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Historical Theology
Perspectives on the Christian Faith

This section is devoted to excerpts and articles by various authors who have presented important observations on the Christian Faith, or analyses of historical theological writings or theological perspectives.  Since there are many sites on the web that contain the full text of many historical writings, those presented here will normally be limited to short excerpts that have particular relevance to ongoing discussions in the various forums, are not easily available elsewhere, or are presented in digested or edited form to make them more readable. See below for links to additional resources.

John Wesley's Sermon “On A Catholic Spirit” in Modern English

John Wesley's sermon, “On a Catholic Spirit,” in which he appeals for unity among Christians even when they differ on non-essential points of doctrine; edited into modern English.

The Character of a Methodist

A concise description by John Wesley of what he understood to be the ideal "shape" of the Christian life, as well as to defend against unjust criticism.

John Wesley on Differences of Opinion Among Christians

An excerpt from John Wesley's "Preface" to Sermons on Several Occasions, 1771, dealing with conflicts between Christians.

The Question, “What Is an Arminian?” Answered by a Lover of Free Grace

John Wesley's response to critics who had accused him of heresy because he had expanded on James Arminius' idea of free grace, which rejected the classic Calvinistic doctrine of predestination.

John Calvin on Infant Baptism

An excerpt from The Institutes of the Christian Religion (Book 4, Chapter 16) in which John Calvin defends the practice of infant baptism, especially against the objections of the Anabaptists and the position of believers-only baptism.

C. S. Lewis on Inerrancy, Inspiration, and Historicity of Scripture

Excerpts from two letters written by C. S. Lewis in which he discusses the nature of Scripture, especially in relation to the issue of inerrancy.

Catherine Booth, Female Ministry; or, Woman's Right to Preach the Gospel

An article by Catherine Booth, co-founder of the Salvation Army, defending the right and responsibility of women in ministry.

Christian Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms

A reference archive of creeds and confessions of the Christian Faith from all periods of Church History, including the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, the Scot's Confession, the Lutheran and Heidelberg Catechism, Documents of Vatican 2, as well as the Articles of Faith of a few modern denominations.

Online Resources [external links]

The Early Church Fathers

An extensive archive of writings of the Ante-Nicene, Nicene, and Post-Nicene Fathers from Clement of Rome to Gregory the Great; provided by the Christian Classics Ethereal Library of Calvin College.

-Dennis Bratcher, Copyright © 2018, Dennis Bratcher, All Rights Reserved
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