← Authors

Philip Schaff

1819–1893

Swiss-born American church historian; his eight-volume History of the Christian Church is still the most readable survey in English.

In his own words

In general, from this time forth the prevailing view was, that God has divided all power between the priesthood and the kingdom (sacerdotium et imperium), giving internal or spiritual affairs, especially doctrine and worship, to the former, and external or temporal affairs, such as government and discipline, to the latter. [240] But internal and external here vitally interpenetrate and depend on each other, as soul and body, and frequent reciprocal encroachments and collisions are inevitable upon state-church ground. This becomes manifest in the period before us in many ways, especially in the East, where the Byzantine despotism had freer play, than in the distant West.

Quoted verbatim from the library, as an answer would quote it.

What we hold of him

  • History of the Christian Church, Vol. 4: Medieval Christianity

    Classic

  • History of the Christian Church, Vol. 7: The Swiss Reformation

    Classic

  • History of the Christian Church, Vol. 8: The Age of the Reformation

    Classic

  • History of the Christian Church, Vol. 6: The German Reformation

    Classic

  • History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2: Ante-Nicene Christianity

    Classic

  • History of the Christian Church, Vol. 5: The Middle Ages

    Classic

  • History of the Christian Church, Vol. 1: Apostolic Christianity

    Classic

  • History of the Christian Church, Vol. 3: Nicene and Post-Nicene Christianity

    Classic

Ask what Philip Schaff says

Amos Standard answers theological questions from a curated library and cites the work behind every claim. It is in a closed beta; leave your address and we will write when there is room.

Others in the library