The Library
1277 works catalogued century by century, from the literature the Bible was written among to the present — each with a note on what it is, why it lasted, and where to read it.
301–400
2 works
c. 337–339
Greek
Vita Constantini
Eusebius of Caesarea · c. 260–339
A frankly admiring portrait of the first Christian emperor, including the vision of the cross before the Milvian Bridge and the documents of his religious policy quoted in full.
c. 382
Greek
De Vita Sua
Gregory of Nazianzus · c. 329–390
Nearly two thousand lines of autobiographical verse, unsparing about his own reluctance, his friendship with Basil, and the ecclesiastical politics that drove him out of Constantinople.
401–500
1 work
413–426
Latin
De Civitate Dei
Augustine of Hippo · 354–430
Begun after Rome fell in 410 and pagans blamed the Christians. Augustine answers with a history of two cities founded on two loves — one on love of God to the contempt of self, the other on love of self to the contempt of God — running intermingled to the end of the age.
801–900
1 work
c. 855
Latin
De Rectoribus Christianis
Sedulius Scottus · 9th century
Advice to a king in alternating prose and verse: choose counsellors well, tax lightly, protect churches, and remember that a ruler's private vices become public disasters.
1101–1200
1 work
c. 1119–1153
Latin
Bernard of Clairvaux · 1090–1153
Over five hundred letters running the affairs of Europe from a monastery — preaching a crusade, hounding Abelard, defending Jews against a preacher inciting massacre, and reproaching kings.
1401–1500
1 work
1494
Italian
Girolamo Savonarola · 1452–1498
Advent sermons preached as the French army entered Italy, reading the prophet's call to rebuild the temple as a summons to remake Florence as a Christian republic.
1501–1600
2 works
1516
Latin
Thomas More · 1478–1535
A traveller describes an island commonwealth with no private property, six-hour working days, married priests, euthanasia, and toleration of every religion but atheism.
1564–1579
Old Church Slavonic
Ivan IV and Andrei Kurbsky
A defector accuses the tsar of murdering his own servants; the tsar replies at enormous length that a ruler answerable only to God may do as he pleases with them.
1601–1700
2 works
1689
Latin
John Locke · 1632–1704
The care of souls cannot belong to the magistrate, because belief cannot be compelled and a forced profession saves nobody — with atheists and Catholics excepted.
1699
French
François Fénelon · 1651–1715
A didactic romance written for the king's grandson, in which a young prince learns that war is a calamity, luxury a poison, and a king exists for his people.
1901–2000
1 work
1971
Spanish
Teología de la liberación
Gustavo Gutiérrez · 1928–2024
Theology reframed as critical reflection on Christian practice in the light of the word, written from Peru and arguing that God's preferential option for the poor is not an application of the gospel but part of its content.
11 of 1277 works