The History of Christian Theology

by Phillip Cary

In this 36-lecture course, you'll find an engaging way to explore profound religious questions and the many responses believers, scholars, and theologians have developed over more than 2,000 years. Through this series, Professor Cary reveals the enduring power of the Christian tradition - as both an intellectual discipline and a spiritual path.

These lectures begin at the very dawn of Christianity, as you examine some of the earliest examples of scripture recorded by the first communities of the faithful. You'll see how, over the centuries, these teachings developed into the orthodox teachings of the mainstream church as well as the divergent doctrines taught by splinter groups branded as "heretics." You'll explore the causes and outcomes of the split between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church during the Middle Ages and examine the explosion of the many Protestant groups that resulted from the Reformation in the 16th century. And finally, you'll come to the modern era, with a survey of the evolution of Christian thought in today's society - the ongoing story of how faith persists in an increasingly secularized world.

Each lecture illuminates the conceptual structure of Christian theology as it connects to spiritual practices such as prayer, worship, the use of sacraments, and the contemplation of religious icons. Through lucid and engaging explanations, they provide intriguing analyses of theological ideas in their unique historical, social, and biographical contexts to help you understand the power of each tradition within its particular time and place. The result is a sweeping survey that probes some of the most common questions about Christian faith over the centuries.

Genres: Religion, History, Theology, Audiobook, Nonfiction, Christianity, Philosophy

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[فؤاد · Rating 4 out of 5]

خیلی دورۀ خوبی بود. یه تاریخچۀ کامل از الهیات مسیحی که قشنگ آموزه‌ها و تفکرات کلیدی رو شیرفهم می‌کنه. می‌دونستم که دورۀ خوبی خواهد بود، می‌ارزید اون همه زحمت برای گیر آوردنش.
همین مدرس دو دورۀ دیگه هم داره، یکی در مورد لوتر و یکی در مورد آگوستین. دورۀ لوتر داخل اپ هست اما دورۀ آگوستین رو دارم تلاش می‌کنم با تورنت بگیرم.

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very deep and clear overview of Christian Theology. I will listen to this again sometime.

[Samcwright · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine overview of Christian Theology told in a fairly bland way.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part I: Excellent introduction to the debates and theology of early Christianity (from the 1st century through about the 5th century). For Christians, the first few lectures are elementary, but that can be explained by the fact that this course is designed for Christians as well as non-Christians. Cary does a superb job covering the doctrines of the Trinity, the Incarnation, and Augustine's thinking about grace. I especially liked his metaphor of hospitality: We discuss theology as if we'd have a guest over to our home. When we have guests over, we're hospitable and gracious even if there are disagreements. It's when we become close friends that we're more direct and can discuss the issues more openly and candidly -- but still in a friendly way.

Part II: Very meaty and heady stuff covering the medieval Catholic church, different theologies about the beatific vision, purgatory, Luther, the Reformed movement and TULIP, the radical Reformation, Law vs. Gospel, the third use of the law, and much, much more. This part of the course could be listened to profitably multiple times. There's so much here that you need multiple exposures to this material to grasp all that's being taught. Not only is Dr. Cary a master of his subject, but he draws out how the different Christian traditions interact with each other in agreement and disagreement. Very illuminating and challenging as the listener considers the cardinal question: "What do I believe?"

Part III: Great discussion and description of the origins and theology of different Christian traditions. After about an hour, your mind is ready to burst. I'm more Reformed than Cary so I disagree with some of his thoughts on the Reformed tradition, the Puritans, Jonathan Edwards, etc. Pace Cary, I like the Reformed view of infant baptism and the Puritan/Presbyterian take on true Christianity and the necessity of a profession of faith. I see infant baptism as a sign of the covenant (just like circumcision was for Israel) rather than a rite that makes you a Christian. Pace Karl Barth, I don't accept that the election and reprobation (double predestination) is of Christ. But I'd be interested in learning more about this view and how Barth argues for it from the Scriptures.

