Teologia Histórica. Uma Introdução ao Desenvolvimento da Doutrina Cristã

by Gregg R. Allison

Em Teologia histórica, Gregg Allison oferece a oportunidade de estudar o desenvolvimento histórico da teologia, seguindo uma organização tópico-cronológica e apresentando um elemento teológico por vez na história da doutrina cristã. Essa abordagem permite que os leitores se concentrem em apenas um princípio do cristianismo de cada vez, acompanhado de sua formulação na igreja primitiva, na Idade Média, na Reforma, na era pós-Reforma e no período moderno.

O livro também inclui um conjunto de fontes primárias, com citações de Cipriano, Agostinho, Tomás de Aquino, Lutero, Calvino, Barth e outros. Allison faz referência às edições mais acessíveis da obra desses teólogos notáveis para que os leitores possam continuar seu estudo da teologia histórica com aqueles que contribuíram de forma muito significativa para a história cristã.

Genres: Theology, Reference, History, Church History, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction

928 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2011

About the author

Gregg R. Allison (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is professor of Christian theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is secretary of the Evangelical Theological Society, a book review editor for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, an elder at Sojourn Community Church, and a theological strategist for Sojourn Network. Allison has taught at several colleges and seminaries, including Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, and is the author of numerous books, including Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine, Sojourners and Strangers: The Doctrine of the Church, and Roman Catholic Theology and Practice: An Evangelical Assessment.

Reviews

[Brenton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to Systematic Theology with a brief history of development throughout the years.

[Etienne OMNES · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cette review est basée sur une lecture incomplète, néanmoins je pense avoir lu assez pour identifier les points forts et faibles de ce livre

Points forts:
-Ils sont rares les livres qui essaient de tout embrasser dans la théologie historique, et donner ainsi un lieu unique pour rechercher les développement doctrinaux sur tel et tel domaine. C'est précieux.
-C'est une bonne idée que d'avoir adopté le même plan que la très répandue systématique de Grudem, de manière à ce que les étudiants "s'y retrouvent" et qu'il soit un compagnon idéal pour le livre de Grudem.

Points faible:
-Hélas, à cause de ce même choix, l'exposition de la théologie historique est déformé par le fait qu'il ne raconte que la ligne doctrinale qui conduit à la théologie baptiste réformée, au risque de déformer l'interprétation des pères de l'église et des médiévaux. A le lire, on ne perçoit pas assez le caractère différent des théologies patristiques et médiévales. Maintenant, reconnaissons le, c'est très difficile de l'éviter quand on adopte ce plan.
-Toujours à cause de ce statut de compagnon, il se retrouve souvent obligé d'importer chez les pères de l'église des catégories de pensées qui n'y étaient pas. On le voit ainsi faire parler les pères de l'église sur l'inerrance des écritures alors que ce n'était à leur époque qu'une vague intuition qui n'avait pas été explorée à fond.
-Il manque parfois des nuances importantes dont l'absence est inexplicable de la part d'un historien (il a pourtant consulté ses collègues). Le chapitre sur l'interprétation biblique par exemple reprend sans critique le mythe de "Alexandrie allégorique vs Antioche littérale", et celui sur la suffisance des Ecritures ne parle pas de l'origine de l'infaillibilité papale, et le rôle des franciscains dedans.
-Enfin, il n'adapte pas assez la structure des chapitres à l'histoire de la doctrine étudiée. Sur l'inerrance biblique, il y autant de place consacrée aux pères, aux médiévaux, aux réformateurs qu'aux modernes. Or, les trois premiers méritaient d'être fortement compressés (car ils disent la même chose) et au contraire élargir la partie sur les modernes. Or, de chapitre en chapitre, on retrouve à peu près le même volume de texte aux mêmes époques, au détriment de l'efficacité pédagogique.

Est ce que je le recommande?
Oui, pour: -ceux qui n'ont pas l'intention de fouiller trop l'histoire de l'église, et voudrait tout de même avoir une idée de la théologie historique en un seul volume; -ceux qui veulent une introduction globale à la théologie historique.
Non pour: -ceux qui veulent vraiment étudier la théologie historique, ils feront mieux de prendre plusieurs ouvrages spécialisés.

[Ingram London · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit biased towards evangelicals who are depicted as saving the Church and Christian theology at the end of each chapter but otherwise a great introduction to Historical Theology.

[Nate Claiborne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the end, I am very appreciative of Allison's book and am grateful to have it part of my library. Though we disagree on some minor points, Allison's style and tone are very irenic and expositions of doctrinal positions he disagrees with are fair. His book reflects an academic service to the church that was completed in Christian community and I think it will be a resource that pastors and Bible students will greatly benefit from in their studies.

For the full review, see my blog

[Pig Rieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I’ve only read about half of the book.

