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The Christian Tradition #3
The Christian Tradition 3: The Growth of Medieval Theology 600-1300
"A magnificent history of doctrine."— New York Review of Books
"In this volume Jaroslav Pelikan continues the splendid work he has done thus far in his projected five-volume history of the development of Christian doctrine, defined as 'what the Church believes, teaches, and confesses on the basis of the word of God.' The entire work will become an indispensable resource not only for the history of doctrine but also for its reformulation today. Copious documentation in the margins and careful indexing add to its immense usefulness."—E. Glenn Hinson, Christian Century
"This book is based on a most meticulous examination of medieval authorities and the growth of medieval theology is essentially told in their own words. What is more important, however, then the astounding number of primary sources the author has consulted or his sovereign familiarity with modern studies on his subject, is his ability to discern form and direction in the bewildering growth of medieval Christian doctrine, and, by thoughtful emphasis and selection, to show the pattern of that development in a lucid and persuasive narrative. No one interested in the history of Christianity or theology and no medievalist, whatever the field of specialization, will be able to ignore this magnificent synthesis."—Bernhard W. Scholz, History
"The series is obviously the indispensable text for graduate theological study in the development of doctrine, and an important reference for scholars of religious and intellectual history as well. . . . Professor Pelikan's series marks a significant departure, and in him we have at last a master teacher."—Marjorie O'Rourke Boyle, Commonweal
"In this volume Jaroslav Pelikan continues the splendid work he has done thus far in his projected five-volume history of the development of Christian doctrine, defined as 'what the Church believes, teaches, and confesses on the basis of the word of God.' The entire work will become an indispensable resource not only for the history of doctrine but also for its reformulation today. Copious documentation in the margins and careful indexing add to its immense usefulness."—E. Glenn Hinson, Christian Century
"This book is based on a most meticulous examination of medieval authorities and the growth of medieval theology is essentially told in their own words. What is more important, however, then the astounding number of primary sources the author has consulted or his sovereign familiarity with modern studies on his subject, is his ability to discern form and direction in the bewildering growth of medieval Christian doctrine, and, by thoughtful emphasis and selection, to show the pattern of that development in a lucid and persuasive narrative. No one interested in the history of Christianity or theology and no medievalist, whatever the field of specialization, will be able to ignore this magnificent synthesis."—Bernhard W. Scholz, History
"The series is obviously the indispensable text for graduate theological study in the development of doctrine, and an important reference for scholars of religious and intellectual history as well. . . . Professor Pelikan's series marks a significant departure, and in him we have at last a master teacher."—Marjorie O'Rourke Boyle, Commonweal
333 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
22 people are currently reading
755 people want to read
About the author
Jaroslav Pelikan
176 books132 followersJaroslav Jan Pelikan was born in Akron, Ohio, to a Slovak father and mother, Jaroslav Jan Pelikan Sr. and Anna Buzekova Pelikan. His father was pastor of Trinity Slovak Lutheran Church in Chicago, Illinois, and his paternal grandfather a bishop of the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches then known as the Slovak Lutheran Church in America.
According to family members, Pelikan's mother taught him how to use a typewriter when he was three years old, as he could not yet hold a pen properly but wanted to write. A polyglot, Pelikan's facility with languages may be traced to his multilingual childhood and early training. That linguistic facility was to serve him in the career he ultimately chose (after contemplating becoming a concert pianist)--as a historian of Christian doctrine. He did not confine his studies to Roman Catholic and Protestant theological history, but also embraced that of the Christian East.
In 1946 when he was 22, he earned both a seminary degree from Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri and a Ph.D. at the University of Chicago.
Pelikan wrote more than 30 books, including the five-volume The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine (1971–1989). Some of his later works attained crossover appeal, reaching beyond the scholarly sphere into the general reading public (notably, Mary Through the Centuries, Jesus Through the Centuries and Whose Bible Is It?).
His 1984 book The Vindication of Tradition gave rise to an often quoted one liner. In an interview in U.S. News & World Report (June 26, 1989), he said: "Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living. Tradition lives in conversation with the past, while remembering where we are and when we are and that it is we who have to decide.
