THE CHRISTIAN FAITH: AN INTRODUCTION TO DOGMATIC THEOLOGY

By CLAUDE BEAUFORT MOSS, D.D.

LONDON SPCK 1965  Holy Trinity Church  Marylbone Road London NW 1 
Printed in Great Britain by Richard Clay (The Chaucer Press) Ltd  Bungay Suffolk 
First published in 1943
Prepared for katapi by Paul Ingram 2004

 

HOME | Preface | Contents (Part I) | Contents (Part II) | Page^

 

It often happens that books on dogma are either not full enough,
or too technical for young students.
Some of the best of them suffer from being based on the 39 Articles.

 

The present book is offered
as an accurate and reasonably full compendium of theology,
as clear and as simple as it can be made,
which will be invaluable not only to students
but as a reference book for those already ordained.
(Preface -1965 ed.)

 

As the right order of going requires that we should believe the deep things of God
before we presume to discuss them by reason,
so it seems to me to be negligence if, after we have been confirmed in the faith,
we do not study to understand what we believe.
St. Anselm, Cur Deus Homo.

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PREFACE

The subject of this book is not APOLOGETICS but DOGMATICS:
that is, it is intended primarily,
not for those who are outside,
but for those who are inside the Christian fold. 
It is our duty as Christians to try to bring all men to the knowledge of the truth;
but we cannot do so, unless we ourselves know clearly what the Christian religion is.

 

The lectures on which this book is based were given,
through many years, to Anglican candidates for ordination,
and were at all times subjected to their criticism. 
Readers are warned, as they were warned, to take no statement for granted, but to check it for themselves. 
No belief is really ours until we have made it our own (St. John 4.42).

 

This book is intended chiefly for members of the Anglican churches,
which, though they have no doctrines peculiar to themselves,
have a standpoint and an emphasis of their own,
which is given here without qualification or apology. 
For this reason, more space is devoted to Anglican authority, formularies, and organization, than might otherwise be justified. 
Readers who are not Anglican, if any, should bear in mind that the book is not addressed directly to them.

 

References to authorities, other than scriptural, have been reduced as much as possible in order to save paper. 
 I am sorry if I have inadvertently quoted anyone without acknowledgement.

This book is dedicated to the students who listened to the lectures on which it is based, at the Scholae Cancellarii, Lincoln, and St. Boniface Missionary College, Warminster.

 

I should wish to withdraw anything in this book that is contrary to the teaching of the Catholic Church as the Church of England interprets it.

CLAUDE BEAUFORT MOSS

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CONTENTS

	Home
	PART 1
1.	Presuppositions
2.	The Sources of our Knowledge of God
3.	The Christian Doctrine of God
4.	The Transcendence and Immanence of God
5	The Arguments for the Existence of God
6.	The Attributes of God
7.	The Character of God
8.	The Holy Trinity
9.	Evolution of the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity
10.	The Doctrine of the Holy Trinity Continued
11.	The Incarnation
12.	Arianism and Apollinarianism
13.	Nestorianism
14.	The Blessed Virgin Mary
15.	Monophysitism
16.	The Manhood of Christ
17.	Practical Effects of the Defined Doctrine of the Incarnation
18.	Miracle
19.	The Virgin Birth of our Lord
20.	The Resurrection of our Lord
21.	The Doctrine of the Resurrection
22.	The Ascension and Heavenly Session
23.	God the Holy Ghost
24.	Creation and Free Will
25.	Angels and Devils
26.	The Fall of Man
27.	Pelagius and Calvin
28.	The Atonement in the New Testament
29.	The Old Testament background of the Atonement
30.	The Atonement in History
31.	Propitiation and Forgiveness
32.	Predestination and Election
33.	Justification
34.	The Nature and Importance of Right Belief
35.	Revelation
36.	Inspiration
	PART II
37.	The Work of God the Holy Ghost
38.	The Holy Ghost in the Church
39.	The Holy Ghost as the Inspirer of Scripture
40.	The Holy Ghost as the Guide of Reason and Conscience
41.	The Catholic Church
42.	The Church and the Churches
43.	The Anglican Communion
44.	The Other Communions
45.	Schism
46.	The Continental Reformation
47.	Undenominationalism
48.	Authority in the Church of England
49.	Episcopate and Papacy
50.	Romanism
51.	Church and State
52.	Grace
53.	The Sacramental System
54.	Sacraments in General
55.	Baptism
56.	Confirmation
57.	The Holy Eucharist (1) The Outward Sign
58.	The Holy Eucharist (2) The Thing Signified
59.	The Holy Eucharist (3) Speculative Theories
60.	The Holy Eucharist (4) As Sacrifice
61.	The Holy Eucharist (5) Reservation
62.	Ordination (1) In the New Testament
63.	Ordination (2) As a Sacrament
64.	Ordination (3) Validity of Orders
65.	Ordination (4) The Church and the Non-Episcopal Ministry
66.	Marriage (1)
67	Marriage (2)
68.	Marriage (3)
69.	Absolution
70.	Unction of the Sick
71.	Death
72.	The Communion of Saints
73.	The Resurrection and the Judgment Day
74.	Hell and Heaven
75.	Creeds
76.	The Thirty-Nine Articles
	Indices (General & People by Name)
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