The Christian Tradition 3 by Jaroslav Pelikan

In 1946 when he was 22, he earned both a seminary degree from Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri and a Ph.D. He did not confine his studies to Roman Catholic and Protestant theological history, but also embraced that of the Christian East. That linguistic facility was to serve him in the career he ultimately chose (after contemplating becoming a concert pianist)-as a historian of Christian doctrine. A polyglot, Pelikan's facility with languages may be traced to his multilingual childhood and early training. His father was pastor of Trinity Slovak Lutheran Church in Chicago, Illinois, and his paternal grandfather a bishop of the Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches then known as the Slovak Lutheran Church in America.Īccording to family members, Pelikan's mother taught him how to use a typewriter when he was three years old, as he could not yet hold a pen properly but wanted to write. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan was born in Akron, Ohio, to a Slovak father and mother, Jaroslav Jan Pelikan Sr. Professor Pelikan's series marks a significant departure, and in him we have at last a master teacher.'-Marjorie O'Rourke Boyle, Commonweal 'The series is obviously the indispensable text for graduate theological study in the development of doctrine, and an important reference for scholars of religious and intellectual history as well.

No one interested in the history of Christianity or theology and no medievalist, whatever the field of specialization, will be able to ignore this magnificent synthesis.'-Bernhard W. What is more important, however, then the astounding number of primary sources the author has consulted or his sovereign familiarity with modern studies on his subject, is his ability to discern form and direction in the bewildering growth of medieval Christian doctrine, and, by thoughtful emphasis and selection, to show the pattern of that development in a lucid and persuasive narrative. 'This book is based on a most meticulous examination of medieval authorities and the growth of medieval theology is essentially told in their own words. Copious documentation in the margins and careful indexing add to its immense usefulness.'-E. 'In this volume Jaroslav Pelikan continues the splendid work he has done thus far in his projected five-volume history of the development of Christian doctrine, defined as 'what the Church believes, teaches, and confesses on the basis of the word of God.' The entire work will become an indispensable resource not only for the history of doctrine but also for its reformulation today. 'A magnificent history of doctrine.'- New York Review of Books

The Christian Tradition 3 by Jaroslav Pelikan