Regnum Caelorum : Patterns of Millennial Thought in Early Christianity

by Hill, Charles E.

• ISBN13: 9780802846341
• ISBN10: 0802846343
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-04-01
• Publisher: Lightning Source Inc

Summary

Regnum Caelorum is a groundbreaking book that explores the largely overlooked connection in early Christian thought between understandings of the millennium and beliefs about the intermediate state of the soul after death.

Charles Hill traces various views of the soul's fate in Jewish texts, the New Testament, and early Christian writings through the mid-third century A.D. His findings lead to a provocative new assessment of the development of Christian eschatology that corrects many misconceptions of earlier scholarly research.

This second edition updates and substantially expands Hill's highly respected work originally published by Oxford.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations	ix
Acknowledgments	xix
Preface to the Second Edition	xx
Introduction	1	(10)
I. CHILIASM: REGNUM CAELORUM TERRESTRE
Irenaeus: Chiliasm and the Intermediate State	11	(10)
Two Groups of Objectors to Chiliasm	11	(5)
The Stumbling Block to Chiliasm	16	(5)
Other Ante-Nicene Christian Chiliasts	21	(24)
Papias	22	(1)
Justin	23	(4)
Tertullian	27	(5)
Commodianus	32	(3)
Novatian	35	(1)
Victorinus	35	(4)
Methodius	39	(2)
Lactantius	41	(2)
Summary	43	(2)
The ``Pharisaic-Apocalyptic'' Sources	45	(24)
The Conjunction in 2 Baruch and 4 Ezra	46	(5)
Comparisons with Other Jewish Views	51	(11)
Dependence on the Part of the Christian Chiliasts	62	(7)
Appendix: The Witness of Cerinthus and Marcion	69	(8)
II. NON-CHILIASM: REGNUM CAELORUM CAELESTE
Introduction	75	(2)
The Apostolic Fathers	77	(25)
Clement of Rome	78	(6)
Ignatius of Antioch	84	(7)
Polycarp of Smyrna	91	(1)
Hermas	92	(7)
2 Clement	99	(3)
The Apologists	102	(7)
Epistle to Diognetus	102	(1)
Melito of Sardis	103	(4)
Athenagoras	107	(2)
Christian Pseudepigrapha	109	(19)
Ascension of Isaiah	109	(7)
Apocalypse of Peter	116	(4)
5 Ezra	120	(3)
Epistula Apostolorum	123	(2)
Syrian Pseudepigrapha: Odes of Solomon; Acts of Thomas; the Abgar Legend	125	(3)
Early Martyrologies	128	(15)
Confession of Jude's Grandsons	128	(5)
Martyrdom of Polycarp	133	(2)
Martyrdom of Justin	135	(2)
Epistle of Vienne and Lyons	137	(3)
Acts of the Scillitan Martyrs	140	(3)
The Montanists	143	(17)
General Eschatology	144	(9)
Intermediate State	153	(5)
Conclusion	158	(2)
Hippolytus	160	(10)
The Problem of the Hippolytan Corpus	160	(1)
General Eschatology	161	(4)
Individual Eschatology	165	(5)
Clement of Alexandria	170	(6)
Eschatology and History	172	(1)
Individual Eschatology	173	(3)
Origen	176	(14)
Answering Chiliasm	176	(5)
Exegesis of Rev. 20	181	(7)
Thnetopsychiasm	188	(1)
Conclusion	189	(1)
Dionysius of Alexandria	190	(2)
Cyprian	192	(10)
Millennialism	192	(4)
Intermediate State	196	(2)
Exegesis of Rev. 20:1-6	198	(2)
Conclusions	200	(2)
Appendix: Cyprian, the Carthaginian Confessors, and Rev. 20	202