Library of Christian E-Texts

"There is a strange idea abroad that in every subject the ancient books should be read only by professionals, and that the amateur should content himself with the modern books.... It has always been one of my main endeavours as a teacher to persuade the young that first-hand knowledge is not only more worth acquiring than second-hand knowledge, but is usually much easier and more delightful to acquire."

-- C.S. Lewis, "On the Reading of Old Books"

In learning about a religion - or any school of thought for that matter - other than one's own, it is best to not only read academic descriptions written from an outside perspective, but to engage directly with its followers' own words. Old works can even be, as Professor Lewis suggests above, more accessible and enjoyable than modern summaries of theology or history.

With this in mind, our Christian Library presents a selection of primary texts written by or about Christians throughout history, arranged alphabetically by author.

• Apostles' Creed
• Aquinas, Thomas, Summa Theologica (offsite)
• Augsburg Confession (1530)
• Augustine, Confessions
• Augustine, Handbook on Faith, Hope and Love
• Augustine, Of the Work of Monks (offsite)
• Boettner, Loraine, The Reformed Faith
• Clement of Alexandria, Stromata (Miscellanies) I.4-12
• Clement of Rome, Letter to the Corinthians (c.90 AD)
• The Didache
• Edwards, Jonathan, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741)
• Erasmus, In Praise of Folly (offsite)
• Gregory of Nyssa, On Virginity (offsite)
• Gregory of Nyssa, That There are Not Three Gods
• Hippolytus, The Refutation of All Heresies (offsite)
• Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to Polycarp
• Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies (offsite)
• Knox, John, First Blast of the Trumpet on the Monstrous Regiment of Women (1558; offsite)
• Martin Luther, 95 Theses (1517; offsite)
• Martin Luther, Discovery of Justification by Faith Alone (offsite)
• Martin Luther, Let Your Sins Be Strong (Letter to Melanchthon, 1521; offsite)
• Nicene Creed
• Papal Encyclical: Persona Humana - Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics (1975; offsite)
• Papal Encyclical: Humanae Vitae - On the Regulation of Birth (1968)
• Papal Encyclical: Ordinatio Sacerdotalis - Reserving Priestly Ordination to Men Alone (1994; offsite)
• Tertullian, Apology
• Wesley, John, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection
• Westminster Confession of Faith (1646)