A Compendium of Christian Theology (1st ed.)Being Analytical Outlines of a Course of Theological Study, Biblical, Dogmatic, Historical

This is the single-volume, 752-page first edition of Pope’s Compendium. Pope greatly expanded it for the three-volume, 1361-page second edition with a general index. This first edition was so definitively superseded by the second edition that it should only be consulted for comparative purposes, to see how Pope developed his thought along the way to the three-volume Compendium.

Stevenson (Methodist Worthies, 439-440) says of the first edition, “That work called forth much criticism, both in England and America, and it soon became evident that such a work was much needed, and that the field was not fully covered by the publication then given to the Church and the public. A spirit of inquiry was aroused : it was evident that a master-mind had arisen in the theological world, with a firm grasp of the subject in hand, and something more important might be expected. Taking advantage of suggestions offered, the work was revised and enlarged, and then republished in three large volumes…”