While I haven’t completed the work, I feel safe in providing a partial review due to the nature of the work, namely a historical systematic theology. In it Allison shows how the church has handled and taught various doctrines throughout her history. The author breaks the historical points of analysis up between the Early Church, Middle Ages, Reformation, and Modern Period. While the methodology sometimes produces questionable results (i.e. asking Augustine his view of eschatology isn’t the same thing as asking John Nelson Darby), the book does provide a great overview of the historical development of doctrines. For the amount of material covered, number of theologians and pastors cited, and concise readability (in a 700+ page work), the book is wonderful. For anyone looking to study one particular doctrine or to read as a systematic, the book is an excellent resource.

[Tanner Baumgart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I audiobooked this one and am wondering if it presents less in the audiobook/lecture form than it does when reading.

This book is basically just follows Grudem’s systematic theology, but instead of defending types of doctrine it seeks to trace the churches understanding of those doctrines throughout church history.

Being a companion to Grudem, this book falls into some of the same pitfalls Grudem’s Theology does, leaning towards an acceptance of a social Trinitarianism (which is icky). Most of it seems pretty good though.

One reason I also gave it a lower rating is that it seems to do the bare minimum in tracing the history of doctrines. It is supposed to be entry level but with very few names and dates it seems to miss the point of a historical theology. Again this may be partly in the loss of material in it being an audiobook/lecture thing.

[Tom James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an excellent resource for those who wish to study historical theology topically. It follows the format of a systematic theology text, with the focus on how major figures in church history have understood various theological concepts. The book is filled with footnotes so that the reader may know which primary sources to consult for research purposes. The focus is mainly on the theology of the Western church: Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Liberal Protestant. There is little from the Eastern perspective, except from the Patristic period. Contains a helpful glossary of terms at the back of the book. Works best as a reference guide to historical theology, but presents some challenges for the reader if read from cover to cover.

[RT · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very helpful book in content for tracing the flow of particular doctrines through major points in Church History.

The book is designed to accompany Grudam’s Systematic Theology.

A downside to the book is the way it’s written. The writing is incredibly dry, and not a delight for causal reading.

This book would accompany me if I were to every teach through a systematic theology, or even preach on a particular doctrine. For this reader, this is the area of the book’s benefit.

[Josiah Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a companion to Grudem’s Systematic theology, this is the far better of the two. Allison is careful and accurate in his overview of the historic Christian faith. Where Grudem slides into heterodoxy, Allison is strong to stay the course. The ease of read, the quality of content, and the breadth of the work make this for an excellent book.

[Dann Zinke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good primer and reference work

[Chandler Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did it! I conquered the beast! Such a comprehensive overview of historical theology. Allison writes in such a clear manner.

[Macy Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so long but so so good

[Aaron Kleinheksel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally picked this up both because I was interested in reading an historical theology text, and also because this volume is recommended as a companion to Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, which I had already read and thoroughly enjoyed.

Though evangelical in orientation, Allison does a good job letting the various voices of history speak for themselves and presenting their views w/out commentary... as it should be, really.

I did have issues w/ Ch. 13 - Doctrine of Providence:
*pg. 290 - Lutheranism v. Reformed views of the relationship between foreknowledge and the sovereign eternal decrees of God was very opaque to me. It needed to be explained better.
*pg. 297 - The end of this chapter presents John Sanders' view of Open Theism - a seemingly convincing argument in some ways - then ends abruptly, stating that most evangelicals disagree, but not explaining why! Allison ends by simply stating that the denunciations of Open Theism rest on "careful exposition of scripture and sophisticated philosophical arguments," but doesn't tell you what they are. This could have been remedied w/ another page or two, and needs to be. Very frustrating. Additionally, I would love to see a comparison between Open Theism arguments v. the doctrine of Kenosis in regards to Christ. On the surface, at least, they seem to share some concepts...

Chapters 18 (Atonement), 23 (Justification), 29(the Lord's Supper), and 32(the Final Judgment & Eternal Punishment) deserve special notice. They were excellent.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a 1 volume historical theology that is very accessible to both scholars and laypeople (though I increasingly despise those distinctions as time goes on). It is arranged by doctrines, and so it can be easily used as a reference or simply read in smaller bites over time for those intimidated by its size.

[Adam Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short review: I am going to have to work on this in sections. I have finished the introduction and the first section on scripture. What is there is good. But I wish there were more historical context. He narrates the historical changes to the theology well, but does not provide much historical context for why the changes were occuring. But that is a common problem in historical theology. I think his range is also too narrow. There is no orthodox discussion and it is clear his is writing for an Evangelical audience. But overall his clear, narrative style will appeal to students and more casual readers and he at least is giving some historical context to the Evangelical world that is usually quite lacking in historical context to their theology.

