The Christian Tradition 1: The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition 100-600 (Jaroslav Pelikan, 1973)

I'm an absorber. This means that you put me into just about any environment long enough and I'll develop a profound interest in learning what is being taught all around me. Aside from the occasional dabble in reading on historical Jesus and early Christianity, religion hasn't been on my radar until recently as something to read systematically and learn more about. When I mentioned a need to get more familiar with theology to one of the clergy at my church, he recommended Justo Gonzalez and Jaroslav Pelikan. Both men have written multi-volume works on the history of theology from Pentecost to the present day. I read the first volume of Gonzalez earlier this year, so I decided to try on Pelikan for comparison and see which one I liked better. In the end I can't claim a favorite, though I've spoken with many who have a definite preference (usually for the latter). Each author offers something and in the end it's probably more prudent to read both rather than have to choose.

From just a quick glance over the book, it's pretty obvious that Pelikan is a certifiable genius. His sheer mastery to harness the words of Scripture and the Church Fathers, as well as just about anything written about either, is on full display in the margins, to support his flowing narrative. Unlike Gonzalez, Pelikan approaches the time period topically, not chronologically. Therefore, there is a lot of jumping around through the time period. It look a little bit of adjustment to wrap my history-oriented brain around this. Additionally, Pelikan assumes you have a decent understanding of the historical background and the major theological terms, so his work is harder for the beginning to digest. Although there were spots where I was lost, overall I'm glad I stuck with it. It was pretty clear though that if Pelikan touched on something that Gonzalez had not in his first volume, it was harder for me to follow, particularly St. Augustine. While Pelikan puts the Bishop of Hippo in his first volume, Gonzalez moved him over to his second volume.

I actually read this a little while ago, so oddly enough the next volume of Gonzalez awaits. As for the next volume of Pelikan, that will likely fall somewhere just inside the new year.