History of Dogma, vol. 1
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
Arguably, there is nobody better than historian Adolph von Harnack to discuss the history of dogma. He meticulously works his way through the definition, limits, divisions, and formation of dogma, covering its history from the early Church to the time of Nitzsch, Loofs, and Renan in this first volume. Dissecting the place of the Gospel of Christ in the history of the Church, this volume ends with an appendix entitled “The Christianity of the Jewish Christians,” which provides a backdrop to the history of Christian Judaism.
In the Logos edition, History of Dogma, vol. 1 is enhanced by amazing functionality. Scripture citations link directly to English translations, and important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.
- Contains extensive historical background on the Church
- Exhibits the development which led to the ecclesiastical dogmas
- Provides a history of Christian theological ideas in their relation to the philosophy of the early 1900s
- Introductory Division
- Prolegomena to the Study of the History of Dogma
- The Presuppositions of the History of Dogma
- Book I. The Preparation
- Historical Survey
- The Element Common to All Christians and the Breach with Judaism
- The Common Faith and the Beginnings of Knowledge in Gentile Christianity as It Was Being Developed into Catholicism
- The Attempts of the Gnostics to Create an Apostolic Dogmatic, and a Christian Theology; or the Acute Secularising of Christianity
- The Attempt of the Marcion to Set aside the Old Testament Foundation of Christianity, to Purify the Tradition and Reform Christiandom on the Basis of the Pauline Gospel
- The Christianity of Jewish Christians. Definition of the Notion Jewish Christianity
- Appendixes
Top Highlights
“Dogma in its conception and development is a work of the Greek spirit on the soil of the Gospel” (Page 17)
“Instead of the hope of inheriting the kingdom, Jesus had also spoken simply of preserving the soul, or the life. In this one substitution lies already a transformation, of universal significance, of political religion into a religion that is individual and therefore holy; for the life is nourished by the word of God, but God is the Holy One.” (Page 58)
“But it is in accordance with the mind of Jesus and at the same time a fact of history, that this Gospel can only be appropriated and adhered to in connection with a believing surrender to the person of Jesus Christ.” (Page 71)
“The consciousness of universal sinfulness was first made the negative fundamental frame of mind of Christendom by Augustine.” (Page 61)
“conditioned by the fact, that every reference to God is at the same time a reference to Jesus Christ, and vice versa.” (Page 71)
- Title: History of Dogma, vol. 1
- Author: Adolph von Harnack
- Translator: Neil Buchanan
- Edition: Third
- Publisher: Roberts Brothers
- Publication Date: 1895
- Pages: 364
Adolph von Harnack born in 1851 in Estonia, lived a life devoted to the study of church history and theology. He became a professor at age 24, and taught at the Universities of Leipzig, Giussen, Marbarg, and Berlin until his retirement at age 70. Although he was widely considered to be one of the most influential members of the Protestant church at the turn of the twentieth century, the Church of Germany believed his theology to be off-base and did not allow him to become an accredited clergyman. Harnack’s passion for the history of the Church led him to pen numerous resources on the matter, his most famous work perhaps being What Is Christianity? He continued his studies and writing until his death in 1930.