Description
Book SynopsisThis concise and engaging introduction to the history of early Christianity examines the development of Christianity from its origins up through the year 620. Accessible to beginning students with no background in the subject, Early Christianity: A Brief History is also captivating reading for more advanced students. The book is organized chronologically into four parts: The Contexts of Early Christianity, Christianity in the Second and Third Centuries, The Creation of a Christian Empire, and Life in the Christian Empire. Each part begins with a timeline in order to guide students in the chronology of events. Opening with a look at the historical Jesus--which considers what we know and how we know it--the book continues on with coverage of the Jewish and Roman worlds in which Christianity arose. It then charts the extraordinary progress of Christianity, ranging from its status as a fringe sect in Judaism, to that of a dominant religion, up through the reign of Pope Gregory I. Chapters
Trade Review"A fine introduction to early Christianity...This is a valuable and ably executed introductory textbook."--Religious Studies Review
Table of ContentsEACH CHAPTER ENDS WITH FURTHER READING (BOTH ANCIENT SOURCES AND MODERN WORKS); CHAPTER 1: JESUS; PART I: THE CONTEXTS OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY; CHAPTER 2: THE JEWISH CONTEXT OF THE JESUS MOVEMENT; CHAPTER 3: THE GREEK AND ROMAN CONTEXT OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY; CHAPTER 4: THE JESUS MOVEMENT IN THE FIRST CENTURY; PART II: CHRISTIANITY IN THE SECOND AND THIRD CENTURIES; CHAPTER 5: CHRISTIAN DIVERSITY IN THE SECOND AND THIRD CENTURIES; CHAPTER 6: THE EMERGENCE OF A PROTO- ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CONSENSUS: BISHOP, CREED AND CANON OF SCRIPTURE; CHAPTER 7: ROMAN SOCIETY AND THE CHRISTIANS; CHAPTER 8: CHRISTIAN INTELLECTUALS; CHAPTER 9: PROTO-ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES IN THE THIRD CENTURY; PART III: THE CREATION OF A CHRISTIAN EMPIRE; CHAPTER 10: DIOCLETIAN, THE GREAT PERSECUTION AND THE CONVERSION OF CONSTANTINE; CHAPTER 11: THE CHRISTIAN EMPIRE AND THE IMPERIAL CHURCH; CHAPTER 12: THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH; CHAPTER 13: THE TRINITARIAN CONTROVERSY; CHAPTER 14: JESUS, THE GOD/MAN; PART IV: LIFE IN THE CHRISTIAN EMPIRE; CHAPTER 15: WORSHIP AND PIETY IN THE CHRISTIAN EMPIRE; CHAPTER 16: THE ASCETIC MOVEMENT; CHAPTER 17: FOURTH- AND FIFTH-CENTURY CHRISTIAN THINKERS; CHAPTER 18: CONVERSION AND CHRISTIANIZATION; CHAPTER 19: THE EASTERN AND WESTERN CHURCHES GO THEIR SEPARATE WAYS; CHAPTER 20: EPILOGUE: MUHAMMAD AND ISLAM