"Traditionalism supposes that nothing should ever be done for the first time, so all that is needed to solve any problem is to arrive at the supposedly unanimous testimony of this homogenized tradition."
According to family members, Pelikan's mother taught him how to use a typewriter when he was three years old, as he could not yet hold a pen properly but wanted to write. A polyglot, Pelikan's facility with languages may be traced to his multilingual childhood and early training. That linguistic facility was to serve him in the career he ultimately chose (after contemplating becoming a concert pianist)--as a historian of Christian doctrine. He did not confine his studies to Roman Catholic and Protestant theological history, but also embraced that of the Christian East.
In 1946 when he was 22, he earned both a seminary degree from Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri and a Ph.D. at the University of Chicago.
Pelikan wrote more than 30 books, including the five-volume The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine (1971–1989). Some of his later works attained crossover appeal, reaching beyond the scholarly sphere into the general reading public (notably, Mary Through the Centuries, Jesus Through the Centuries and Whose Bible Is It?).
His 1984 book The Vindication of Tradition gave rise to an often quoted one liner. In an interview in U.S. News & World Report (June 26, 1989), he said: "Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living. Tradition lives in conversation with the past, while remembering where we are and when we are and that it is we who have to decide.
"Traditionalism supposes that nothing should ever be done for the first time, so all that is needed to solve any problem is to arrive at the supposedly unanimous testimony of this homogenized tradition."
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 20, 2018
Pelikan's analysis of medieval theology is seeing it as a troubled synthesis of the Augustinian tradition. Merely saying one is an Augustinian is not good enough. All Westerns claim Augustine. Warfield's statement that the Reformation was a triumph of Augustine's doctrine of grace over Augustine's doctrine of the church is simply false. And Pelikan shows why.
Pelikan begins his narrative by showing the unity of "the Faith." The Faith, following St Vincent of Lerins, is that which is believed at all times by all peoples everywhere. Deviating from this point, as Pelikan (and history) shows, almost always leads to heresy and schism. And those who fall into schism rarely continue. Pelikan gives a number of helpful passages from Bede to the point.
Pelikan notes that Augustine's ambiguity on the sacraments was embarrassing, it was his clarity on grace that embarrassed his followers. And this tension would spark the Eucharistic and predestinarian debates of the 9th century and the 11th century. Pelikan is nothing if not fair. He does show how Berengar and Gottscalc did honestly and accurately quote Augustine to the contrary of the rest of the church. But that was their fault: they quoted the doctor of the Church against the Church.
Regardless, they can't be seen as the protagonists because their doing theology outside the interpretation of the church did leave them to other, more troubling conclusions (e.g., trine deitas). The Eucharistic debages hinged on the "conversion." How do the elements change (198)? It becomes clear that the Church did teach a real presence in the Eucharist, if not necessarily a full-orbed transubstantiation. Berengar and later Protestants would retort that many Fathers did teach a "figurative" presence to the Body. But the Catholic response was when the Fathers spoke of the Eucharist as a "figure," it was a figure of the Church not the real Body of Christ or the Eucharist. This is a good point Pelikan makes, and brings up the Medieval view of the threefold body, but Pelikan should have developed the point.
How did the church react to attacks on the Faith? Interestingly, as it appears to Pelikan, most of the divergences from catholic unity promoted some form of manicheanism or dualism. This almost always attacked the doctrine of God (since it posited different deities opposed to one another) and always downplayed the liturgies (235). Minimalism was never separate from heresy--a lesson some could learn today!
Also includes discussion of Mary, the saints, and scholasticism. Even if one disagrees with the cult of Mary, the cult of the saints, the views on the liturgy, almost always does the discussion come back to the troubled Augustinian synthesis: even if you do not like the conclusions, you must confess that the reasoning is consistent with previous teachings. Indeed, an uncomfortable point.
In any case, medievalism set the stage for later Reforms. It left key questions unanswered. Combined with an increasingly volatile political situation, troubling times were ahead...and that is the next volume.
