The founding of the church universal (A history of the early church / H. Lietzmann)
by Hans Lietzmann
Category: Religion

THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH UNIVERSAL A HISTORY OF THE EARLY CHURCH VOLUME II by HANS LIETZMANN Translated by BERTRAM LEE WOOLF New York CHARLES SCRIBNERS SONS 1950 tmfl pTi. ned - in. Great J rit in by Gamelot f res Ltd. JL ndon. and Southampton. TRANSLATORS NOTE TO THE FIRST EDITION PRESENT VOLUME CONTINUES THE HISTORY WHICH WAS JL begun in the volume entitled The Beginnings of the Christian Church and carries the story to the death of Origen. It is indeed the second volume of a work which is projected in five volumes covering the entire history of the early Christian period. I again have to thank Professor Lietzmann for the material he has willingly placed at my disposal in preparing this volume for the English-reading public. He has been kind enough to revise the whole of the typescript, which, it is now hoped, gives a reliable interpretation of what he wished to write. At the same time he supplied a chronological table for the present edition, and I am indebted to Professor A. J. D. Farrer and Dr. J. L. Matthews for help in drawing up a short additional biblio graphy for the use of English-speaking students. The Rev. Sidney Myers, B. A., of Bath, and my wife have again kindly given their help in reading the proofs and preparing the Index. B. L. W. TRANSLATORS NOTE TO THE SECOND EDITION THE PRINTING OF A SECOND EDITION AFFORDS A WELCOME JL opportunity to revise the translation thoroughly, and to correct errata. I have received invaluable help from Mr. Harry Cowlishaw, of Beaconsfield, in seeking a flexible and idiomatic English style, and I wish to record my gratitude to him for his great contribution to the present revision. The Rev. H. Chadwick, M. A., Fellow of Queens College, Cambridge, has kindly sent me numberless corrections, especially of the footnotes innumerable suggestions for making these notes more valuable to readers having access to English writers, and to their editions of authorities and he has revised the Select Book List. All this has placed me, and the publishers, under a singular debt of gratitude this note is the barest acknowledge ment of what is due to him. My wife has read the proofs, and offered many suggestions without her help I could not have done the work involved, and I cannot say how much this Second Edition owes to her skilful assistance and never failing patience. I also wish to record my high appreciation of the ready help and the expert advice given by the Rev. G. H. Gordon Hewitt, M. A., editor of the Lutterworth Press, and his assistants, throughout the period when this edition was passing through the press. B. L. W. BEACONSFDELD. May i, 1949. CONTENTS CHAP. P AGE TRANSLATORS NOTE g TABLE OF CONTENTS 7 CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE 13 I. THE WORLD EMPIRE OF ROME IN THE SECOND AND THIRD CENTURIES . . . . . .15 Frontier policy in the first century, 15. Trajans campaigns, 16. Hadrian, 17. Marcus Aurelius, 17. Wars with the Sassanid empire, 19. Economic decline, 20. Military government, 23. Literature in Trajans time, 24. The second period of Sophists, 26. Aristides, 27. Lucian, 28. Marcus Aurelius, 29. Religion in the case of Aristides and Plutarch, 29. Philostratus, 30. Belief in heroes and ghosts, 31. Oriental religions in Rome, 32. Syrian gods, 34 Pantheos, 35. Ostia, 36. Timgad, 38. Dougga, 39. Cults in the Rhineland, 40. Mystery religions, 42. Judaism, 44. 2. THE CHURCH ....... 48 The writing of history among the Greeks, 48, and theJews, 50. Christian apocalypticism, 50. The ecclesia as the purpose of the worlds history, 52. The Church as supramundane, 53. The prophets, 54. New revelations, 56. The offices of bishop and deacon, 58. The bishop, 59. Bishop and presbyter, 60. Lists of bishops Rome, 61. Antioch and Jerusalem, 63. Alexandria, 64. Episcopal mother and daughter cities, 64. Synods, 67. 3. THE NEW TESTAMENT 69 Tradition of the sayings of the Lord, 69. Synoptic gospels, 70. Agrapha, 71. Apocryphal sayings and gospels, 72. Infancy gospels, 73. Legends of the Virgin, 74...