A society with no grasp of its history is like a person without a memory. This is particularly true of the history of ideas. This book is an ideal introduction to the thinkers who have shaped Christian history and the culture of much of the world. Writing in a lively, accessible style, Jonathan Hill takes us on an enlightening journey from the first to the twenty first centuries. He shows us the key Christian thinkers through the ages - ranging from Irenaeus, Origen, Augustine and Aquinas through to Luther, Wesley, Kierkegaard and Barth - placing them in their historical context and assessing their contribution to the development of Christianity.

What do Christians believe and why do they believe it? What are the historical roots of modern Christian doctrines, and what logical connections link them together? This concise introduction to Christian thought provides thorough yet succinct answers to these and other important questions, incorporating expanded discussions of the sacraments, the Church and the ministry, recent ecumenical movements and trends, and women's ordination. Avoiding a strict chronological approach, the author traces the development of each great issue that formed Christian theology. Questions of doctrine such as the Trinity and the Incarnation are dealt with in full. Also addressed are the important issues in natural theology such as the existence of God, miracles, freedom of the will, and the problem of evil. The text shows which issues in Christian thought constitute the "common denominators" of Christian belief, and traces the roots of Christian doctrine to their sources, explaining why certain doctrines are logically essential to Christianity and were thus adopted. By analyzing the significant issues in Christian thinking from their early formulations to contemporary re-examination, A Short History of Christian Thought demonstrates that classical Christian doctrines are reasonable articulations of basic convictions and that Christian thought is relevant to the full range of human experience.

Freshly updated for this second edition with considerable new material, this authoritative introduction to the history of Christian theology covers its development from the beginnings of the Patristic period just decades after Jesus's ministry, through to contemporary theological trends. A substantially updated new edition of this popular textbook exploring the entire history of Christian thought, written by the bestselling author and internationally-renowned theologian Features additional coverage of orthodox theology, the Holy Spirit, and medieval mysticism, alongside new sections on liberation, feminist, and Latino theologies, and on the global spread of Christianity Accessibly structured into four sections covering the Patristic period, the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the reformation and post-reformation eras, and the modern period spanning 1750 to the present day, addressing the key issues and people in each Includes case studies and primary readings at the end of each section, alongside comprehensive glossaries of key theologians, developments, and terminology Supported by additional resources available on publication at www.wiley.com/go/mcgrath

This book has earned wide acceptance as an outstanding single volume history of doctrine. It is ideally suited for classroom and seminar use as well as research and independent study. With remarkable conciseness and clarity Lohse, shows how doctrinal development has occurred in the various periods of the Church's history from the first century to the present. He explores and discusses, one by one, the dogmas and doctrines that constitute the milestones in the story of the Church's effort to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ to each age. This Revised American Edition includes a new preface by the author, an account of the significance of the Second Vatican Council and alterations in the "For Further Reading" section to bring it up to date.

Extracts from the writings of the Early Christian fathers, covering the main areas of Christian thought.

Professor Tillich analyzes the development of Christian theology.

A succinct, readable survey of key Christian thinkers and significant theological developments from the church's inception to the present.