I also had a few issues with Cary's lecture on Protestantism After Modernity. I think he's right about a "right wing postmodernism [that:] assumes modernity is wrong and traditions can be self-critical, the proper and necessary context for rationality." I think he's right in calling Protestants to recognize their beliefs as part of a tradition and trusting that the Jesus of history is also the Christ of faith. But I think he's wrong when he writes that "In scriptural interpretation, it [an orthodox Christian reading of Scripture:] will need to reject the project of getting from what it meant (as determined by historical science) to what it means (for the tradition of faith today)."

I may be mistaking Cary's view, but I think that finding out what the scriptures meant -- i.e., what do they really teach? -- is needed to help you figure out what Christian tradition you're going to participate in. I guess that goes along with my Reformed emphasis on the scriptures as the authority. If the objective is to find and live a life in conformity with reality, then I must have a rule to make my determination on what beliefs are closer to the truth and which ones are farther away. And that rule is trying to understand the teaching of Scripture (what the writer meant, what the audience understood, what God meant) and then applying that scriptural teaching to my own culture and situation. But I do this is humility and knowing that I'm part of a particular Christian tradition that shapes my whole way of seeing things. But who isn't part of some tradition that shapes the way you see things? Also, without going back to what the Scriptures actually teach, how do you critique other traditions and decide on what to believe?

Overall, this course is a feast for the mind that gives you a terrific introduction to the long history of Christian theology and its development among the many traditions. Highly recommended.

[Kevin Bessey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting series of lectures on the history of Christianity. I found the first half of the lectures very interesting and will certainly refer back to these lectures in my own studies. The last half of lectures were hard to follow. For reference, the chapters and topics are as follows:

Chapter 1: What is Theology?
Chapter 2: Early Christian Proclamation
Chapter 3: Pauline Eschatology
Chapter 4: The Synoptic Gospels
Chapter 5: The Gospel of John
Chapter 6: Varieties of Early Christian Christianity
Chapter 7: The Emergence of Christian Doctrine
Chapter 8: Christian Reading
Chapter 9: The Uses of Philosophy
Chapter 10: The Doctrine of the Trinity
Chapter 11: The Doctrine of the Incarnation
Chapter 12: The Doctrine of Grace
Chapter 13: The Incomprehensible and the Supernatural
Chapter 14: Eastern Orthodox Theology
Chapter 15: Atonement and the Procession of the Spirit
Chapter 16: Scholastic Theology
Chapter 17: The Sacraments
Chapter 18: Souls After Death
Chapter 19: Luther and Protestant Theology
Chapter 20: Calvin and Reformed Theology
Chapter 21: Protestants on Predestination
Chapter 22: Protestant Disagreements
Chapter 23: Anabaptists and the Radical Reformation
Chapter 24: Anglicans and Puritans
Chapter 25: Baptist and Quakers
Chapter 26: Pietists and the Turn to Experience
Chapter 27: From Puritans to Revivalists
Chapter 28: Perfection, Holiness, and Pentecostalism
Chapter 29: Deism and Liberal Protestantism
Chapter 30: Neo-Orthodoxy - From Kierkegaard to Barth
Chapter 31: Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism
Chapter 32: Protestantism after Modernity
Chapter 33: Catholic Theologies of Grace
Chapter 34: Catholic Mystical Theology
Chapter 35: From Vatican I to Vatican II
Chapter 36: Vatican II and Ecumenical Prospects

Pros: a detailed discussion around the early Christian church and key church leaders.
Cons: the last half of lectures covered various topics and became a bit hard to follow.
Bottom line: highly recommend for anyone interested in early church history and how the church has split and evolved over the years.

[Adam Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short Review: This really was an excellent overview of the history of Christian Theology. I have an MDiv, and I took some graduate classes in the history of Christian Thought so I have some legitimate comparisons with regular graduate level classes. Obviously Professor Cary can't expect the listener of these to read 300-500 pages a week of background material like I did when I was in my classes. So there is a major difference in the style of presentation.

