Birth of the Church : From Jesus to Constantine, AD 30-312

by Davidson, Ivor J.

• ISBN13: 9780801012709
• ISBN10: 0801012708
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-10-01
• Publisher: Baker Books

Summary

Christians today are becoming more and more interested in studying the roots of their faith and the development of the church. Finally there is an accessible but authoritative series every Christian can turn to: The Baker History of the Church. Readers will not merely learn the basics; The Baker History of the Church also examines much-ignored themes, such as the role of popular religion, women, and the history of the Bible. In volume one, The Birth of the Church, Ivor J. Davidson helps readers explores the first 300 years of church history using the most recent biblical research and historical scholarship. This highly readable series also examines recurring problems of the church, like its relationship with the state, other religions, and secularism.

Author Biography

Ivor J. Davidson is professor of theology at the University of Otago, New Zealand. He holds distinguished degrees in classics and theology from the universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Davidson is the author of a two-volume critical edition and English translation of the first "systematic" text of Western Christian ethics, the De officiis of Ambrose of Milan.David Wright is professor of Patristic and Reformed Christianity at Edinburgh University School of Divinity. His books include The Atlas of the Bible and The History of Christianity. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.John Woodbridge is research professor of church history and the history of Christian thought at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He has also served as a senior editor of Christianity Today. His books include The History of Biblical Authority and Great Leaders of the Christian Church. He lives in Lake Forest, Illinois.Tim Dowley has written and edited many books, including The Lion Handbook to the History of Christianity and The History of Christianity. He lives in Covent Garden, London.

Table of Contents

List of Maps and Illustrations	6	(1)
Preface	7	(4)
In the Beginning	11	(260)
1. The World of Jesus's First Followers	19	(32)
2. Spreading the News	51	(26)
3. Paul: Missionary, Teacher, Martyr	77	(24)
4. Being Christian	101	(30)
5. Israel Old and New	131	(22)
6. A Catholic Church?	153	(36)
7. External Pressures: Suffering for and Defending the Faith	189	(36)
8. Christian Thought in the West	225	(24)
9. Alexandrian Christianity and Its Legacy	249	(22)
10. Worship and Practice	271	(26)
11. Ministry and Morals	297	(20)
12. Faith and Politics	317	(26)
Looking Forward, Looking Back	343	(8)
Time Line of Early Christianity	351	(4)
Suggestions for Further Reading	355	(22)
Notes	377	(12)
Index	389