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A History of Christian Thought #1
A History of Christian Thought, Vol. 1: From the Beginnings to the Council of Chalcedon
A treatment of the evolution of Christian thought from the birth of Christ, to the Apostles, to the early church, to the great flowering of Christianity across the world.
The first volume introduces the central figures and debates culminating in the Councils of Nicea and Chalcedon among which the theologies of the early church were hammered out.
The first volume introduces the central figures and debates culminating in the Councils of Nicea and Chalcedon among which the theologies of the early church were hammered out.
402 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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412 people want to read
About the author
Justo L. González
154 books184 followersJusto L. González, author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought and other major works, attended United Seminary in Cuba, received his MA at Yale, and was the youngest person to be awarded a PhD in historical theology at Yale. He is one of the few first generation Latino theologians to come from a Protestant background. He helped to found the Association for Hispanic Theological Education and the Hispanic Theological Initiative. Dr González is now on the faculty of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 25, 2022
Livro muito bom. O autor trabalha a história das principais correntes teológicas desde o início do cristianismo até o Concílio de Calcedônia. De forma resumida, ele mostra como surgiram, se desenvolveram e foram combatidos os principais pensamentos heterodoxos que foram introduzidos na igreja, tais como: gnosticismo, arianismo, marcionismo, nestorianismo (tendo uma visão não tanto antagonista como se costuma ter do nestorianismo. Resumindo, ele põe a culpa em Cirilo), etc.
O ponto fraco do livro está nas partes em que o autor se aventura a falar dos textos sagrados. O autor demonstra uma ideia bem pouco ortodoxa, duvidando, por exemplo, da autoria de Paulo das cartas pastorais, duvidando da autoria de João, o Apóstolo, das cartas que levam seu nome, dentre outras coisas. Só não leva 5 estrelas por causa disso. Ainda assim, vale a recomendação da questão histórica, que é o que autor se propõe a escrever.
O ponto fraco do livro está nas partes em que o autor se aventura a falar dos textos sagrados. O autor demonstra uma ideia bem pouco ortodoxa, duvidando, por exemplo, da autoria de Paulo das cartas pastorais, duvidando da autoria de João, o Apóstolo, das cartas que levam seu nome, dentre outras coisas. Só não leva 5 estrelas por causa disso. Ainda assim, vale a recomendação da questão histórica, que é o que autor se propõe a escrever.
June 16, 2020
Nibbled on this a few pages each morning for the last nine months. A good way to start the morning, with a reminder of all the wrestling with definitions that have occurred since the beginning of Christianity. Some seem silly, but some are absolutely essential. This was a good read, though not nearly as engaging as his two volume work on Church History called "The Story of Christianity." Highly, highly recommend one read those first. So, so good.
October 25, 2023
Although there are aspects of Gonzalez own liberation theology that I have qualms with, this book is a wonderful primer on Christian thought through to 451 and provided a fair exposition of numerous theological viewpoints while not being afraid to delve into the nuance of what made a certain first century heresy a heresy. A point of praise can also be made with the fact that Gonzalez isn't afraid to call heresy what it is - and overall, this was a wonderful introduction to ancient Christianity that I'm looking forward to continuing in volume two and then (God willing one day) comparing it with Philip Schaff's own history of the Church.
May 22, 2020
This book was fascinating to me. The author gives good explanations of complex subjects that allows me to walk away from this book with a good understanding of early Christian theology.
In sharing this book, I’m not pushing my beliefs on anybody. My religious beliefs have helped me through some tough times, and while everybody chooses their own way up the mountain, my faith has been a good path for me.
In sharing this book, I’m not pushing my beliefs on anybody. My religious beliefs have helped me through some tough times, and while everybody chooses their own way up the mountain, my faith has been a good path for me.
October 13, 2017
This is a solid overview of the development of Christian theology. It is a bit too brief at times, but that is not so much a fault as the parameters of the set. It is an introduction and there is a helpful section at the end which suggests further, more detailed reading for each section the volume covers. Now for volume 2......