I have a longer 1100+ word review of the introduction and first section on scripture on my blog at http://bookwi.se/historical-theology/

I have a shorter review based on chapter 11 - The Trinity - http://bookwi.se/allison-trinity/

I will update this review as I continue to work through the book.

[Russell Frazier · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book. As a result, I won't give a full review. However, what I am about to say, I believe, can be said of the published editions. Allison's Calvinism is very evident throughout the book. He does not retain any objectivity.

[C. A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't read the book but listened to the audio lectures via Audible.
It's an outstandingly clear presentation of key doctrines over the ages.
Being just an introduction, it does not go deep into the matter; so if you've already acquainted yourself with historical Theology, don't bother with this.

[Hashim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at exactly the right moment in my faith journey. As someone examining my church traditions, I needed a guide that would neither dismiss nor blindly defend them. Allison's Historical Theology struck this balance perfectly, combining scholarly honesty with his own love for American evangelicalism.

I struggle with church history books. Most fall into two camps: either they're so dense with footnotes I can barely get through a page or they're easy to read but leave me wanting more depth. This book pulls off both, which is not easy to do.

The chapter on ecclesiology transformed my understanding of church structure. I had assumed my church's hierarchical organization was the original and only legitimate model. Allison revealed how this structure emerged as a response to heresy and schism, showing me that the early church embraced more diverse forms of gathering than I had been taught.

What really earned my trust was how Allison handles disagreements with other scholars. The book is meant to go along with Wayne Grudem's "Systematic Theology", but Allison isn't break from Grudem when the historical evidence shows something different. For example, he points out that women served as deacons in the early church, a fact that Grudem doesn't accept.

I don't think this should be your first church history book, though. If you're new to church history start with Justo González's Story of Christianity (Volume 1) - it'll give you the big picture. Then dive into this book.

I would also keep Alister E. McGrath's "Historical Theology" nearby for another perspective. (Careful - this book has the same name. I kept getting confused between the two).

My main knock on this book? I wanted more about women's impact on church history. While Allison does better than many evangelical writers on this topic, I would have loved to learn more about how views about women shaped both church and society. There's also this fascinating history of women martyrs and ascetics who shaped Christian thought through their lives rather than their writings - I wish he'd dug into that more.

If you want to fill in thse gaps, I recommend "Christian Women in the Patristic World" by Lynne Cohick and Amy Brown Hughes.

Despite that, this book has helped me sort through my faith. It's helped me figure out which parts of my church background to hold onto tightly and which parts to hold more loosely. If you're a Christian trying to think critically about church traditions without losing your faith in the process, this book is gold.

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here’s an excellent help for when you are studying doctrine. Designed as a companion to Wayne Grudem’s “Systematic Theology”, this volume looks beyond what to believe to what has been believed. I fully agree that what has been believed is a wise thing to consider when formulating doctrine. Though this book is technically a textbook, any pastor or Bible student could glean much from its use. It reads much better than a typical textbook too. Mr. Allison must have aced a creative writing class somewhere in his past.

Though this book is tied to Grudem’s work, it could be used independently or with any systematic theology. The order the doctrines are approached matches Grudem, as do the overall conclusions. I’ve used Grudem’s work extensively over the years, so I knew in advance where I would and would not agree with Mr. Allison. His judicious handling of historical fact even when it didn’t completely match his own opinions is praiseworthy. For that matter, I found his tone toward other viewpoints a model of grace. His respectful approach adds much value to its already rich content.

When working systematically on doctrine in the future I’ll still first reach for my favorite, trusted systematic theologies, but I will definitely grab this book too before I stop. Discovering the history of belief on the major doctrines is at once revealing and the icing on the cake. This book delivers!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Thaddeus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a good basic introduction to Historical Theology. It's meant as a companion to Grudem's systematic theology - and probably would do well in tandem with it. Allison covers all of the major topics and basics of Church History from a theological standpoint - all the various early church heresies, councils, creeds, schisms, and movements. He traces the historical roots of various theological beliefs and also the roots of some heretical movements.

All in all, it's a great and readable introductory book. But it's just that... introductory.

For those who are more versed in Church History, this won't be enough to satisfy your hunger... however, for those new to Church History, or those using Grudem's Systematic in a course or class or personal study - this might be a great introductory text to whet the appetite. I'd recommend it for the layperson, but probably not for the seminarian or person wanting a bit more depth and detail to their study of Church History.

The 2 volume set of Justo Gonzalez's "The Story of Christianity" was one that I really enjoyed also which may be a better choice (depending on the reader's interest and level of knowledge of Church History). It was very readable and the writing style was enjoyable to make the history more like a narrative/novel than a history text.

