--- product_id: 7624392 title: "The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Volume 1: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600) (Volume 1)" price: "197.83 DT" currency: TND in_stock: true reviews_count: 9 url: https://www.desertcart.tn/products/7624392-the-christian-tradition-a-history-of-the-development-of-doctrine store_origin: TN region: Tunisia --- # The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Volume 1: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600) (Volume 1) **Price:** 197.83 DT **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Volume 1: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600) (Volume 1) - **How much does it cost?** 197.83 DT with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.tn](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/7624392-the-christian-tradition-a-history-of-the-development-of-doctrine) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The first volume of a magisterial survey of the entire history of the Christian tradition, this volume focusing on the emergence of Catholicism In this five-volume opus Jaroslav Pelikan traces the development of Christian doctrine from the first century to the twentieth. Review: Magisterial Work on History of Christian Doctrine, Vol. One - Dr. Pelikan takes the jumble of early Christian writings, both orthodox and heterodox, and weaves from them a sensible history of the development of Christian Tradition. This is not a "history" as such in which game pieces move here and there along a strict chronology; Pelikan is less concerned with the Church councils than what people professed before and after the councils. This is also not recommended as an introductory text to the history of theology. I'd recommend first Henry Chadwick's "The Early Church" (a more accessible and linear history), then J.N.D. Kelly's "Early Christian Doctrines." Pelikan's is a much more detailed work. In this first volume, Pelikan sets the stage by describing the religious and philosophical milieu into which Christianity was born, and from which Christianity inherited so much. Anyone who believes that the history of Christian doctrine is a thick, black, straight line may be suprised at the nuances and odd directions that doctrine took among some persons in some places at some times. Also, to what degree did eventually heterodox persons play in the development of orthodox doctrine? Example: Pelikan has some interesting observations of Tertullian's proto-Montanism vis-a-vis the personality of the Holy Spirit and the development of trinitarian thought. And while not a major criticism, Pelikan is a little weak when it comes to the Aramaic influences in very early Christian thinking; check out Fr. Joseph Fitzmyer's various Dead Sea Scrolls studies for that important aspect. Pelikan's strengths, and they are significant, are in the tracking the development from Paul and other early Christians of the separation of Christians from "law" into "grace," and the effects of that movement with regard to salvation. He also tracks the development of Christology, stopping along the way to examine variant thinking (such as "angel Christology") that reflected other competing traditions. How was Christ divine? How was Christ human? Pelikan examines how early Christians answered these questions and reconciled the apparent paradox. Of tremendous interest to me was the section on "Nature and Grace." What is "sin"? And how does the Christian reconcile his responsibility to live *as* a Christian and also acknowledge God's sovereignty? Pelikan steps through the written deposit of early Christian thinking of the first 600 years - some calm, some polemical and filled with the hyperbole that comes in the struggle to be heard - and organizes it for both the scholar and the enthusiastic and somewhat informed ordinary reader. Pelikan also retains a delightful balance, always knowing what the value of his work is. Before launching into this five volume work that will occupy so much of his professional life, he observes in the first lines of this volume that "doctrine is not the only, not even the primary, activity of the church. The church worships God and serves mankind, it works for the transformation of the world and awaits the consummation of its hope in the next. 'Faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love' - love, and not faith, and certainly not doctrine." Amen, Dr. Pelikan. Still, this *is* a work on the development and history of doctrine. I accept it for what it is, and, that, it does very, very well. Review: Very Good! - I purchased this book based on the high amount of good reviews it has received in the past, and I was in no way disappointed! Pelikan did a great job making top notch scholarship easy to follow along with and I learned a ton. This book is split into seven chapters, all of which are well put together and masterfully thought out. The main point of this study was to overview the doctrines of the church throughout history, not study the actual history that was going on during the times that doctrines were developed. This makes it even more interesting because dates and places are not often mentioned, mean that the book is very much focused on a long line of evolving thought as opposed to random events and places. There is a lot of cool information that made this book worth it. For example, I had never known that Tertullian was a Montanist, I never knew that Augustine so readily defended infant baptism, plus I got a front seat primer on Cyril of Alexandria's major beliefs (which I sort of knew, but I got details), plus more!!! I cannot recommend this book enough! I can't wait to crack open the second one! