This clear and concise text helps readers grasp the doctrines of the Christian faith considered basic from the earliest days of Christianity. Ronald Heine, an internationally known expert on early Christian theology, developed this book from a course he teaches that has been refined through many years of classroom experience. Heine primarily uses the classical Christian doctrines of the Nicene Creed to guide students into the essentials of the faith. This broadly ecumenical work will interest students of church history or theology as well as adult Christian education classes in church settings. Sidebars identify major personalities and concepts, and each chapter concludes with discussion questions and suggestions for further reading.

The Historical Volume of what was originally called Reformed Dogmatics now appears with a new title, namely, History of Christian Doctrines. Works on the gradual development of theological truth in the Church of Jesus Christ usually appear alongside of those which deal with the systematic reproduction of it, and thus stand out as separate works. It was thought best to follow this practice, since this will stress the fact that, after all, the history of the development of Christian thought in the Church is a separate study.

"A history of doctrines of the early Church, written and arranged with exceptional clarity by a leading patristic scholar, the principal of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford. Canon Kelly describes the development of the principal Christian doctrines from the close of the first century to the middle of the fifth, and from the end of the apostolic age to the council of Chalcedon. His book thus covers the great doctrinally creative period in the Church's history, the centuries in which there was a constant upsurge of fresh ideas before the settled formalism of both the East and West. He gives the student and invaluable outline of Church history and patrology against which to place the evolving theological doctrines which he summarises and expounds" -- Back cover.

A comprehensive study of the well known and not so well known creeds

The SCM Studyguides are becoming increasingly well known, recognized and adopted as accessible textbooks for level 1 students who have no prior knowledge of the subject. "The SCM Studyguide Early Christian Doctrine and the Creeds" offers an accessible, stimulating and interactive guide-book to the emergence of Christian identity, with particular attention to the earliest form of the Christian thought and doctrine. The author analyses the crucial statements of the early Creeds and rules of faith. He explains the creedal statements on the nature of God, creation, incarnation, redemption, the Church and eschatology, and outlines the theological context which influenced their formulation and later modifications by other texts and authors. The Creeds are part of the heritage of all Christian tradition and therefore have to be studied by both theological students and in the context of 'education for discipleship' modules.