[Don Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything about our theology (beliefs, technical terms, devotional practices, worship styles, etc) has its own place in history. One of the greatest things Christian teachers can do is make sure that everything they say is backed up biblically, theologically, and historically. This book is a great introduction for anyone who wants to get a broad overview before they begin jumping into specifics. The sections are marked off topics: Doctrine of the Word of God, God, Humanity, Christ and the Holy Spirit, Application of Redemption, the Church, and the Future. Under these sections are more specific sections which begin with a statement of faith and are covered under the categories of Early Church, Middle Ages, Reformation and Post-Reformation, and Modern Period. This makes it highly accessible for those wanting a broad overview. Now it’s not extensive at all, and it doesn’t try to be. Many of these sections are essentially a Wikipedia article. However as it’s an introduction, it assumes that the reader will probably continue studying.

This book is also meant to be paired with Grudem’s Systematic Theology (yes, that one) which has its issues but is one that many people have said was their introduction to vigorous theological study. Hopefully this book awakens a desire for historical theology which might correct some of the issues associated with Grudem’s Sys Theo.

[Curby Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title states - this is a companion book to Wayne Grudem's excellent Systematic Theology. However, Allison's work can be read alone or prior to Grudem's.

Historical Theology takes a chronological approach to all the major doctrines such as justification, the Lord's Supper, Baptism, Church polity etc. He gives a definition of the topic then an overview of how the Early Church era, Medieval Church era, Reformation Church era and Modern Era have viewed the doctrine and the challenges still remaining. His style is thoughtful and very accessible even to the laymen who is not familiar with the subject. But a scholar will also find this a rewarding read.

The author is from an Evangelical/Reformed perspective but he is very charitable to all sides and doesn't allow himself to commit the strawman fallacy in any of his critiques. So a Baptist, Catholic and Presbyterian would all benefit from this work. Highly recommended and should be in any apologist, theologian or minister's library as well as that of anyone interested in Church History and thought.

[Nicholas Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allison does some good work generally (especially on the subject of Roman Catholicism), however, I find that this book is underwhelming. This book is particularly beneficial when it speaks to the reformation era, however it is pretty narrow in its content and is bias towards Allison’s theological tradition. Allison’s discussions on a number of topics make the early church sound evangelical and Calvinistic while leaving out patristics of a different flavor and wider articulations. Ultimately, You can tell he wrote to a particular audience. Just as well, Allison doesn’t deal with eastern doctrine or the moving history behind the doctrines. Doctrines are laid out as a “matter of fact” (so to speak) with limited explanation. Just as well, the audio lectures are surface level explanations of the doctrines with some historical theology thrown in.

[Ming Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to it via Audible+.

A good overview of doctrines that are usually considered in a systematic theology (at the start Allison states that this is a companion volume to Grudem), approaching various doctrines and examining the thought of the early church, the medieval period, the Reformation and post-Reformation period, and the modern period on each doctrine. Allison dedicates a chapter to each doctrine instead of going period by period and examining that period's view on all theological areas before moving to the next period. He clearly has an evangelical bent (I'm not complaining!) and cites evangelical authors in response to liberal movements in theology in the modern period.

Rigorous.

[Kirsten Hill]

Finished 50% of this last year (2023), but the Audible audiobook is split into two parts, and I listened to all that I purchased so far. I keep thinking I'll come back to this and buy the other half, but since many months have gone by and I haven't done so, I'm moving it to my "did not finish" shelf at least for now.

I enjoyed it overall (maybe 4 stars?) - some parts were definitely better suited to a paper copy. I was bored a bit by a few sections, and wished there was more depth on topics I was more interested in.

I do think that, in general, I like the realm of historical theology and understanding the development of different doctrines, but I'll probably be happier reading books about the historical development of individual topics I'm more interested in.

[Bfleegs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very helpful summary overview of each of the major doctrines and their development in each of the major eras of theology, from the early church to the Middle ages, to the reformation and the modern era. Not extremely in depth, but littered with primary source quotations and references to give an accurate overview of the major ideas that existed in each epoch. A helpful starting place for working through the historical development and positions of systematic doctrine. I read this, as it was intended, as a companion volume alongside the chapters in Grudem's systematic theology, and found their parallel discussions to be mutually enlightening.

[Elizabeth Aucoin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read 1/3-1/2* for ST3 class, really enjoyed how each chapter went along with Grudem’s Systematic Theology and provided a helpful historical guide for different topics. He broke each down into early church, Middle Ages, reformation, and modern day

[Kingsley Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a helpful and worthy companion to Grudem's work. It is worth the effort.

[Tony Weedor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read

Recommend this book to every Christian, a must read. It should be on every theological student bookshelf! Yes and yes

[Jonathan Ammon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A valuable resource and an easy read, but definitely tailored to its audience. Its more of a defense of Grudem's Systematic Theology through historical theology.

[Matthew Bandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many of you have every studied how we got to now in our theology? If you don't know, then read this book!