Books-Documents of the Christian Church

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	• Documents of the Christian Church Oxford University Press, USA, 1999 - 496 pages average customer review:based on 14 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Some Observations

I agree with other reviewers that this is an indispensable volume for anyone studying the history of Christianity. Also, the use of primary sources, which is a hallmark of the classical school movement, allows you to examine the actual words of a document rather than having it filtered through someone else's point of view. I realize not every document could be included, but I was disappointed that Urban II's speech calling for the Crusades was not included as it has relevance to world politics today. Also, some longer works, such as The Rule of St. Benedict, have been ellipted so one must still look elsewhere to get the complete work. Still, this is a fabulous, reasonably priced volume to have at hand.

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detailed reference

This book is a good "topic reference" book. It is compiled of many original source writings. It is used in my seminary history class to supplement the main history text. A very good source for many topics.

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Sometimes A Little Too Broad

This is a nice text covering a very broad range of writings. Some of the documents included are from Church councils, some from theologians, creeds, theological works, confessions, inter-faith dialogues, etc. Therefore, the reader gets a wide variety of readings and documents.

However, this `broadness' is also the weakness of this text. At times, it is a little too broad, including things that perhaps are not in the pale of orthodoxy. For instance, Feminist theological writings, the writings of Matthew Fox, certain writings on homosexuality, etc. seem to fall into this too `broadness' category. Albeit, these writings are interesting to read, and do add variety to the work, discernment is needed when reading them.

The overall idea of this work is great. To compile a historical collection of documents throughout Church history is a good idea, giving the reader a type of `one stop' place to get a taste of Christian History through documents. Moreover, the broad range allows the reader to get a small glimpse of what was taking place at the time of these works (e.g. understanding what issues and doctrines were a concern).

If you are interested in Church History, Church writings/documents, theology, apologetics, Christianity, then this is a great edition to add to your library. I recommend it!

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Books-Documents of the Christian Church

Just what I was looking for. It's a valuable resource.

Documents of the Christian Church

Book so far is a wealth of historical documents adding to my knowledge about the early Christian Church. I am barely into the book as it supplements my Education for Ministry course; this third part of the course being one year in length.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3

Since its first publication in 1967, this collection of writings from the most important moments in the history of Christianity has established itself as a classic work. Now incorporating a wealth of new material, this new edition will be an essential reference source for anyone interested in the history of the Christian Church.
While retaining the original material selected by Henry Bettenson, Chris Maunder has added a substantial section of more recent writings. These new entries illustrate the Second Vatican Council; the theologies of liberation; Church and State from 'Thatcher's Britain' to Communist Eastern Europe; Black, feminist, and ecological theology; ecumenism; and inter-faith dialogue. The emphasis on moral debate in the contemporary Churches is reflected in selections dealing with modern issues such as homosexuality, divorce, AIDS, and in-vitro fertilization. With the publication of this new edition, Documents of the Christian Church provides insights into the whole 2000 years of Christian theological and political debate.

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