Product Description

This revised edition of the standard history of the first great period in Christian thought has been thoroughly updated in the light of the latest historical findings. Dr. Kelly organizes an ocean of material by outlining the development of each doctrine in its historical context. He lucidly summarizes the genesis of Chrisitian thought from the close of the apostolic age to the Council of Chalcedon in the fifth century--a time teeming with fresh and competing ideas. The doctrines of the Trinity, the authority of the Bible and tradition, the nature of Christ, salvation, original sin and grace, and the sacraments are all extensively treated in these pages.

This revised edition of Early Christian Doctrines includes:

• Sweepingly updated early chapters
• Revised and updated bibliographies
• A completely new chapter on Mary and the saints

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #41112 in Books
• Published on: 1978-03-29
• Released on: 1978-03-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Review
"Extremely well done." -- -- Robert M. Grant

From the Publisher
Classic text by a leading scholar provides a full history of the first great period of Christian thought.

About the Author

J.N.D. Kelly is Principal of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, England. He is acknowledged internationally as an authority on patristic Christian thought. Dr. Kelly is also the author of Jerome, which Library Journal "highly recommended for every serious religious collection."

Customer Reviews

A Standard Historical Theology Text
Kelly's work is definitely a standard in the arena of historical theology. In fact, Kelly himself is considered one of the foremost authorities on Patristic Church history from the 20th century. That being the case, it goes without saying that this work is highly respected and thus a standard in its field. Nonetheless, the text is written in such a way that almost anyone who puts forth an effort to read it can understand it. Kelly has a style of writing that brings the reader into the book without actually confusing the reader in unexplained detail and jargon.

This text is divided into four parts. Each part covers pertinent topics and issues from certain time frames in Patristic Church history. For instance, part two covers the Pre-Nicene theology regarding the Trinity, Christology, Redemption, and Ecclesiology. Each part is broken down in a similar fashion thus working through the Patristic period from the First Century of the Church to Augustine and the fifth century (early medieval period).

All the major doctrines, theologians, apologists, creeds, and councils are covered in some sort or fashion. Moreover, Kelly provides a wonderful Prolegomena (which is part one) to introduce the time frame, setting, background, etc. which leads up the continued formation of the Christian Church.

The wonderful thing about this book is the wide audience it commands. Both theologians and historians will benefit from its pages. Moreover, lay people who are simply trying to gain a better understanding of their heritage and doctrine will find helpful information and facts well organized and easy to follow. Some of the major doctrinal issues in this text include The Trinity, salvation/redemption, original sin, grace and forgiveness, the sacraments, Mariology, and the authority of the Bible.

Other helpful features of this text include an extensive bibliography, the revised edition includes a new chapter on Mary and certain saints, exhaustive references and footnotes, and a very detailed index. This text is an absolute must for those who are studying Church history as well as theology, and for anyone who simply wishes to gain a better understanding of Christianity. I highly recommend this book!

Magisterial
This is simply the definitive book on patristic theology. Kelly obviously spent years laboring in the primary sources. He rarely relies on secondary sources. The only real drawback to the book is its topical format. It is organized by subjects such as the Trinity, the Christology. This does have its advantages, allowing you to trace the development of a doctrine through several theologians. It is difficult, however, to comprehend the entire system of a single theologian. This is definitely not the first book you want to read on the subject, as Kelly assumes you are familar with the basics of early church history. For the more advanced theological student, it is indispensable.

Knowing where we came from
One of the problems with the modern evangelical Christian church is that very few of its members know where they came from. History was reviled by many of us in school, so there are those who would make the mistake of ignoring history. The problem with this outlook is that, as someone famous once said, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. That is true in the historic Christian faith. Our spiritual forefathers worked hard to distinguish orthodoxy from heresy. From the person of Christ and the nature of God to baptism, Kelly explains what the early church fathers believed. He is quite honest about those early debates, and he shares with us the orthodox conclusions. Today, when we deal with heresy, we should feel free to see what those before us believed. Perhaps this will save a lot of heartache later on when deciding if a church is truly Christian or not.

One minor complaint. The footnotes are hard to read/understand. Most of us will have to take Kelly at his word, as he is the expert. But trying to understand these notes made me almost dizzy. Finally, I point out that the index is a great tool. Even if a person does not read this book from cover to cover--it can get a little dull for some of us, all that history!--the index makes this a wonderful resource when studying certain Christian doctrines. So, for instance, if you want to know what the early church felt about baptism, there are several dozen places in this book to look up. This makes it valuable on an available bookshelf.