--
Jacob Aitken
Pelikan begins his narrative by showing the unity of "the Faith." The Faith, following St Vincent of Lerins, is that which is believed at all times by all peoples everywhere. Deviating from this point, as Pelikan (and history) shows, almost always leads to heresy and schism. And those who fall into schism rarely continue. Pelikan gives a number of helpful passages from Bede to the point.
Pelikan notes that Augustine's ambiguity on the sacraments was embarrassing, it was his clarity on grace that embarrassed his followers. And this tension would spark the Eucharistic and predestinarian debates of the 9th century and the 11th century. Pelikan is nothing if not fair. He does show how Berengar and Gottscalc did honestly and accurately quote Augustine to the contrary of the rest of the church. But that was their fault: they quoted the doctor of the Church against the Church.
Regardless, they can't be seen as the protagonists because their doing theology outside the interpretation of the church did leave them to other, more troubling conclusions (e.g., trine deitas). The Eucharistic debages hinged on the "conversion." How do the elements change (198)? It becomes clear that the Church did teach a real presence in the Eucharist, if not necessarily a full-orbed transubstantiation. Berengar and later Protestants would retort that many Fathers did teach a "figurative" presence to the Body. But the Catholic response was when the Fathers spoke of the Eucharist as a "figure," it was a figure of the Church not the real Body of Christ or the Eucharist. This is a good point Pelikan makes, and brings up the Medieval view of the threefold body, but Pelikan should have developed the point.
How did the church react to attacks on the Faith? Interestingly, as it appears to Pelikan, most of the divergences from catholic unity promoted some form of manicheanism or dualism. This almost always attacked the doctrine of God (since it posited different deities opposed to one another) and always downplayed the liturgies (235). Minimalism was never separate from heresy--a lesson some could learn today!
Also includes discussion of Mary, the saints, and scholasticism. Even if one disagrees with the cult of Mary, the cult of the saints, the views on the liturgy, almost always does the discussion come back to the troubled Augustinian synthesis: even if you do not like the conclusions, you must confess that the reasoning is consistent with previous teachings. Indeed, an uncomfortable point.
In any case, medievalism set the stage for later Reforms. It left key questions unanswered. Combined with an increasingly volatile political situation, troubling times were ahead...and that is the next volume.
--
Jacob Aitken
May 13, 2022
I love this series. Pelikan is a master.
October 2, 2019
Pelikan knocks it out of the park with this installment in the series. His focus on the development of doctrine means that a few medieval heavy hitters (Thomas Aquinas and others) are not often up to bat. However, Pelikan has a solid roster that will set up the final innings of his series well.
April 21, 2009
Pelikan does any excellent job of synthesizing the development of doctrine during the Medieval period. Not only does he manage to cull out the key developments of doctrine and the challenges that typically encompassed them, he manages to do so in such a manner as to emphasize their relevance to the Christian believer. He is also meticulous in calling out his references throughout.
My only criticism is that there are a few occurrences where the necessary brevity for a particular topic, when considering the large scope work as a whole, results in a need for clarification. Of course, this may be more of a reflection on the limits of the reader than the talents of the author.
My only criticism is that there are a few occurrences where the necessary brevity for a particular topic, when considering the large scope work as a whole, results in a need for clarification. Of course, this may be more of a reflection on the limits of the reader than the talents of the author.
October 4, 2016
Certain sections very good; others more cumbersome. All in all, a very nice addition to Pelikan's 5 vol series.
August 9, 2024
Reviewing a Pelikan text is an excuse to post this classic quote from him:
“Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.
Tradition lives in conversation with the past, while remembering where we are and when we are and that it is we who have to decide.
Traditionalism supposes that nothing should ever be done for the first time, so all that is needed to solve any problem is to arrive at the supposedly unanimous testimony of this homogenized tradition.”
