History of Dogma

2397 Pages·2010·10.02 MB·English

by  Adolf von Harnack

History of Dogma

by
Adolf Harnack

History of Dogma - Volume I Adolf Harnack
Table of Contents
About This Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. ii
Title Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1
Volume I.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 2
Prefatory Material. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 2
Introductory Division. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 11
Chapter I. Prolegomena to the Discipline of the History of Dogma. . . . . p. 12
Chapter II. The Presuppositions of the History of Dogma. . . . . . . . . . p. 34
Supplementary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 85
The Genesis of the Ecclesiastical Dogma, or the Genesis of the Catholic
Apostolic Dogmatic Theology and the First Scientific Ecclesiastical System
of Doctrine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 89
Chapter I. Historical Survey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 90
Chapter II. The Element Common to All Christians and the Breach with
Judaism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 93
Chapter III. The Common Faith and the Beginnings of Knowledge in
Gentile Christianity as It Was Being Developed into Catholicism. . . . . p. 95
Chapter IV. The Attempts of the Gnostics to Create an Apostolic Dogmatic,
and a Christian Theology; or, the Acute Secularising of Christianity. . . . p. 138
Chapter V. Marcion’s Attempt to Set Aside the Old Testament Foundation
of Christianity to Purify Tradition, and to Reform Christendom on Basis
of Pauline Gospel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 163
Chapter VI. The Christianity of Jewish Christians, Definition of the Notion
of Jewish Christianity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 175
Appendices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 193
Appendix I. On the Conception of Pre-existence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 193
Appendix II. On Liturgies and the Genesis of Dogma. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 201
Appendix III. On Neoplatonism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 203
Indexes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 220
Index of Scripture References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 220
Greek Words and Phrases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 221
Latin Words and Phrases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 237
Index of Pages of the Print Edition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 243
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History of Dogma - Volume I Adolf Harnack
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History of Dogma - Volume I Adolf Harnack
HISTORY OF DOGMA
BY
DR. ADOLPH HARNACK
ORDINARY PROF. OF CHURCH HISTORY IN THE UNIVERSITY, AND FELLOW OF THE ROYAL
ACADEMY OF SCIENCE, BERLIN
TRANSLATED FROM THE THIRD GERMAN
EDITION
BY
NEIL BUCHANAN
VOLUME I
iv
History of Dogma - Volume I Adolf Harnack
VORWORT ZUR ENGLISCHEN AUSGABE.
v
Ein theologisches Buch erhælt erst dadurch einen Platz in der Weltlitteratur, dass es Deutsch und
Englisch gelesen werden kann. Diese beiden Sprachen zusammen haben auf dem Gebiete der
Wissenschaft vom Christenthum das Lateinische abgelöst. Es ist mir daher eine grosse Freude, dass
mein Lehrbuch der Dogmengeschichte in das Englische übersetzt worden ist, und ich sage dem
Uebersetzer sowie den Verlegern meinen besten Dank.
Der schwierigste Theil der Dogmengeschichte ist ihr Anfang, nicht nur weil in dem Anfang die
Keime fur alle späteren Entwickelungen liegen, und daher ein Beobachtungsfehler beim Beginn
die Richtigkeit der ganzen folgenden Darstellung bedroht, sondern auch desshalb, weil die Auswahl
des wichtigsten Stoffs aus der Geschichte des Urchristenthums und der biblischen Theologie ein
schweres Problem ist. Der Eine wird finden, dass ich zu viel in das Buch aufgenommen habe, und
der Andere zu wenig—vielleicht haben Beide recht; ich kann dagegen nur anführen, dass sich mir
die getroffene Auswahl nach wiederholtem Nachdenken und Experimentiren auf’s Neue erprobt
hat.
Wer ein theologisches Buch aufschlagt, fragt gewöhnlich zuerst nach dem “Standpunkt” des
Verfassers. Bei geschichtlichen Darstellungen sollte man so nicht fragen. Hier handelt es sich
darum, ob der Verfasser einen Sinn hat für den Gegenstand den er darstellt, ob er Originales und
Abgeleitetes zu unterscheiden versteht, ob er seinen Stoff volkommen kennt, ob er sich der Grenzen
des geschichtlichen Wissens bewusst ist, und ob er wahrhaftig ist. Diese Forderungen erhalten den
kategorischen Imperativ für den Historiker; aber nur indem man rastlos an sich selber arbeitet, sind
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sie zu erfüllen,—so ist jede geschichtliche Darstellung eine ethische Aufgabe. Der Historiker treu
sein: ob er das gewesen ist, darnach soll mann fragen.
Berlin, am 1. Mai, 1894.
ADOLF HARNACK.
THE AUTHOR’S PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION.
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No theological book can obtain a place in the literature of the world unless it can be read both in
German and in English. These two languages combined have taken the place of Latin in the sphere
of Christian Science. I am therefore greatly pleased to learn that my “History of Dogma” has been
translated into English, and I offer my warmest thanks both to the translator and to the publishers.
The most difficult part of the history of dogma is the beginning, not only because it contains the
germs of all later developments, and therefore an error in observation here endangers the correctness
of the whole following account, but also because the selection of the most important material from
the history of primitive Christianity and biblical theology is a hard problem. Some will think that
I have admitted too much into the book, others too little. Perhaps both are right. I can only reply
