In his book, Documents of the Christian Church,
editor Henry Bettensen presents hundreds of the most important documents of
Christianity from the earliest days up until the modern era. The latest, an Amendation
to the Constitution of the World Council of Churches, is from 1961, in the
second edition of the book.
As with most books such as this, what you get from the
book depends on what you bring with you. This one is not an easy read, but, if
you have a more scholarly bent, it can be used to track the development of
Christian ideas and doctrines such as ecumenism or the Trinity.
Some of the subjects, in no particular order, include:
references to Christianity in classical writers, creeds, church councils,
anti-heretical documents, writings of the Church Fathers, the Church in the Middle
Ages, Anglican documents, Vatican Council documents, the World Council of
Churches, scholasticism, doctrinal disputes, church-state relations,
controversies, monasticism, the Reformation, and the Dissenters. This is not an
exhaustive list.
Information you will need to search for this book: Bettensen,
Henry, ed., Documents of the Christian Church, 2nd ed., (New
York: Oxford University Press, 1975 paperbound reprint.)
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A general caution: books may give you wonderful new
insights and explanations of subjects, but you should never base your Christian
beliefs on any one book or the teachings of one person, no matter who they are.
All teachings must be consistent with scripture. Read as the Bereans did, with
discernment. “… for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the
Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Acts
17:11 NASB
Any doctrines must be consistent with the historical
full body of Christian thought. Doctrines or teachings inconsistent with
scripture in any way must be rejected. You would not eat cheese which had a
fuzzy fungus growing on it.
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