The Genesis of Doctrine: A Study in the Foundation of Doctrinal Criticism

What is doctrine? How can a doctrinal statement made in the past have any authority in the present? How should doctrinal statements be evaluated and criticized? These questions are of central importance to Christian theology and have important consequences for the church. / In the course of its extensive historical and theological analysis, this groundbreaking study presents a detailed investigation of the development of Christian doctrine and the nature of doctrine itself. / Based on the prestigious 1990 Bampton Lectures at Oxford University, The Genesis of Doctrine explores a range of fundamental issues relating to doctrine, including the social functions of Christian doctrine, the relation between doctrine and Scripture, the external referents of doctrine, and the impact of historicism and the sociology of knowledge on an understanding of doctrine.