June 30, 2018
some Christological explanations could have been clearer; Trinitarian discussions were enlightening throughout
April 17, 2020
Excellent volume on the first five centuries of Christian theology. Highly recommended. Looking forward to the other two volumes.
September 23, 2020
This is very informative book that you need to read as a student in Christian university.
February 24, 2021
Very good account of the first for centuries of the church. I especially appreciated Gonzalez’s focus on the Incarnation and Trinity in theological development
January 31, 2022
Good except for Gonzalez's liberal doctrine of Scripture which creeps in in the first chapters
August 7, 2013
In his series on the history of Christian thought, Justo Gonzales divides his story into three volumes. In volume 1, Gonzales examines the early church, from its Judaic roots to the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451). Volume 2 picks up the story with Augustine, continuing to the Reformation, and Volume 3 brings from the Reformation to the twentieth century. Gonzales writes interestingly and clearly, which will help a reader unfamiliar with church history attempt to place the many names and concepts he or she will come in contact with.
Many challenges faced the early church, as its leaders attempted to demonstrate the relevance of Jewish prophecies--and especially their all important fulfillment in Jesus Christ--within a Hellenistic context. Gonzalez simply illustrates the difficulty the early apologists faced in defending the faith in a Graeco-Roman setting: they would not worship Caesar because he was a man making himself God, yet they would worship Jesus, for there God had made Himself man. The attempts to translate Jewish concepts into a Platonic worldview had drastic consequences for the development of Christian thought:
"In their theological outlook, one senses a distance between the Christianity of the New Testament--especially that of Paul--and that of the Apostolic Fathers. References to Paul and the other apostles are frequent; but in spite of this the new faith becomes more and more a new law, and the doctrine of God's gracious justification becomes a doctrine of grace that helps us at justly" (location 1503, Kindle version).
Gonzales uses the idea incarnation to somewhat redeem the Hellenization of Christianity. "If Christianity is the message of the incarnation, that is, the message of the God who has come into this world by becoming one of us, how can it be blamed for entering into the Hellenistic world by becoming Hellenized?" (location 7427) It is indeed important that the Gospel be made relevant to hearers. As many are leaving the church today out of a sense of disconnection, this principle has timely application. But there is always the concern that a minimum be lost or added in translation. Gonzales argues that this was an ever present danger for the church fathers, who attempted to reconcile Judeo-Christian thought about God to Greek knowledge of the divine. The result was a marriage of both.
As Gonzales traces the development of doctrines such as apostolic succession, the trinity, and Christology, it is easy to see how church politics came to play an increasingly dominant role. In his final chapter, "Apostolic or Apostate" Gonzales highlights the "Constantinization" of Christianity and its effect on Christian thought. Rarely was biblical revelation the deciding factor in doctrinal controversy; the rival sees in Alexandria, Antioch and Rome jostled for preeminence and frequently the emperor was the impetus behind a new creed (Nicea and Chalcedon are two prominent examples).
I found this book intriguing to read as it placed Christian thought effectively in context. Doctrine was and is not developed in a vacuum; often it is developed in response to teachings that are out of balance in one way or another, or outright heretical. The risk for teaching developed in the heat of debate, is that in the attempt to correct, someone will tend toward the other extreme. And so we often see the pendulum swinging back and forth through the centuries.
I read the Kindle edition of this book, which was generally satisfactory, though there were a few irritations. Transliterations from Greek, German and other languages were often unreadable. Furthermore, sometimes a sentence would break off in the middle, only to be found at the end of the same or next paragraph. Though this sometimes required some real puzzling, it did not significantly interfere with the reading experience.
Many challenges faced the early church, as its leaders attempted to demonstrate the relevance of Jewish prophecies--and especially their all important fulfillment in Jesus Christ--within a Hellenistic context. Gonzalez simply illustrates the difficulty the early apologists faced in defending the faith in a Graeco-Roman setting: they would not worship Caesar because he was a man making himself God, yet they would worship Jesus, for there God had made Himself man. The attempts to translate Jewish concepts into a Platonic worldview had drastic consequences for the development of Christian thought:
"In their theological outlook, one senses a distance between the Christianity of the New Testament--especially that of Paul--and that of the Apostolic Fathers. References to Paul and the other apostles are frequent; but in spite of this the new faith becomes more and more a new law, and the doctrine of God's gracious justification becomes a doctrine of grace that helps us at justly" (location 1503, Kindle version).