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! I found it much more accessible than Rik Van Nieuwenhove’s “An Introduction to Medieval Theology,” but the readability of this book does require familiarity with key Trinitarian and Christological debates of church history, and it may be helpful to read a history of medieval Christianity before reading this book as Pelikan is not interested in exploring historical issues of the medieval church. Rather, Pelikan is primarily—almost exclusively—focused on the development of Christian tradition and debates that arose over ambiguities of the Augustinian synthesis in the medieval period. I especially enjoyed the sections of this book on the debate over the real presence in the sacraments and the disagreement that arose on this issue in the prior tradition. I also found this book provided a very helpful treatment on Mariology and the development of sacramental theology. A do feel like certain sections of the book were slightly too long, and that Pelikan’s choice not to engage with the historical context that drove theological discussions at times prevented me from seeing the overall significance or importance of the issue in the medieval church. Still, this is a masterful text on the development of medieval theology. I will certainly be referencing this texts in future papers related to historical theology as this book is full of doctrinal insight.
“Tradition is the living faith of the dead; traditionalism is the dead faith of the living.
Tradition lives in conversation with the past, while remembering where we are and when we are and that it is we who have to decide.
Traditionalism supposes that nothing should ever be done for the first time, so all that is needed to solve any problem is to arrive at the supposedly unanimous testimony of this homogenized tradition.”
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! I found it much more accessible than Rik Van Nieuwenhove’s “An Introduction to Medieval Theology,” but the readability of this book does require familiarity with key Trinitarian and Christological debates of church history, and it may be helpful to read a history of medieval Christianity before reading this book as Pelikan is not interested in exploring historical issues of the medieval church. Rather, Pelikan is primarily—almost exclusively—focused on the development of Christian tradition and debates that arose over ambiguities of the Augustinian synthesis in the medieval period. I especially enjoyed the sections of this book on the debate over the real presence in the sacraments and the disagreement that arose on this issue in the prior tradition. I also found this book provided a very helpful treatment on Mariology and the development of sacramental theology. A do feel like certain sections of the book were slightly too long, and that Pelikan’s choice not to engage with the historical context that drove theological discussions at times prevented me from seeing the overall significance or importance of the issue in the medieval church. Still, this is a masterful text on the development of medieval theology. I will certainly be referencing this texts in future papers related to historical theology as this book is full of doctrinal insight.
June 15, 2024
If you are looking for a throughly-researched study on the development of Christian theology, you can’t do much better than Jaroslav Pelikan’s The Christian Tradition series. Pelikan is most known for being one of the instrumental players to overturn the old academic narrative that the introduction of Greek philosophy corrupted early Christianity from its “pure Jewish” roots. In this book in particular, he shows that the medieval theologians faithfully inherited, transmitted, and developed the teachings of the church fathers through their study of scripture and tradition. The Middle Ages was not a time of departure from patristic theology; it was a logical period of development which sought to go deeper into the Christian mystery by exploring questions that the early fathers left unanswered.
On another note, the format of the pages makes this book a pleasure to read. His citations are formatted on left and right margins of the text, and there are citations for virtually every reference, paraphrase, or quote from any church father/medieval figure. Not only is this book a goldmine of information in itself, it is a treasure trove of primary sources.
On another note, the format of the pages makes this book a pleasure to read. His citations are formatted on left and right margins of the text, and there are citations for virtually every reference, paraphrase, or quote from any church father/medieval figure. Not only is this book a goldmine of information in itself, it is a treasure trove of primary sources.
May 9, 2021
Jaroslav Pelikan works through the Medieval Theology as struggle with the Augustinian Synthesis and Trinitarian dogmas. Pelikan views this period as one of the least interesting dogmatic developments despite that one runs into St. Augustine, the Summa Theologica and that the Crusades take place. In short, the Church focused on responding to St. Augustine's head-lock of grace and nature. This dilemma is foreign to the Greek Orthodox Fathers, and solutions in the West wouldn't come about until Martin Luther (throwing away St. Augustine's ecclesiology) and then in the 20th century with Henri De Lubac interpreting a Neo-Thomisitc understanding of grace and nature. Although the Roman Catholic Church established their ecclesiology, this also led to corruptions within and the mixing of state and Church. For Christians, this period of tradition does offer the most robust defence of Classical Theism. Again, Pelikan from an Orthodox perspective offers a well view critic of Western "development", making this book important for Western Christians (both Catholic and Protestants) to read.
