History of Dogma, vol. 1

by Adolf von Harnack

Publisher:

Roberts Brothers

, 1895

Overview

Arguably, there is nobody better than historian Adolph von Harnack to discuss the history of dogma. He meticulously works his way through the definition, limits, divisions, and formation of dogma, covering its history from the early Church to the time of Nitzsch, Loofs, and Renan in this first volume. Dissecting the place of the Gospel of Christ in the history of the Church, this volume ends with an appendix entitled “The Christianity of the Jewish Christians,” which provides a backdrop to the history of Christian Judaism.

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Key Features

• Contains extensive historical background on the Church
• Exhibits the development which led to the ecclesiastical dogmas
• Provides a history of Christian theological ideas in their relation to the philosophy of the early 1900s

Contents

• Introductory Division
  • Prolegomena to the Study of the History of Dogma
  • The Presuppositions of the History of Dogma
• Book I. The Preparation
  • Historical Survey
  • The Element Common to All Christians and the Breach with Judaism
  • The Common Faith and the Beginnings of Knowledge in Gentile Christianity as It Was Being Developed into Catholicism
  • The Attempts of the Gnostics to Create an Apostolic Dogmatic, and a Christian Theology; or the Acute Secularising of Christianity
  • The Attempt of the Marcion to Set aside the Old Testament Foundation of Christianity, to Purify the Tradition and Reform Christiandom on the Basis of the Pauline Gospel
  • The Christianity of Jewish Christians. Definition of the Notion Jewish Christianity
• Appendixes

Top Highlights

“Dogma in its conception and development is a work of the Greek spirit on the soil of the Gospel” (Page 17)

“Instead of the hope of inheriting the kingdom, Jesus had also spoken simply of preserving the soul, or the life. In this one substitution lies already a transformation, of universal significance, of political religion into a religion that is individual and therefore holy; for the life is nourished by the word of God, but God is the Holy One.” (Page 58)

“But it is in accordance with the mind of Jesus and at the same time a fact of history, that this Gospel can only be appropriated and adhered to in connection with a believing surrender to the person of Jesus Christ.” (Page 71)

“The consciousness of universal sinfulness was first made the negative fundamental frame of mind of Christendom by Augustine.” (Page 61)

“conditioned by the fact, that every reference to God is at the same time a reference to Jesus Christ, and vice versa.” (Page 71)

Product Details

• Title: History of Dogma, vol. 1
• Author: Adolph von Harnack
• Translator: Neil Buchanan
• Edition: Third
• Publisher: Roberts Brothers
• Publication Date: 1895
• Pages: 364

About Adolf von Harnack

Adolf von Harnack (May 7, 1851–June 10, 1930), was a German theologian and prominent church historian. He produced many religious publications from 1873–1912. Harnack traced the influence of Hellenistic philosophy on early Christian writing and called on Christians to question the authenticity of doctrines that arose in the early Christian church.