A History of Christian Doctrine (2 vols.)

Volume 1 contains an overview of the philosophical influences on the Early Church, including Platonism, Aristotelianism, and other philosophical schools which left the imprint on the development of theology. He also chronicles the relationship between reason and revelation, and provides a history of Trinitarian theology and Christology.

Volume 2 of Shedd’s History of Christian Doctrine explores the history of Christian anthropology, including theories of the soul and conceptions of pre-existence. Shedd argues that the influence of Greek anthropology can be seen in the development of theology in the Early Church, and in the doctrine of original sin articulated by Tertullian, Cyprian, Hilary, Ambrose, and Augustine. The history of original sin concludes with Luther, Calvin, Melanchthon, and Zwingli’s connection between original sin and regeneration.

Shedd also offers a sweeping history of soteriology from the beginning of the church to the modern era, and surveys Abelard, Bonaventure, Aquinas, Duns Scotus, and others, along with the perennial emergence of Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism in the church. He concludes with a survey of eschatology, including conceptions of Christ’s second coming from various traditions within the church.