that after repeated consideration and experiment I continue to be satisfied with my selection.
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History of Dogma - Volume I Adolf Harnack
In taking up a theological book we are in the habit of enquiring first of all as to the “stand-point”
of the Author. In a historical work there is no room for such enquiry. The question here is, whether
the Author is in sympathy with the subject about which he writes, whether he can distinguish
original elements from those that are derived, whether he has a thorough acquaintance with his
material, whether he is conscious of the limits of historical knowledge, and whether he is truthful.
These requirements constitute the categorical imperative for the historian: but they can only be
fulfilled by an unwearied self-discipline. Hence every historical study is an ethical task. The historian
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ought to be faithful in every sense of the word ; whether he has been so or not is the question on
which his readers have to decide.
Berlin, 1st May, 1894.
ADOLF HARNACK.
FROM THE AUTHOR’S PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
xix
The task of describing the genesis of ecclesiastical dogma which I have attempted to perform in
the following pages, has hitherto been proposed by very few scholars, and, properly speaking,
undertaken by one only. I must therefore crave the indulgence of those acquainted with the subject
for an attempt which no future historian of dogma can avoid.
At first I meant to confine myself to narrower limits, but I was unable to carry out that intention,
because the new arrangement of the material required a more detailed justification. Yet no one will
find in the book, which presupposes the knowledge of Church history so far as it is given in the
ordinary manuals, any repertory of the theological thought of Christian antiquity. The diversity of
Christian ideas, or of ideas closely related to Christianity, was very great in the first centuries. For
that very reason a selection was necessary; but it was required, above all, by the aim of the work.
The history of dogma has to give an account only of those doctrines of Christian writers which
were authoritative in wide circles, or which furthered the advance of the development; otherwise
it would become a collection of monographs, and thereby lose its proper value. I have endeavoured
to subordinate everything to the aim of exhibiting the development which led to the ecclesiastical
dogmas, and therefore have neither, for example, communicated the details of the gnostic systems,
nor brought forward in detail the theological ideas of Clemens Romanus, Ignatius, etc. Even a
history of Paulinism will be sought for in the book in vain. It is a task by itself, to trace the
after-effects of the theology of Paul in the post-Apostolic age. The History of Dogma can only
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furnish fragments here; for it is not consistent with its task to give an accurate account of the history
of a theology the effects of which were at first very limited. It is certainly no easy matter to determine
what was authoritative in wide circles at the time when dogma was first being developed, and I
may confess that I have found the working out of the third chapter of the first book very difficult.
But I hope that the severe limitation in the material will be of service to the subject. If the result of
this limitation should be to lead students to read connectedly the manual which has grown out of
my lectures, my highest wish will be gratified.
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History of Dogma - Volume I Adolf Harnack
There can be no great objection to the appearance of a text-book on the history of dogma at the
present time. We now know in what direction we have to work; but we still want a history of
Christian theological ideas in their relation to contemporary philosophy. Above all, we have net
got an exact knowledge of the Hellenistic philosophical terminologies in their development up to
the fourth century. I have keenly felt this want, which can only be remedied by well-directed
common labour. I have made a plentiful use of the controversial treatise of Celsus against
Christianity, of which little use has hitherto been made for the history of dogma. On the other hand,
except in a few cases, I have deemed it inadmissible to adduce parallel passages, easy to be got,
from Philo, Seneca, Plutarch, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Porphyry, etc.; for only a comparison
strictly carried out would have been of value here. I have been able neither to borrow such from
others, nor to furnish it myself. Yet I have ventured to submit my work, because, in my opinion, it
is possible to prove the dependence of dogma on the Greek spirit, without being compelled to enter
into a discussion of all the details.
The Publishers of the Encyclopedia Brittannica have allowed me to print here, in a form but slightly
altered, the articles on Neoplatonism and Manichæism which I wrote for their work, and for this I
beg to thank them.
xi It is now eighty-three years since my grandfather, Gustav Ewers, edited in German the excellent
manual on the earliest history of dogma by Münter, and thereby got his name associated with the
history of the founding of the new study. May the work of the grandson be found not unworthy of
the clear and disciplined mind which presided over the beginnings of the young science.
Giessen, 1st August, 1885.
AUTHOR’S PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
xii
In the two years that have passed since the appearance of the first edition I have steadily kept in
view the improvement of this work, and have endeavoured to learn from the reviews of it that have
appeared. I owe most to the study of Weizsäcker’s work on the Apostolic Age, and his notice of
the first edition of this volume in the Göttinger gelehrte Anzeigen, 1886, No. 21. The latter, in
