Voices of Early Christianity
Subtitle: documents from the origins of Christianity
Series: Voices of an era
Publisher: Greenwood, an imprint of ABC-CLIO
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Santa Barbara, CA
Language: eng
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 277
ISBN-13: 9781598849523
Description: "Wedded priests... the ritual of circumcision... women as religious leaders. These topics elicit strong feelings and opinions within the modern Christian world. Ironically, early followers of the faith struggled with these very same issues. Examining and understanding the perspectives of early Christianity can provide new insights into the challenges that believers continue to face today. Early Christianity drew its doctrine from a variety of sources--personal interpretation, Hebrew scriptures, and church council--yet the core ideology endured, even as the religion transitioned from being the object of persecution to becoming a legal institution in the Roman Empire. This book celebrates the voices that helped create and develop Christianity during that period. Voices of Early Christianity: Documents from the Origins of Christianity is a collection of excerpts from significant documents from early Christian history, organized topically, then listed chronologically within each section. The author compares textual variations among the works of the apostles, as well as key themes over time, and frames the discussion for further critical thinking. Topics include sexuality, marriage, and divorce; food issues; women in early Christianity; and politics and Christianity."--Publishers description.
Table of contents: title: Early Christian life.; title: 1. Sources for Christ outside of the New Testament: Josephus, Antiquities 18:2-3; Tacitus, Annals 15.44; and Suetonius, Lives of the Caesars, Claudius 5.25.3-5; title: 2.  Synoptic Gospels: selections from Matthew, Mark, and Luke; title: 3. Baptism: Mark 16:14-16; 1 Corinthians 1:13-17; Tertullian, On Baptism, selections; title: 4. Castration: Galatians 5:1-14; Matthew 19:8-12; Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies 3.1; Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History 6.8.1-5; Canon 1 from the Council of Nicea; title: 5. Circumcision: Genesis 17:9-14; 17:22-27; Romans 2:12-3:5; 3:28-4:17; 1 Corinthians 7:18-20; Galatians 2:1-10; title: 6. On eating: Leviticus 11:1-47; Acts 10:9-17; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; title: 7. Eucharist: Mark 14:16-26; Luke 22:13-22; Didache 9-10; Justin Martyr, First Apology, 65-66; title: 8. Marriage: Genesis 1:24-30; Genesis 2:15-24; 1 Corinthians 7:1-17; 7:24-40; title: 9. Divorce: Deuteronomy 24:1-4; Mark 10:2-12; Matthew 5:27-32; Luke 16:18; Tertullian, Against Marcion 4.34; title: 10. Remarriage: Matthew 2:23-33; Tertullian, To His Wife, Letter 1; title: 11. The end of times: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 1:1-20; 2:18-29, 8:1-9:16; title: 12. Resurrection: scenes from the Christian catacombs; title: The church.; title: 13. Church offices: apostles, prophets, and teachers: 1 Corinthians 12:28-14:19; Didache 11-13; title: 14. Marriage of apostles and priests: 1 Corinthians 9:1-6; 1 Timothy 3:1-5; Matthew 8:10-15; Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies 3.6.52-53; Council of Elvira, Cannon 33; Nicene Creed, Canon 3; title: 15. Acceptable readings: Muratorian Canon; title: 16. Acceptable readings: Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History 3.24-25; title: 17. Catacombs of Rome; title: 18. The Nicene Creed; title: 19. The canons from the Council of Nicea (325 CE); title: Early Christian women.; title: 20. Menstruation: Leviticus 15:19-33; Mark 5:25-34; Dionysius, Epistle to Bishop Basilides, Cannon II; title: 21. Women martyrs: Passion of Perpetua and Felicitas 6; title: 22. Women as deaconesses: Romans 16:1-16; 1 Timothy 2:5-15; Didascalia 16; title: 23. Virginity: Cyprian, On the Dress of Virgins, selections; title: 24. Women prophets: Hippolytus, Refutation against Heresies 8.12; Eusebius, Church History 5.16.1-22; title: 25. Rules for widows: 1 Timothy 5:3-16; Didascalia 15, selections; title: Conflicts of the early church. 26. Epistle of Barnabas 11-12; title: 27. Ignatius, anti-Judaism: excerpts from his Letter to the Philadelphians and Magnesians; title: 28. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, a Jew; title: 29. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, preface, and Against Heresies 1.10.1-2; title: 30. Tertullian, Against Marcion 1:1-2; title: 31. Origen, Against Celsus, selection; title: 32. Alexander of Alexandria, Catholic Epistle; title: 33. Athanasius, Discourse One against the Arians 1:1-4; title: 34. A Manichaean psalm: Manichaean Psalm Book, Part 2, pp. 9-11; title: 35. Mani, Foundation Letter; title: Persecution.; title: 36. The Martyrdom of Polycarp, excerpts; title: 37. Martyrdom: Cyprian, epistle 8; title: 38. Lactantius, On the Deaths of the Persecutors, excerpts; title: 39. The Edict of Milan: Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 10.5; Lactantius, On the Deaths of the Persecutors 48; title: Church and politics. 40. Church and state: Justin Martyr, First Apology, excerpts; title: 41. Conversion of Constantine: Lactantius, On the Deaths of the Persecutors 44; Eusebius, Life of Constantine 1:28-31; title: 42. Arch of Constantine: dedication on the arch of Constantine