith, Confessing the Faith and Thinking the Faith. Among his recent works are Why Christian?, God and Human Suffering and The Cross in Our Context, in which Hall discusses deep questions of faith in an accessible manner.

Throughout his 50-year-career immersed in theology, Hall has been unafraid to query overly optimistic interpretations of Christianity. In Bound and Free, he calls for consideration of Christianity's meaning in this post-modern world and shows how faith can revitalize society and the individuals who make up that society.

Delightfully weaving together autobiography and theology, Bound and Free beckons the reader to observe and engage the passion and theology of this dynamic reformed theologian.

1. On Being a Christian Theologian



2. A Theologian's Journey

Where I Have Been
Where I Am Now
The Journey Ahead



3. Stewards of the Mysteries of God: Preserving Classical Protestant Theology



4. Words



5. De Profundis: On Going "Right Deep Down into Life"