Preliminary Overview – Understanding Christian Theology
1 – Synopsis
- Polytheism
- Greek Philosophy
- Jesus and His Jewish Roots
- Early Christian Controversies
- Augustine
- Medieval Developments
- The Protestant Reformation
- Early Modern Philosophers
- The Turn to Emotions
- Immanuel Kant and the 19th Century
- Masters of Suspicion
- 20th Century Theologians
2 – The Human Quest for Meaning
- Archeological Evidence
- HADD & Theory of the Mind
- Language and Social Theories
- An Historical Evaluation of the Development of Religion
- Nature-Myth Theory
- Darwin and Progressive Evolution
- Fetishism
- Animism
- Ghost-Worship and Totemism
- Pre-Animism and Magic
- Historical Ethnological Method
- The Primitive Monotheistic Supreme God
- Christian Perspective
- Theological Based Fears
- Historical Perspective
- Fear, Fath and Love
- Freud’s Three Physical/Temporal Based Fears
- Moral Relativism
- Societal Ills
- Religion is the cure to Our Communal Disease
5 – The Human Factor
- People from all Cultures Participate in Religious Activity
- People often try to influence deity in an attempt to control their future
- Tension between human free will and God’s sovereignty
- The pendulum effect – beliefs often gravitate to extremes
- Religion is often used to justify improper behavior
- People generally project their own values and beliefs onto others, which often distorts historical perspectives due to shifting values over time and between cultures
6 – What is True?
7 – What is True? continued …more
go to next table of contents:
Period I – The Early and Medieval Church
The History of the Ancient World: From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome
by Susan Wise Bauer
From the Earliest Accounts to the Fall of Rome: This is the first volume in a bold series that tells the stories of all peoples, connecting historical events from Europe to the Middle East to the far coast of China, while still giving weight to the characteristics of each country.
Pennocle History
Spanning three comprehensive volumes, “History of Religions” illuminates humanity’s sacred journey across millennia.
by Ebrahim E.I. Moosa
Navigate the world’s belief systems with this faith-filled resource!
by Will Durant
Pulitzer Prize–winning author Will Durant chronicles the lives and ideas of several key philosophical thinkers throughout history in this informative and eminently readable text.
Systematic Theology, Second Edition: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine
by Wayne A. Grudem
The most widely used resource of the last 30 years for clear explanations, an emphasis on various Christian doctrine’s scriptural basis, and practical applications to daily life.
Church History in Plain Language
by Bruce Shelley and Marshall Shelley
Like a skilled screenwriter, Shelley tells his readers stories of actual people, in a particular situation, to provide a window into the circumstances and historical context to understand the major isues of Christian history during each stage of its development.
The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation
by Justo L. González
From Jesus’ faithful apostles to the early reformist John Wycliffe, González skillfully traces core theological issues and developments within the various traditions of the church.
The History Of The Christian Church: From The Earliest Times To A.D. 461
by F. J. Foakes-Jackson
The book provides an authoritative and detailed account of the development of Christianity from its origins up until the year 461.
Mosheim’s Church History, of the First Two Centuries, (Maclaine’s Translation)
by Johann Lorenz Mosheim
This book takes you on a journey through the early centuries of Christianity, exploring the transformations and challenges faced by the first Christians.
by Timothy Paul Jones
Dr. Timothy Paul Jones gives easy-to-understand answers to popular questions on the Bible s reliability and accuracy.
Christian Theology: An Introduction 6th Edition
by Alister E. McGrath
“For sheer comprehensiveness, clarity, and coherence, Alister McGrath has produced the definitive textbook."
by Alister E. McGrath
It brings together more than 350 readings from over 200 sources that chart 2,000 years of Christian history, situates each reading within the appropriate historical and theological context with its own introduction, commentary, and study questions.
Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years
by Diarmaid MacCulloch
The New York Times bestseller and definitive history of Christianity for our time.
The Story of the Christian Church
by Jesse Lyman Hurlbut
Dr. Hurlbut retells this story in an objective, concise, and clear style, emphasizing the spirit of the church, its growth and maturation, and the causes leading to historic events and their resulting influence.
The Story of Christianity, Vol. 2: The Reformation to the Present Day
by Justo L. Gonzalez
Gonzalez’s astute scholarship, lucid prose, and impassioned focus tell the narrative history of Christianity, beginning with the Protestant Reformation of the sixteenth century and leading all the way up to present day.
History Of The Christian Church (The Complete Eight Volumes In One)
by Philip Schaff
Schaff meticulously examines the growth of Christian doctrine, the evolution of church institutions, and the profound impact of key figures and events on global religious history.
