several decisive passages concerning the general conception, drew my attention to the fact that I
had emphasised certain points too strongly, but had not given due prominence to others of equal
importance, while not entirely overlooking them. I have convinced myself that these hints were,
almost throughout, well founded, and have taken pains to meet them in the new edition. I have also
learned from Heinrici’s commentary on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, and from Bigg’s
“Lectures on the Christian Platonists of Alexandria.” Apart from these works there has appeared
very little that could be of significance for my historical account; but I have once more independently
considered the main problems, and in some cases, after repeated reading of the sources, checked
my statements, removed mistakes and explained what had been to briefly stated. Thus, in particular,
Chapter II. §§©1-3 of the “Presuppositions,” also the Third Chapter of the First Book (especially
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History of Dogma - Volume I Adolf Harnack
Section 6), also in the Second Book, Chapter I. and Chapter II. (under B), the Third Chapter
(Supplement 3 and excursus on “Catholic and Romish”), the Fifth Chapter (under 1 and 3) and the
Sixth Chapter (under 2) have been subjected to changes and greater additions. Finally, a new
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excursus has been added on the various modes of conceiving pre-existence, and in other respects
many things have been improved in detail. The size of the book has thereby been increased by
about fifty pages. As I have been misrepresented by some as one who knew not how to appreciate
the uniqueness of the Gospel history and the evangelic faith, while others have conversely reproached
me with making the history of dogma proceed from an “apostasy” from the Gospel to Hellenism,
I have taken pains to state my opinions on both these points as clearly as possible. In doing so I
have only wrought out the hints which were given in the first edition, and which, as I supposed,
were sufficient for readers. But it is surely a reasonable desire when I request the critics in reading
the paragraphs which treat of the “Presuppositions,” not to forget how difficult the questions there
dealt with are, both in themselves and from the nature of the sources, and how exposed to criticism
the historian is who attempts to unfold his position towards them in a few pages. As is self-evident,
the centre of gravity of the book lies in that which forms its subject proper, in the account of the
origin of dogma within the Græco-Roman empire. But one should not on that account, as many
have done, pass over the beginning which lies before the beginning, or arbitrarily adopt a
starting-point of his own; for everything here depends on where and how one begins. I have not
therefore been able to follow the well-meant counsel to simply strike out the “Presuppositions.”
I would gladly have responded to another advice to work up the notes into the text; but I would
then have been compelled to double the size of some chapters. The form of this book, in many
respects awkward, may continue as it is so long as it represents the difficulties by which the subject
is still pressed. When they have been removed—and the smallest number of them lie in the subject
matter—I will gladly break up this form of the book and try to give it another shape. For the friendly
reception given to it I have to offer my heartiest thanks. But against those who, believing themselves
in possession of a richer view of the history here related, have called my conception meagre, I
xiv
appeal to the beautiful words of Tertullian: Malumus in scripturis minus, si forte, sapere quam
contra.”
Marburg, 24th December, 1887.
AUTHOR’S PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.
xv
In the six years that have passed since the appearance of the second edition I have continued to
work at the book, and have made use of the new sources and investigations that have appeared
during this period, as well as corrected and extended my account in many passages. Yet I have not
found it necessary to make many changes in the second half of the work. The increase of about
sixty pages is almost entirely in the first half.
Berlin, 31st December, 1893.
Τὸ δόγματος ὄνομα τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἔχεται βουλῆς τε καὶ γνώμης.
Ὅτι δὲ τοῦθ᾽ οὕτως ἔχει, μαρτυρεῖ μὲν, ἱκανῶς ἡ δογματικὴ τῶν
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ἰατρῶν τέχνη μαρτυρεῖ δὲ καὶ τὰ τῶν φιλοσόφων καλούμενα
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History of Dogma - Volume I Adolf Harnack
δόγματα. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ τὰ συγκλήτῳ δόξαντα ἔτι καὶ νῦν δόγματα
συγκλήτου λέγεται, οὑδένα ἀγνοεῖν οἶμαι.
Marcellus of Ancyra
Die Christliche Religion hat nichts in der Philosophie zu thun, Sie ist
ein mächtiges Wesen für sich, woran die gesunkene und leidende
Menschheit von Zeit zu Zeit sich immer wieder emporgearbeitet
hat; und indem man ihr diese Wirkung zugesteht, ist sie über aller
Philosophie erhaben und bedarf von ihr keine Stütze.
Gespräche mit Goethe von
Eckermann, Th. p. 39
CONTENTS.
xvii
Page
INTRODUCTORY DIVISION
CHAPTER I.—Prolegomena to the Study of the History 1–40
  §©1. The Idea and Task of the History of Dogma 1–23
  Definition 1
Limits and Divisions 3
Dogma and Theology 9
Factors in the formation of Dogma 12
Explanation as to the conception and 13
task of the History of Dogma
§©2. History of the History of Dogma 23–40
  The Early, the Mediæval, and the 23
Roman Catholic Church
The Reformers and the 17th Century 25
Mosheim, Walch Ernesti 27
Lessing, Semler, Lange, Münscher, 29
Baumgarten-Crusius, Meir
Baur, Neander, Kliefoth, Thomasius, 37
Nitzsch, Ritschl, Renan, Loofs
CHAPTER II.—The Presuppositions of the History of Dogma 41–136
  §©1. Introductory 41–57
  The Gosppel and the Old Testament 41
The Detachment of the Christians from 43
the Jewish Church
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