Documents of the Christian Church
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Book Summary Information
Editor: Henry BettensonEditor: Chris Maunder
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-09-16
ISBN: 0192880713
Number of pages: 496
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Book Reviews of Documents of the Christian Church
Book Review: Original words
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of those standard books that ministers, historians, theologians, seminarians and graduate students in any number of disciplines related to the above should have as part of their libraries. The book's task is an ambitious one - to bring together in one volume the key documents of the church through two thousand years of history.
This book is not a simple collection of documents, but rather arranges them thematically and chronologically. Bettenson in the early editions put together the documents with an overarching essay in each section which helps set the context, the controversies, the personalities and the impact of the primary documents. Bettenson was prepared early for the charge of selectivity, as every enterprise of this sort must needs be selective. 'It is unlikely that any two persons could be found who should agree on what should be included in such a book and what omitted; nor would agreement more easily be found on the arrangement to be imposed on the material once selected.'
The first section deals with the early church up to the Fourth Ecumenical Council, setting definitions and key terms from which much of later Christianity either derives or rebels. During this period, there were also persecutions of the church and differing levels of tolerance and acceptance of Christians in parts of the empire. The one downside of this section is that it doesn't include pieces from traditions that vary from what became normative Christianity. It does include in some good detail the workings of church and state from the different philosophical and practical writings of the times.
The second major section is on Creeds; chronologically, this begins back in the period covered by the first section, but thematically presents itself well as a whole unit. The third section includes a few early references to gospel texts. Beginning with the fourth section and proceeding through to the tenth section, documents are arranged dealing with doctrinal issues arising from the early documents - Christology, Ecclesiology, the Nature of Humanity, the Nature of Sin - all of the major themes found in systematic theology are here present. Bettenson ends this part with a collection of Christian inscriptions.
The second major part traces Christian documentary history from the Chalcedon council to the present in essentially chronological order - the East/West split, the Holy Roman Empire, Monastic developments, the Concilliar Movement, Scholasticism, and the many elements of the Reformation (most of which get their own section, but there is a decided advantage to the English history). Some documents are decided obscure (the Bonn Agreement between Old Catholic and Anglican churches in 1931, and the Jansenist 'Five Propositions' being a few examples), whereas others are well-known (Luther's Ninety-Five Theses). The final sections of the later editions have expanded to include documentary examples of peace and justice forms of theological development - Feminist theology and women's ordination, Black theology, Liberation theology. It also includes various pieces on interfaith dialogue and relationship efforts of the past generation. These later sections are primarily the work of Chris Maunder, co-editor of the publication in its later editions.
This is an important collection to have handy. Quite often, histories, commentaries and theological works will reference these documents, but not print them in their entirety (or sometimes not even in part) on the assumption that such documents can be readily found elsewhere - an assumption that is true enough, but it is helpful for the student to actually have the book!
That this book has been through many editions speaks to its ongoing value and importance.
Summary of Documents of the Christian Church
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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