Gonzales uses the idea incarnation to somewhat redeem the Hellenization of Christianity. "If Christianity is the message of the incarnation, that is, the message of the God who has come into this world by becoming one of us, how can it be blamed for entering into the Hellenistic world by becoming Hellenized?" (location 7427) It is indeed important that the Gospel be made relevant to hearers. As many are leaving the church today out of a sense of disconnection, this principle has timely application. But there is always the concern that a minimum be lost or added in translation. Gonzales argues that this was an ever present danger for the church fathers, who attempted to reconcile Judeo-Christian thought about God to Greek knowledge of the divine. The result was a marriage of both.
As Gonzales traces the development of doctrines such as apostolic succession, the trinity, and Christology, it is easy to see how church politics came to play an increasingly dominant role. In his final chapter, "Apostolic or Apostate" Gonzales highlights the "Constantinization" of Christianity and its effect on Christian thought. Rarely was biblical revelation the deciding factor in doctrinal controversy; the rival sees in Alexandria, Antioch and Rome jostled for preeminence and frequently the emperor was the impetus behind a new creed (Nicea and Chalcedon are two prominent examples).
I found this book intriguing to read as it placed Christian thought effectively in context. Doctrine was and is not developed in a vacuum; often it is developed in response to teachings that are out of balance in one way or another, or outright heretical. The risk for teaching developed in the heat of debate, is that in the attempt to correct, someone will tend toward the other extreme. And so we often see the pendulum swinging back and forth through the centuries.
I read the Kindle edition of this book, which was generally satisfactory, though there were a few irritations. Transliterations from Greek, German and other languages were often unreadable. Furthermore, sometimes a sentence would break off in the middle, only to be found at the end of the same or next paragraph. Though this sometimes required some real puzzling, it did not significantly interfere with the reading experience.
August 12, 2011
This was the first book I read in seminary. I remember it being a health mixture of overwhelming and invigorating at the same time. Overwhelming in that the world of Christian faith was much, much bigger than I possibly imagined. Matters of faith and practice were never as clear cut as the seemed. And those areas of disagreement were never as simple as I had thought. But, it was invigorating as I was being opened to the vast world of Christian theology.
After re-reading this book five years later, many of my first impressions remain. The theology of the first 450 years proves to be anything but uniform. In fact it was a tangled web of false starts, first steps, and lateral movements. It was a maze of closed doors that led to only more doors. It was a web of string in which pulling on one only moved the rest.
Needless to say, the vast world of Patristic scholarship is endlessly complex and those wishing to read this volume and have immediate and profound understanding of the world of Patristic theology and thus the genesis of modern Christian thought will only come away disappointed and confussed.
However, in Gonzolez's capable hands the reader is opened to the world of Patristic theology in such a way that he or she is able to perceive what was going on then and how complex and interrelated it all was. The reader is encouraged to get a taste and a glimpse of the origin of Christian thought.
Overall this is an excellent book for anyone interested in Church history or doctrine. While reading it as whole can be overwhelming, it is an excellent reference to have on hand. I frequently reach for it to remind myself of say, Alexandrine verses Antiochian Christology, or to remind myself who Nestorius is.
After re-reading this book five years later, many of my first impressions remain. The theology of the first 450 years proves to be anything but uniform. In fact it was a tangled web of false starts, first steps, and lateral movements. It was a maze of closed doors that led to only more doors. It was a web of string in which pulling on one only moved the rest.
Needless to say, the vast world of Patristic scholarship is endlessly complex and those wishing to read this volume and have immediate and profound understanding of the world of Patristic theology and thus the genesis of modern Christian thought will only come away disappointed and confussed.
