This selection of writings from the most important moments in the history of Christianity has become established as a classic reference work, providing insights into 2000 years of Christian theological and political debate.

Appears to be a comprehensive collection of the known "documents" found so far, up to 1999. Consider that these are the "important" documents:

Section I - Church and World.
(I) Starts with Classical references to Christianity (very broadly inclusive, e.g. Tacitus, whose Annales never mentions Christ or Christians whose practices remotely correspond, but only a "Chrestus" cult which practiced infanticide, cannibalism, and incest, blamed by Nero for the great fire of Rome, 64 AD.)

a. Tacitus, Annales. (c. 60-120) Note missing volumes.
b. Suetonius, Vita Claudii, cf. Acts 18:2. "Chrestus", and quarrels among teachers. Nero banned certain entertainments.
c. Pliny (the Younger) (62-c.113) Plin. Epp.X (ad Traj.), xcvi. NB "deaconesses were tortured"; found nothing but a "depraved and extravagant superstition", but the temples are being deserted. NB "pamphlets published anonymously should carry no weight in any charge whatsoever".

(II) Christianity and ancient learning.
(a) Justin (c 150) - Liberal view - Christ as stoic's Word, accounted as "atheist".
(b) Tertullian (c 160-240) - Negative view, Haereticorum. Decries any dialectic.
(c) Clement of Alexandria (c.200) - Liberal, Stromateis. Philosophy brought the Greeks to Christ as Law brought the Hebrews, paving perfection.

(III) Church and State.

Here, I simply provide the remaining Table of Contents. Solid institutional juice, with virtually no "evidence" of divinity. Truly striking: Christians document the absence of divinity with their proof of secular institutions and an empire of power.

Section II Creeds.
Section III Earliest Testimony to the Gospels
Section IV Person and Work of Christ
Citing Ignatius, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Dionysius of Rome, Athanasius, and those persecuted as heretics--Docetism, Gnosticism, etc. None of these describes a unique actual human being.
Section V Problem of Divinity and Humanity of Christ
Section VI Pelagianism: Human Nature, Sin and Grace
Section VII Church, Ministry, Sacraments
Section VIII Authority of the Holy See
Section IX Doctrine and Development: Vincentian Canon.
Section X Christian Inscriptions.
"...it is not right to mourn one who lives in God"
Part II. From Chalcedon to Present.
Section I. From Chalcedon to Breach between East and West.
Section II. Empire and Papacy [Charlemagne's empire]
Section III. Monasticism and Friars.
Section IV. Church and Heresy
Section V. Conciliar Movement.
Section VI. Scholasticism.
Section VII. Church in England and Reformation.
Section VIII. Reformation on the Continent.
Section IX. Reformation in England
Section X. Roman Catholic Church and Counter-Reformation to the 2d Vat.
Section XI. British Churches in the 17th Century.
Section XII. British Churches in the 18th and 19th Centuries.
Section XIII. Roman Catholic Church at the 2d Vatican Council.
Section XIV. Twentieth Century World Churches: Justice, Peace, and the Environment.
Section XV. Twentieth Century World Churches and Interfaith Dialogue.
Section XVI. Twentieth Century World Churches and Christian Unity.
Section XVII. Twentieth Century World Churches: Sexuality and Procreation. ( )

It took me one year and three months, but I've finally finished this comprehensive survey of writings relating to the Christian Church that I bought for the Church History class I audited last Fall. Reading just a little bit at a time eventually adds up! This collection was originally compiled in 1943 and has been updated four times, most recently for this edition in 2011. It includes representative sections of key documents dating from the 1st century through the 21st, covering early Christianity, the Reformation, changes to denominations in the New World, Vatican II, ecumenism, liberation theology, and reactions of the modern church to racism, sexuality, LGBTQ congregants and ministers, and so much more. Each document gets a small introduction putting it into context, which was invaluable in allowing the reader to keep their bearings.

It's an odd book in that you only get a page or two from any single document, and it attempts to fit in reactions of a score of denominations to a score of issues and conflicts, over 2000+ years. Still, the bite-sized chunks make this relatively easy to approach and what it loses in depth, it makes up in scope. As an archivist, I always like reading the original sources, and Bettenson and Maunder deliver. ( )

The is not light reading and is best suited to a university divinity class.

Documents of the Christian Church was originally compiled and edited by Henry Bettenson and later expanded by Chris Maunder in the 3rd edition. The work relates for the reader a series of historical documents written by Christian authors beginning with a short recounting of the trial of a Grecian woman “accused of foreign superstition” (p. 1) from AD 57, and finishing with the Encyclical Veritatis Splendor written by John Paul II in 1993 (p. 450). The work is divided into two major divisions: from the Early Church to the Council of Chalcedon, 451, and then the major body of the work from the Council of Chalcedon to the present. The weightier part of the work is understandably taken up by the second division which highlights the need to preserve written discussions by and of the Church for instruction and counsel of future generations, and the need to have written decisions by the leaders of the Church to provide positive direction for Christians as the centuries have developed.
Throughout the work the bulk of the writings presented are from Catholic and Anglican sources with periodic excursions into Protestant writings (notably Luther and Calvin), Liberation Theology, Black Theology, Feminist Theology, and writings which focus on Social Justice and ethical issues. There certainly could have been a greater inclusion of Protestant, Evangelical, and Independent writers; yet, the preponderance of potential sermons, letters, and opinions would have quickly overwhelmed both the scope of the work and the reader. Even with the narrow scope of documents selected one is indebted to the editors for a presentation of documents from the patristic writers seeking to define and legitimize Christianity, to modern Christian writers seeking a reunion of God’s people despite deep and abiding differences. ( )