But that being said I think I walked away with a much enhanced understanding of the why of Christian theological changes. My grad level classes focused on what the changes were but rarely talked about why the changes were happening or what cultural shifts influenced those shifts. Cary did a good job placing shifts within context, without spending too much time on general history.

He also did a great job at illustrating why the shifts matter to average Christians of the day.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/history-christian-th...

I am going to pick up more classes by Cary.

[James Chappell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best of TTC's courses on religion, but certainly useful. It covers how Christian theology has evolved including how it was affected by non-Christian philosophy. This is nowhere near as interesting as Philip Cary's course on Philosophy of Religion, and seems to presume theism, so Cary's objectivity is not really present here.

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will have a lot of concepts thrown at you. There will be a lot of back and forth jumps in time (at least for idea reference). It's worth it. I'm trying to inspire myself to read City of God now thanks to this.

[Brice Lambson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I had no idea Christian theology was so complex. I loved hearing about the beliefs and disagreements of others. It was enlightening to see how my own theology fit into the larger picture.

[C.A. Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best Great Courses I've ever taken. I was hesitant to purchase, since most of the Great Courses professors tend to be liberal, overtly atheist, and condescending towards anyone who holds a different worldview--but I read the reviews before purchasing and was assured that if Phillip Cary wasn't actually a believer himself, he was at least sympathetic towards believers. As I listened, I became increasingly convinced that he shared the Christian faith, and that was finally confirmed toward the end of the course.

Aside from the professor's attitude toward the material, I also found the course itself very enlightening. Church history is not actually taught in churches for the most part, so what I knew beyond what's written in the scriptures themselves was a little of this and a little of that, but nothing sequential and clear. I knew of Martin Luther's 99 theses leading to the creation of the Protestant church, and the horrible abuses in the church prior to that, but very little about the differences between various Christian denominations, or how some of the various doctrines that we take for granted today actually came about.

What struck me most as Cary enumerated the theological arguments through the ages was how many of them, to me, arose from overthinking. Cary made the point that the text cannot interpret itself, and, granted, everything requires interpretation to some degree. And I usually could see on some level why each side felt that their point was worth arguing, and why it became even critical to them, because of what theological implications logically flowed from one conclusion or another. I've had similar thoughts myself from time to time. And yet, I have to say even from my own experience in that dogmatic camp that in hindsight, in most cases, it's splitting hairs. I believe in a co-equal Trinity, for instance, because I think the text strongly implies that, though it never says it in so many words. But if the Holy Spirit was a created being, or the Son was a created being before time--what would that really change? I can see how the dogmatic might say it could change everything because if this thing were true, then this, that, and the other clearly unbiblical doctrine must logically follow... but since we know none of those clearly unbiblical doctrines that we're trying to avoid ARE really the case, why go to such lengths to argue what ultimately comes down to a point of logic with your Christian brother? If they major on the majors and get those right, even if their logic in arriving there doesn't seem perfect to you, so what? Seems to me that so much angst could be avoided if we just believe what the Word says at face value.

Also, many of the great names in church history seemed to turn themselves into mental pretzels of theological angst with ideas such as, what if I lose my salvation later in life, but there's absolutely nothing I can do to guard against what I might do in the future? Or the utter self-loathing that came from theological persuasions emphasizing sin and not the redemption of Jesus, even in those like Martin Luther, or many of the Great Awakening preachers from whom we get the concept of "hellfire and brimstone." Grace is all over the scriptures, and yet so many of them apparently didn't see it. That awareness took century upon century of theological understanding to be passed down, even though it was in the scriptures all the time.

It was likewise enlightening to hear how certain ideas that seem so central to the Christian faith I've always been taught had a clear origin from one person at a moment in time, who was (in my view) the first to read the scriptures and have a lightbulb go on. I'm thinking of Phoebe Palmer, who began the holiness movement, focused upon having a pure heart and the transforming power of God's grace in helping us to become holy. It was also her influence that served as a foundation for listening for the leading of the Holy Spirit to the "still small voice" (though like everything, that too was taken to absurd extremes.) All of these ideas are found in scripture, and it's amazing to me that it wasn't until the Civil War era that these ideas came to the forefront of the protestant church.

