{"product_id":"early-christian-theology-a-history-9780802874771","title":"Early Christian Theology: A History","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn essential guide for understanding early Christian doctrine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe history of Christian theology is often presented as a series of conflicts between orthodox believers and heretics. But such an approach can be reductive, especially if the conflicts are presented primarily as contests for power. J. Warren Smith's \u003ci\u003eEarly Christian Theology\u003c\/i\u003e offers a more nuanced account of these theological disputes. Smith explains the development of Christian theology in terms of diverse efforts to make sense of intellectual and spiritual complexities within Holy Scripture. In Smith's telling, Scripture is polyphonic; as such, it requires an interpretive framework that is flexible but also resistant to complete relativism. According to Smith, the early Christian creeds functioned as just such a framework.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWriting with an experienced teacher's gift for making history meaningful, Smith traces the development of major theological themes and church dogma from the beginning of the second century to the Christological deliberations following the Council of Chalcedon in 451. While Smith focuses primarily on the second through the fifth centuries, he also comments on theological trajectories and controversies that grew out of the patristic period such as the \u003ci\u003efilioque\u003c\/i\u003e debate and the Monothelite controversy. He examines key theological loci (Trinity, Christology, soteriology, anthropology, ecclesiology, and eschatology) and their treatment in the patristic period by both major and minor voices.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReaders of this volume will come away with a deeper understanding of how and why key Christian doctrines developed within specific historic contexts. A worthy successor to J. N. D. Kelly's classic \u003ci\u003eEarly Christian Doctrines\u003c\/i\u003e, this monumental work is essential reading for divinity students and a valuable reference tool for scholars of historical theology.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e J. Warren Smith\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/20\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 688\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.90lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.14h x 6.15w x 1.66d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780802874771\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJ. Warren Smith\u003c\/b\u003e is professor of historical theology at Duke Divinity School. His research focuses primarily on patristic theology; his books include \u003ci\u003eAmbrose, Augustine, and the Pursuit of Greatness\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eChristian Grace and Pagan Virtue: The Theological Foundation of Ambrose's Ethics\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003ePassion and Paradise: Divine and Human Emotion in the Thought of Gregory of Nyssa\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"J. Warren Smith \/ Hardcover \/ English","offer_id":47834175111325,"sku":"9780802874771","price":81.8,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_40ff3b9b-7c40-44ed-9c9c-bffec9d095a4.jpg?v=1776145416","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/early-christian-theology-a-history-9780802874771","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}