January 17, 2025
I learned a lot about Medieval Roman Catholic theology; it a tedious exercise. As an Orthodox Christian, I was boggled by the mental efforts poured into mystery. The Holy Trinity and the Eucharist are considered ultimately incomprehensible in the Orthodox Church; where there probably was some speculation there was nothing like the this hairsplitting analysis of words. It seems to me that the Roman Church's leading lights were approaching these divine mysteries by using the methods of philosophy. Nature and grace, reason and revelation, considered complementary, but also in opposition, seems to me to be a waste of energy when it comes to Divine mysteries. The Orthodox way is apophatic, acknowledging what is incomprehensible. "The theologian is the one who prays." (Evagrius) It's a matter of focus, and it's important to get it right, for our growth into the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
May 2, 2024
First let me say that this book isn't for everyone, indeed it's target audience is quite vanishingly small in my opinion, because it's not a history of Christianity, but a history of the development of theology in history. For most it will be real wading and an exercise in perseverance to finish.
Having said that, like the other books in this series, it really is a tour de force in its niche. Imagine having to take all of the writing about theology between 600-1300 and not only absorbing it, but putting it into a coherent framework so that a reader can understand it. It's really quite amazing. On page after page there are 10-15 citations of primary sources in regards to whatever theological topic Mr. Pelikan happens to be discussing at the moment.
Medieval theology was much more comprehensive and nuanced, not to mention, debated by theologians, than we've been led to think.
Having said that, like the other books in this series, it really is a tour de force in its niche. Imagine having to take all of the writing about theology between 600-1300 and not only absorbing it, but putting it into a coherent framework so that a reader can understand it. It's really quite amazing. On page after page there are 10-15 citations of primary sources in regards to whatever theological topic Mr. Pelikan happens to be discussing at the moment.
Medieval theology was much more comprehensive and nuanced, not to mention, debated by theologians, than we've been led to think.
January 25, 2021
My rating reflects Pelikan's apparent mastery of the material and his readability (which is why I read the book) more than my ability to retain and critique it.
(If I were in a position to critique his rendering, it would probably be five stars.)
(If I were in a position to critique his rendering, it would probably be five stars.)
October 4, 2018
3.5 stars.
April 7, 2020
A good book to read if you’re having trouble falling asleep
February 9, 2024
Pelikan don’t miss.
February 21, 2012
Pelikan continues his masterful account of the history of Christian doctrine in this, his third volume covering the medieval period leading up to the protagonists of the Reformation. Because this is a part of a larger work, Pelikan is able to place doctrinal developments during this time in a broader perspective. For him, that means Augustine. Disputes during this time rose out of some embarrassing elements of the foremost father, namely his doctrines of predestination, grace, and the sacraments. He shows that the primary "heretics" of the day actually attempted to quote Augustine in their defense against orthodoxy, yet this was to no effect. Especially revealing is Pelikan's use of primary source material on both sides of the debate, especially Bernard of Clairvaux and Peter Abelard. My only criticism is the treatment of the impact of the crusades on doctrine. Bernard especially used his views of salvation when promoting the crusades, and his gets no mention, other than that Christian apologetics saw a resurgence clarifying their position against the Islamic challenge and again against Judaism. I believe this was a missed opportunity. Other than that - truly revealing and outstanding.
December 21, 2013
The hardest of these books for me to get through, so far, not even Pelikan could completely interest me in "The Augustinian Synthesis," "Summa Theologica," or "The Celestial and Ecclesiastical Hierarchies." Perhaps, as a good Baptist, it is because I see the theologians of this period going completely off the rails at so many points, which inspired Luther, et al., to reform. Consider some of these chapter headings: "Mary as Mediatrix," "The Real Presence," "The Grace of the Sacraments." Nope, nothing there for a descendant of the Far Left Wing of the Reformation.
Still recommended as part of a majestic overview of the history of Christian Doctrine.
Still recommended as part of a majestic overview of the history of Christian Doctrine.
February 13, 2013
Helpful.
Want to read
January 11, 2024Oct 2023. Tried I can fit in one more volume of Pelikan this year, but couldn't make it happen - too busy with school. Maybe summer 2024.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews