A Concise History of Christian Doctrine [Paperback]

Justo L Gonzalez (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2006

An introduction to the core Christian doctrines, the historical context in which they arose, and their ongoing importance to contemporary Christian belief and practice.
Justo González has long been recognized as one of our best teachers and interpreters of the church’s belief and history. In this new volume he lays out the answers to three questions crucial to understanding the Christian tradition: First, what are the core Christian doctrines? What ideas and convictions form the heart of Christian identity?Second, Where did these doctrines come from? What are the historical contexts in which they first rose to prominence? How have they developed across the history of the church?Finally, what do these doctrines mean today? What claims do they continue to place on Christian belief and practice in the twenty-first century?Written with the clarity and insight for which González is famous, A Short History of Christian Doctrine will serve the needs of students in church history, historical theology, and systematic theology classes in college/university settings, as well as seminaries/theological schools.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Justo L. Gonzalez, a United Methodist minister born in Cuba, is a retired member of the Río Grande Conference of the United Methodist Church. After his basic college and seminary education in Cuba, he came to study at Yale University, where he obtained three degrees: S.T.M. (1958), M.A. (1960), Ph.D. (1961). In 1961 he joined the faculty of the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico, teaching historical theology, and in 1969 he moved to Atlanta, where he now resides, in order to teach at Candler School of Theology (Emory University). Since 1977 he has been engaged in two main occupations: writing and promoting the theological education of Latinas and Latinos.

     Along the line of the first of these interests, he has published over 80 books, as well as hundreds of articles, both at the academic and at the popular level. Several of his books are used as textbooks in seminaries and colleges and are translated into Portuguese, Korean, Chinese, German, Japanese, and Russian. His interest in promoting the theological education of Latinas and Latinos led to the founding of the Asociación para la Educación Teológica Hispana and of the Hispanic Summer Program, a program in theological education sponsored by 38 seminaries and universities. He was also the first Executive Director of the Hispanic Theological Initiative, a program based at Princeton Theological Seminary and funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts whose purpose is to support Latinos and Latinas pursuing advanced degrees in theology.  

Both of these interests are combined in many of his publications, including the journal Apuntes, which he edited for twenty years, and the publication of a 14-volume Spanish translation of the works of Wesley, which he also edited.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (January 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068734414X
• ISBN-13: 978-0687344147
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #562,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Justo L. Gonzalez, author of the highly praised three-volume History of Christian Thought and other major works, attended United Seminary in Cuba, received his M.A. at Yale, and was the youngest person to be awarded a Ph.D. in historical theology at Yale. Dr. Gonzalez is now on the faculty of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply Good, March 18, 2011

By 

big dog "waldo" (Belleville) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Concise History of Christian Doctrine (Paperback)

Particularly during a time when it seems that doctrine is either hardened to the point of non-cogency or deemed to be an afterthought, Gonzalez does a great job at writing simply about something which can be very complex. Gonzalez fairly and concisely gives an impressive survey of all the important doctrines, showing his penchant for clear and effective writing. If you're someone who is just getting started learning about the Christian faith or an accomplished theologian, this book will both stimulate and give a clear sense of the "boundary lines" of the faith. Highly recommended.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great way to dig deep into the history of Christian Doctrine, August 2, 2010

By 

Brett Melton "javameister" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Concise History of Christian Doctrine (Paperback)

This book really comes alive and is written in a way that keeps you engaged.