Doctrine, narrative and the formation of Christian Identity: a conversation with Alister McGrath

This article offers a critical and appreciative response to Alister McGrath’s The Nature of Christian Doctrine, exploring the formation of doctrine as a dynamic communal process rooted in Scripture, liturgy and historical context. It highlights McGrath’s analogy between doctrinal development and scientific method, emphasising the search for a conceptual ‘best fit’ and the role of theōria as contemplative participation. The essay underscores the explanatory, identity‐forming and pastoral functions of doctrine, while arguing for the foundational role of narrative—particularly the biblical story of fall and redemption—in shaping Christian teaching, identity and spiritual life across history and cultures.