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #231,856 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #841 in History of Christianity (Books) #1,116 in Christian Church History (Books) #4,075 in Christian Theology (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 147 Reviews | ## Images ![The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Volume 1: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (100-600) (Volume 1) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61DPCtSpDEL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Magisterial Work on History of Christian Doctrine, Vol. One *by S***N on December 15, 2005* Dr. Pelikan takes the jumble of early Christian writings, both orthodox and heterodox, and weaves from them a sensible history of the development of Christian Tradition. This is not a "history" as such in which game pieces move here and there along a strict chronology; Pelikan is less concerned with the Church councils than what people professed before and after the councils. This is also not recommended as an introductory text to the history of theology. I'd recommend first Henry Chadwick's "The Early Church" (a more accessible and linear history), then J.N.D. Kelly's "Early Christian Doctrines." Pelikan's is a much more detailed work. In this first volume, Pelikan sets the stage by describing the religious and philosophical milieu into which Christianity was born, and from which Christianity inherited so much. Anyone who believes that the history of Christian doctrine is a thick, black, straight line may be suprised at the nuances and odd directions that doctrine took among some persons in some places at some times. Also, to what degree did eventually heterodox persons play in the development of orthodox doctrine? Example: Pelikan has some interesting observations of Tertullian's proto-Montanism vis-a-vis the personality of the Holy Spirit and the development of trinitarian thought. And while not a major criticism, Pelikan is a little weak when it comes to the Aramaic influences in very early Christian thinking; check out Fr. Joseph Fitzmyer's various Dead Sea Scrolls studies for that important aspect. Pelikan's strengths, and they are significant, are in the tracking the development from Paul and other early Christians of the separation of Christians from "law" into "grace," and the effects of that movement with regard to salvation. He also tracks the development of Christology, stopping along the way to examine variant thinking (such as "angel Christology") that reflected other competing traditions. How was Christ divine? How was Christ human? Pelikan examines how early Christians answered these questions and reconciled the apparent paradox. Of tremendous interest to me was the section on "Nature and Grace." What is "sin"? And how does the Christian reconcile his responsibility to live *as* a Christian and also acknowledge God's sovereignty? Pelikan steps through the written deposit of early Christian thinking of the first 600 years - some calm, some polemical and filled with the hyperbole that comes in the struggle to be heard - and organizes it for both the scholar and the enthusiastic and somewhat informed ordinary reader. Pelikan also retains a delightful balance, always knowing what the value of his work is. Before launching into this five volume work that will occupy so much of his professional life, he observes in the first lines of this volume that "doctrine is not the only, not even the primary, activity of the church. The church worships God and serves mankind, it works for the transformation of the world and awaits the consummation of its hope in the next. 'Faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love' - love, and not faith, and certainly not doctrine." Amen, Dr. Pelikan. Still, this *is* a work on the development and history of doctrine. I accept it for what it is, and, that, it does very, very well. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very Good! *by F***N on May 31, 2012* I purchased this book based on the high amount of good reviews it has received in the past, and I was in no way disappointed! Pelikan did a great job making top notch scholarship easy to follow along with and I learned a ton. This book is split into seven chapters, all of which are well put together and masterfully thought out. The main point of this study was to overview the doctrines of the church throughout history, not study the actual history that was going on during the times that doctrines were developed. This makes it even more interesting because dates and places are not often mentioned, mean that the book is very much focused on a long line of evolving thought as opposed to random events and places. There is a lot of cool information that made this book worth it. For example, I had never known that Tertullian was a Montanist, I never knew that Augustine so readily defended infant baptism, plus I got a front seat primer on Cyril of Alexandria's major beliefs (which I sort of knew, but I got details), plus more!!! I cannot recommend this book enough! I can't wait to crack open the second one! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ History/theology of the early unified church *by T***L on February 21, 2025* First volume of a great history of christianity/theology, nicely written, and scholary with enough depth for serious students of church history, but accessible to general reader of history. This volume covers beginning of Christianity of the unified church. I also have the volume on rise of the orthodox church. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.tn/products/7624392-the-christian-tradition-a-history-of-the-development-of-doctrine](https://www.desertcart.tn/products/7624392-the-christian-tradition-a-history-of-the-development-of-doctrine) --- *Product available on Desertcart Tunisia* *Store origin: TN* *Last updated: 2026-09-17*