A Concise History of Christian Thought: Completely Revised and Expanded Edition
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
A Concise History of Christian Thought offers a succinct, readable survey of key Christian thinkers and significant theological developments from the church's inception to the present. Tony Lane surveys over one hundred important Christian thinkers ranging from Origen and Justin Martyr, to Anselm and Aquinas, to Luther and Menno Simons, to John Hicks and Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI). With the modern period especially, Lane has also introduced an element of evaluation as a guide to the reader, though the primary aim is to allow the thinkers to speak for themselves.
The book is divided into five parts:
- The Church Fathers to AD 500
- The Eastern Tradition
- The Medieval West
- Reformation and Reaction
- Christian Thought in the Modern World
In each section, the reader will encounter surveys of key Christian thinkers, major creeds, councils, and documents. Representative extracts allow the reader to hear from each of the key thinkers covered in his or her own words. After having sold more than 50,000 copies in its earlier editions, the current edition has been refined and updated throughout and includes new material on key contemporary thinkers.
Top Highlights
“First, the adoption of Christianity as the state religion led to a massive influx of superficial converts from paganism.” (Page 5)
“Ignatius is the first writer clearly to present the threefold pattern of ministry: one bishop in a church with his presbyters and deacons.” (Page 8)
“Secondly, the persecuted church of the martyrs became before long the persecuting state church.” (Page 5)
“The Didache or Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles through the Twelve Apostles is the oldest surviving manual of church discipline.” (Page 9)
“Thirdly, as Europe became Christian, Christianity was in danger of becoming the tribal religion of the Europeans.” (Page 5)
About Tony Lane
Tony Lane is professor of historical theology and director of research at the London School of Theology. He is the author of a number of books, including John Calvin: Student of the Church Fathers, and Justification by Faith in Catholic-Protestant Dialogue.
Sample Pages from the Print Edition
Reviews
8 ratings
Alessandro
12/9/2022
Adrian King
7/15/2019
A welcome addition to my library. I have been using this book since the mid nineteen eighties, when it was published as "The Lion Concise Book of Christian Thought." Highly recommended.
Anthony
12/22/2017
Angel
9/1/2017
W Russell Lyle III
1/16/2015
John Vignol
7/12/2013
Ward Walker
1/15/2012
This 336-page resource received one of my lower in-Logos ratings...perhaps because reading it cover to cover was like reading a dictionary; helpful, but difficult to sustain. However, the author did a masterful job of jamming a huge span of information about church history--and especially the various individuals, partitions, and events who've stood out through history.