However, in Gonzolez's capable hands the reader is opened to the world of Patristic theology in such a way that he or she is able to perceive what was going on then and how complex and interrelated it all was. The reader is encouraged to get a taste and a glimpse of the origin of Christian thought.
Overall this is an excellent book for anyone interested in Church history or doctrine. While reading it as whole can be overwhelming, it is an excellent reference to have on hand. I frequently reach for it to remind myself of say, Alexandrine verses Antiochian Christology, or to remind myself who Nestorius is.
August 21, 2018
An exploration into the development of Christian thought and doctrine from the inception of Christianity through Chalcedon, focusing primarily on the development of Nicene theology and Chalcedonian Christology.
The author has written a fairly accessible work; the number of people and ideas involved will make it challenging for the novice, but the author approaches the matter in a way which attempts to provide basic explanation of what is going on. The author must make generalizations at times, and I am sure that specialists would cringe at some of them. Nevertheless, he makes his case well.
The author is sensitive to the claims of Hellenization and does well to chart exactly how Hellenic philosophy took on greater influence and how many of the arguments made, especially in and after the third century, were shaped by those philosophical presuppositions and principles. He also does well at identifying the greater role of internal church politics, especially as they relate to the post-Nicaea situation and the entire Christological controversy.
The work is a valuable and engaging analysis of how Christianity took the form it did, especially in terms of its view of the Trinitarian nature of God and the way it looked at Jesus' humanity and divinity. Worthwhile for the beginner or as a general introduction.
The author has written a fairly accessible work; the number of people and ideas involved will make it challenging for the novice, but the author approaches the matter in a way which attempts to provide basic explanation of what is going on. The author must make generalizations at times, and I am sure that specialists would cringe at some of them. Nevertheless, he makes his case well.
The author is sensitive to the claims of Hellenization and does well to chart exactly how Hellenic philosophy took on greater influence and how many of the arguments made, especially in and after the third century, were shaped by those philosophical presuppositions and principles. He also does well at identifying the greater role of internal church politics, especially as they relate to the post-Nicaea situation and the entire Christological controversy.
The work is a valuable and engaging analysis of how Christianity took the form it did, especially in terms of its view of the Trinitarian nature of God and the way it looked at Jesus' humanity and divinity. Worthwhile for the beginner or as a general introduction.
May 23, 2009
Having finished the first of three volumes, I can say I enjoyed it a lot. It is informative, balanced and accessible which is amazing for a book of Doctrine.
I read a little volume of Gonzalez a couple years ago when I was reading his Story of Christianity called The Changing Shape of Church History. In that volume, Gonzales discusses the was historiography has changed since he began his career, and how it has become important to pay attention to different things in constructing a history. These include complex political and social factors.
Gonzalez brings this sensibility to bear upon his reading of the development of Christian dogma. He does this in a balanced and thoughtful manner. Obviously this three volume history of Christian thought is not as detailed as the magisterial five volume work of Jaroslav Pelikan, but it is an excellent introduction.
I read a little volume of Gonzalez a couple years ago when I was reading his Story of Christianity called The Changing Shape of Church History. In that volume, Gonzales discusses the was historiography has changed since he began his career, and how it has become important to pay attention to different things in constructing a history. These include complex political and social factors.
Gonzalez brings this sensibility to bear upon his reading of the development of Christian dogma. He does this in a balanced and thoughtful manner. Obviously this three volume history of Christian thought is not as detailed as the magisterial five volume work of Jaroslav Pelikan, but it is an excellent introduction.
October 5, 2011
Good comprehensive introduction to Historical Theology. Gonzalez is able to summarise complex ideas in a manner that is easy to read. Good summaries of various ideas that we about durning the early centuries of the christian church.
April 27, 2013
A classic in Christian theological development every pastor and theologian should have this on their shelves. Gonzalez has a fantastic perspective on theological development that offers keen insight into the church's history. I recommend this for Protestant and Catholic writers alike.
April 11, 2010
First in a three volume survey of historical theology. I think that Gonzalez is strongest in the early church. He gives fantastic coverage of this period.
August 23, 2012
Fantastic overview of church history. Only drags in a few places, but they are nonessential.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews