Book excerpt: In this volume, Donald McKim traces the historical and systematic development of eight major Christian doctrines from early centuries to the present. Clearly written and amply documented, this introductory handbook features primary sources and extensive endnotes. It covers: the Trinity, Christology, Ecclesiology, Anthropology, Soteriology, Authority, the Sacraments, and Eschatology, concentrating on the decisive points in the development of the Church's theology. This book is well structured for use as a basic text.