Product Description

A history of the doctrines of the Early Church, this text describes the development of the principal Christian doctrines from the close of the first century to the middle of the fifth, from the end of the apostolic age to the Council of Chalcedon.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36244 in Books
• Published on: 2006-06-22
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Customer Reviews

Essential reading for Early Church history
If you have read Chadwick's The Early Church, and want more, this is the book! Considering the book was first published in 1958, with a little revision, it remains one of the best books regarding the Early Christian Church.
Firstly, it is an account of the early period that goes into a greater level of depth than many do. It is a detailed book, following the arguments of the fist four/five centuries of Christian History; if it is complicated on occasions that owes more to the reality of those periods than the author!
Secondly, being an account it gives a context to the whole. It is very easy to understand Chalcedon, but a far greater depth of understnading will be gained from understanding it in the context of Nicea. Having some knowledge of Origen, will only help ones knowledge of Athanasius!
What this book provides is a detailed account around the events. If one is essay writing on standard patristic essays, it is a much better place to start than Chadwick. Its doctrinal focus is very helpful to the essay writer! It guides one through a complicated area with ease and precision, but not, simplification. In all a fine piece of work.

A good informative reference guide for students of Patristic
Though old fashioned and sometimes hard to understand, this book still has a lot going fot it. It provides an overview of the people and events of the Early Church, and is indispensible for anyone looking at Patristics and the Church Fathers and so on. However, the author's own opinion is always the most prominent one and the book is best read alongside others. It is incredibly useful so long as you don't depend on it alone!

A brilliant summary of christian doctrine
If I may borrow from Newman, to be christian is to be deep in history. Where do christian beliefs come from? The bible? Yes, but only partly yes - there was a lot of unpacking to be done before the creeds came into being. Every text involves an interaction between the reader and the text, but in the case of the bible, it is the interaction between the reading Ecclesia and the Word of God. The Word of God ceases to be his Word outside the Church.

As each new christian came along, a new question would arise, if Jesus was son at his birth, what was he before his birth? Who is Jesus? is he God or is he man? Or is he true God/true man? Did he really suffer, if he was God, how could that be so?

All of these questions had to be worked out and were worked out by the early church councils, consisting of bishops (mainly Greek speaking)from the Roman World. Are these councils decisive (yes!) for us now or does each generation start again (No! but it needs to find its own understanding based on the infallible declarations of the councils)? Kelly gives us the history in detail. I would challenge any reformed christain to read this and not wonder: is the Church of Rome or Orthodoxy (with which Rome shares 99% of its faith) not right? Do the fathers of the Church not sound suspiciously catholic - no extrinsic justification doctrine to be found among them. And,the sacraments, is the eucharist not life giving food for the immortal soul (no mere symbol)? is it not also a representative sacrifice (which caused such offense in the reformation)? - in short, can one really be a sola scriptura christian? Is that not to deny that God does operate and has operated through history with the Holy Spirit speaking throught the councils and through Peter.

Read this scholarly work by Kelly, and pause. It is a classic. God bless his work. May he rest in peace.