But I suppose it should come as no surprise that imperfect people got a lot right, and a lot wrong in each generation. I'm sure the same will be said of us today.

[Clint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phillip Cary is an excellent addition to the Great Courses stable. He has serious commitments (he’s an orthodox Lutheran) but negotiates the difficulty of describing and interpreting other traditions with an even hand (one complaint, registered below). Even if you’re an agnostic or atheist, you’ll find him to be a sensible and intellectually honest guide.

That said, this course is great. The third lecture on Pauline theology is, on its own, worth the price of admission. You could think of Lecture 3 as a thirty-minute condensation of N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope—if that doesn’t mean anything to you, tolle lege, son.

From the beginning, Cary has the goods. He takes Christian worship as the starting point for theology: In worship, Christians are making a claim about Jesus, a claim that establishes a break between early Jewish-Christians and their Jewish neighbors. Monotheism crucified, buried, and resurrected.

The claim made by worshipping Christ extends even beyond the break with Judaism—it establishes a break with the Empire. Civil religion is subaltern to King Jesus, second person of the Trinity. In sum, Christianity does not emerge from theologizing, rather our theologizing is an outworking of Christian worship. Hallelujah. The rest of the course follows in well-adjusted fashion.

I’ll register my complaint, now. Momentary bits of Lutheran schadenfreude emerge where expected. As a Lutheran, he can’t help himself when he comes to Reformed, Calvinist, and Evangelical points of doctrine. He’s Barney to the whole space-time continuum of Christianity, but when it comes to this segment of Christianity, he gets toothy. Well, so it seams to me—I’m especially sensitive, Reformed-Calvinist-Evangelical that I am. There’s nothing so rebarbative in those lectures, I just notice him briefly shedding his characteristically measured stance. He conspicuously overlooks a few opportunities to provide caveats and nuances that he wouldn’t miss in other lectures. My stars, after these lectures I feel like Nestorians got a raw deal—if heretics come out on top, why the soap-sock treatment for fellow Protestants?

The only, truly, egregious moment comes in Lecture 20 or 22 (it’s around here) when he appears to imply that supercessionism and anti-semitism have ligaments. It doesn’t surprise me, so much. Most committed Lutherans are jumpy about being accused of latent anti-semitism due to Luther’s own—occasional—intemperate language (though, FWIW, I believe anti-semitism to be an unfair characterization cast on Luther—“irascible grouch” is more like it).

So, when he gets to the part about Calvinists being proponents of supercessionism and that such a doctrine is adopted by agents of anti-semitism, and he fails to appropriately qualify what he’s saying, I get piffed. Allowing that to hang in the air seems negligent, bordering on purposeful. Might it be that he puts this into the ether as a convenient red herring? I won’t say.

Why make a stink about this? It’s basic: correlation is not causation. That some who claim a supersessionist stance happen to be anti-semites, says more about them and their attempt to find the doctrinal weapon nearest-to-hand, than it does about the doctrine itself. One can believe that the Church is the new Israel and still be a political Zionist—or have a Jewish best-man.

Again, my complaint is a tiny bump on the road of goodness that Cary is laying in this course. I just can’t help pointing this out because, well, I’m sensitive. So there. One last thing, the jury’s still out on his criticism of the third use of the law. While I appreciate his critique of moralistic preaching, I just don’t see how you achieve the total effect of gospel hope without using the law in a more pedagogical way. Any thoughts?

There’s so much more to this course than what I’ve highlighted here, and I cannot commend it enough to those of all backgrounds—religious or otherwise.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

These lectures were not something that I imagined would appeal to me. I expected them to be rather dry and hard to follow in places. I was right. Still, I don’t regret having listened to them. I learned a lot. I’m trying to be a well-rounded person and if you’re serious about doing that, you’re going to read and listen to a lot of stuff that doesn’t appeal to you. This stuff might not always be the most interesting, but it directly affects the lives of millions of people. Therefore, it’s important.

