Documents of the Christian Church

Since its first publication in 1967, this collection of writings from the most important moments in the history of Christianity has established itself as a classic work. Now incorporating a wealth of new material, this new edition will be an essential reference source for anyone interested in the history of the Christian Church.

While retaining the original material selected by Henry Bettenson, Chris Maunder has added a substantial section of more recent writings. These new entries illustrate the Second Vatican Council; the theologies of liberation; Church and State from 'Thatcher's Britain' to Communist Eastern Europe; Black, feminist, and ecological theology; ecumenism; and inter-faith dialogue. The emphasis on moral debate in the contemporary Churches is reflected in selections dealing with modern issues such as homosexuality, divorce, AIDS, and in-vitro fertilization. With the publication of this new edition, Documents of the Christian Church provides insights into the whole 2000 years of Christian theological and political debate.

never buy books from balacingmind. They claim the book arrived it didn't and I never heard back from them or amazon since my claim was filed.

This is an excellent accompaniment to a course in the history of the Christian Church. It contains the most pertinent passages from documents that were vital in the formation of the liturgy and principles of the Christian Church. The third edition contains documents that address the most pressing moral issues in the church of the twenty-first century.

Handy text for a survey of Early Christian Documents. To use this you need to have a knowledge of the period and document/author you are looking for. Helpful in addition to other Church History books, which provide some of the background to the letters.

An amateur Church historian, by love but not by training, I looked forward to perusing this compendium of church documents. The editor, Chris Maunder, claims to 'provide the global perspective essential in contemporary church history and theology' -- I read in the forward. Uh-oh. The Table of Contents elaborates on this: "Black Theology, the Origins of Liberation Theology, The Ordination of Women, Feminist Theology, Ecotheology" are some of the listings in this new section.

If this is what you are looking for, by all means you will find these new ear-tickling theologies explored. I will look for the original edition, written in the early 1960s.

The copy I received was several years older than the current (1999) publishing date, but ancient history doesn't change.