Phillip Cary covers a lot of ground with these lectures, though there are some huge gaps. There were always going to be gaps. This is way too large a topic to include everything. You could've made that fact a little more obvious as he seems to take some ideas for granted as if they were the only game in town when they are most certainly not. I guess we all have blind spots and he's only human. He covered what he felt was the most important up until 2008. I wonder what he makes of the political wing of American evangelicals these days. That would be interesting.

Anyway, this is the first of several series of lectures that I intend to listen to that amount to a deep dive into the history of “Christian” belief. I’m doing it to better myself and not really to be entertained, though I am finding it interesting enough to look forward to the next one.

[Gilbert Stack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theological disputes within Christianity have been a critically important part of the development of Western Society. They were at the root of the Nike Riots, countless anti-heresy conflicts, the Albigensian Crusade and, of course, the Protestant Reformation. Philip Carey isn’t interested in the political fallout of these disputes, but he gives a wonderful, highly comprehensible, series of lectures on the development of theology from Gospel times to the present day including spending approximately one third of the book exploring changes in and differences between the various Protestant denominations.

As a medievalist, I felt very comfortable with the pre-Reformation theology before starting the series, but I was totally captivated by the discussion of Protestantism and Catholicism over the last five hundred years—especially the ways in which Catholics and Protestants have been drawing closer together over the last century.

If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this series of lectures very interesting and the lecturer overall did a very good job of presenting the information. I do wonder how planned out each individual lecture was, though, as I felt that he got sidetracked sometimes and for a more cohesive flow some parts could have been left out. However, I'm not a Christian theology expert so what do I know? The middle third (so I think the middle 12-ish) were by far the best with the beginning and ending parts dragging. I'll definitely go back and re-read/listen to some of the lectures talking about how denominations differ with their stances on justification vs. sanctification as well as mortal and original sin. This also made me want to read up more on Luther as I found the origin of his theology to be very eye-opening considering that's the denomination of the church I was raised in.

[Dennis Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This History of Christian Theology by Phillip Cary is an interesting survey. It is chronically ordered and centered on theme. Some of those themes are handled very well, while others are rather brief introductions to a topic. Orthodoxy gets a couple of nods, but is otherwise absent from the Catholic-Protestant dominant narrative that takes hold from about a third into it. Some were really rather well done, and I liked a lot of the more modern lectures. Cary is clearly an expert in this field, and it was quite enjoyable listening to him. I had expected this one to take me longer to finish, but I actually finished it pretty quickly. Christian theology is an acquired taste, however - and something like this is probably only going to be interesting to those who have a deep interest. It is unlikely to engage too much with most people.

[Jenny Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid overview of the history of Christianity from the perspective of its theology (and eventual theologies). This is a branching subject, but Cary did a good job providing a thoughtful structure that eventually keeps the Catholic and Protestant histories in their own spaces rather than sticking to a strict historical timeline approach, which would lead to a lot of back and forth comparisons between the two. He clearly cares about his topic, and the lectures are engaging. By the end you know more or less where he personally stands theologically, but he does a reasonable job presenting the information from a neutral position.

[Drake McCrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

From an intellectual side it was very interesting to all the schools of thoughts put on one timeline like this. Often with theology there is a single focus and the big picture view gets lost in the shuffle. So, this course was good for providing that big picture view. On the religious side I knew coming from a Non-denominational background that I would be a mixture of beliefs but I was genuinely surprised by some of the schools of thought I was most aligned with. So, even if you are coming from a certain background you might find a surprise or two in there for you.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this course while I was considering becoming a Christian after growing up Mormon. Helped me identify the key theological distinctions between what I was raised believing and traditional Christian theology, and which denomination was most in line with the way I wanted to worship. It kindled a continuing interest in theology in me and supplied me with terminology for concepts I did not yet have words for. The course was very thorough and although the instructor's admitted biases might have influenced him, he seemed even handed over all.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me 2-3 years to work my way through it, but it is one of the most enlightening things I have ever studied. It helped me to understand the trajectory of the church from Christ through post-modernity in a way nothing else has. Especially if you approach it not to agree or disagree but simply to learn, it will be an immense help in understanding why and where and how Christianity is today. I highly recommend it. Thank you Professor Cary!

[L.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic historical look at Christian theology from the time of the earliest gospels to modern day. I grew up Christian and felt like I learned quite a bit in this great course. I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in not only the history of the church, but in the progression of theology from the time of the historical Jesus to our lives today.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating overview of the evolution of Christian theology over the past 2000 years. I learned a ton and connected a bunch of dots. The only thing I would have wanted more of was a few more lectures on 21st-century developments that we're seeing and grappling with right now.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in Christian theology.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took historical theology while in seminary and read the book by William Placher along with both volumes of primary source material. This course was a good refresher and added to my knowledge things I hadn't learned earlier.

[Trevor Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a history of Christianity, but of Christian theology, which gives it an interesting angle. It helped me better understand where many of the differences in today's Christian sects come from.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much and the professor is great. He made philosophical topics interesting and easy to understand. I also appreciated how he compared and contrasted different theologians and strands of beliefs to show what is unique about each. Highly recommended, and I would listen to this again.

[Matt DeVore · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lecturer generally does a good job of being objective and succeeds at being thorough. Very comprehensive set of information.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fascinating overview of the general thrust of Christian theology through its main branches.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lecturer was knowledgeable and enthusiastic in his presentation. This created a great atmosphere for learning.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the great courses and while I found this to be interesting and informative I didn't care much for the layout of the second half.

[. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ще е твърде просто да кажа, че този курс ме направи православен християнин. Може би най-близо до истината ще е да кажа, че този курс беше пред пред последната капка в тази чаша. Предпоследната беше книгата на Отец Серафим Роуз за мястото на Св. Августин блажени в православната църква, а последната беше когато отидох в храма до нас, заговорих свещенника, казах, му, че искам да се изповядам, и му се изповядах (колкото ей така да пробвам).

Августин е изключително влиятелен философ в християнството и ОСОБЕНО в западното християнство - католицизма и особено протестанството, и особено калвинизма.

Този курс ме настрои толкова отрицателно към Августин, че направо го бях изхвърлил е кофата и него и цялата му теология.

Докато не прочетох книгата на Серафим Роуз, където видях каква е истината. Колко е балансирана и колко Августин дори да е объркал и преувеличил някои изключително важни неща, не е за изхвърляне. И като цяло взима се доброто и истинното, а грешите се пропускат.

Няма безгрешни хора, обратното на папата.

Ако се следват авгостиновите догми за свободната воля неизбежна е простотията на калвинизма.

Слава Богу, че попаднах на този курс, научих откъде тръгват огромна част от теологичните изкривявания в католизицмс и после лутеранстеото и калвинизма, но и също така се видя третия път. Че само защото е правил грешки не значи че трябва всичко да му се изхвърля, но и не е непогрешим. Както и папата не е.

Като цяло такава е истината, изключителна що тънка и финна нишка минаваща покрай различни полуистини.

Учението на православната църква по тия въпроси ми показа че това за да се запази особено 2000 години без Светия дух е просто невъзможно.

[Ycel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction on the history and debates on Christian theology, tracing its roots starting from the Scriptures, the Apostles and the life of the early Church, the early Church Fathers, the Roman Catholic and the Greek Orthodox Churches, then taking a pivotal turn with the Protestant Reformation, the Protestant disagreements, and finally, Vatican I and II. A final lecture examines the ecumenical theology that opens up after Vatican II, drawing Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants into ongoing conversation about the boundaries of the tradition of Christian theology and its center in Jesus Christ.