Documents Of The Rise Of Christianity

An introduction to the history of early Christianity, this reference provides roughly 60 primary source documents from the first five centuries of the Christian Era, each accompanied by explanatory material. Christianity has been one of the most powerful influences on world history, and for this reason the world of the early Christians figures prominently in film, fiction, and popular culture. The first centuries of Christianity provided the foundation for the faith institutions of today; this book examines the history of early Christianity through its use of primary texts written by early Christians. In doing so, it helps readers to understand that multiple sects of Christianity competed for dominance, and it sheds light on the struggles of early Christians that their differences entailed. The book covers the first five centuries of the Christian Era, with sections devoted to each century. Some 60 primary source documents appear within those sections, and each is accompanied by background information. This chronological arrangement helps readers to understand how Christianity evolved over time, and it provides insights into the theological debates and persecutions that marked the lives of early Christians and characterized the early Church.

An introduction to the history of early Christianity, this reference provides roughly 60 primary source documents from the first five centuries of the Christian Era, each accompanied by explanatory material. Christianity has been one of the most powerful influences on world history, and for this reason the world of the early Christians figures prominently in film, fiction, and popular culture. The first centuries of Christianity provided the foundation for the faith institutions of today; this book examines the history of early Christianity through its use of primary texts written by early Christians. In doing so, it helps readers to understand that multiple sects of Christianity competed for dominance, and it sheds light on the struggles of early Christians that their differences entailed. The book covers the first five centuries of the Christian Era, with sections devoted to each century. Some 60 primary source documents appear within those sections, and each is accompanied by background information. This chronological arrangement helps readers to understand how Christianity evolved over time, and it provides insights into the theological debates and persecutions that marked the lives of early Christians and characterized the early Church.

An outstanding resource for high school readers and first-year college students, this book explores early Christianity from its beginnings in the first century through the fourth century when Christianity went from a persecuted faith to the only legalized faith in the Roman Empire. How did Christianity become one of the most widespread religions as well as one of the most influential forces in world history that has shaped politics, wars, literature, art, and music on every continent? This book contains more than 40 entries on various topics in early Christianity, 15 primary documents, and 6 argumentative essays written by scholars in the field. The breadth of materials enables readers to learn about early Christianity from a number of different viewpoints and to come to their own conclusions about how historical events unfolded in early Christianity. This single-volume work focuses on the first four centuries of early Christianity, including topics on Jerusalem, Herod the Great, Paul, Tertullian, Mani, The Arians, Constantine the Great, and many others. Readers will be well equipped to answer three critical questions that scholars of early Christianity deal with when they study this period: Why was Christianity popular? Why were Christians persecuted? How did Christianity spread?

The breadth of materials in this resource enables readers to learn about early Christianity from a number of different viewpoints and to come to their own conclusions about how historical events unfolded in early Christianity. This work focuses on the first four centuries of early Christianity, including topics on Jerusalem, Herod the Great, Paul, Tertullian, Mani, The Arians, Constantine the Great, and many others.

This "fresh, blunt, and highly persuasive account of how the West was won—for Jesus" (Newsweek) is now available in paperback. Stark's provocative report challenges conventional wisdom and finds that Christianity's astounding dominance of the Western world arose from its offer of a better, more secure way of life. "Compelling reading" (Library Journal) that is sure to "generate spirited argument" (Publishers Weekly), this account of Christianity's remarkable growth within the Roman Empire is the subject of much fanfare. "Anyone who has puzzled over Christianity's rise to dominance...must read it." says Yale University's Wayne A. Meeks, for The Rise of Christianity makes a compelling case for startling conclusions. Combining his expertise in social science with historical evidence, and his insight into contemporary religion's appeal, Stark finds that early Christianity attracted the privileged rather than the poor, that most early converts were women or marginalized Jews—and ultimately "that Christianity was a success because it proved those who joined it with a more appealing, more assuring, happier, and perhaps longer life" (Andrew M. Greeley, University of Chicago).

This selection of writings from the most important moments in the history of Christianity has become established as a classic reference work. This new edition brings the anthology up-to-date with a new section looking at issues facing the twenty-first century churches.

More than fifty years ago, Walter Bauer's 'Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity' undercut the traditional views on the making of orthodox Christianity by arguing that in several geographic areas, heresy preceded orthodoxy. Subsequently, the ancient documents discovered at Nag Hammadi proved that early Christianity was tremendously diverse. These influences have given rise to the notion that the various gnostic interpretations are mere alternatives to more traditional interpretations of Jesus and his significance. Using a focused but broad definition of normative Christianity, Hultgren contends that such a tradition originated at the very beginnings of the Christian movements, developed, and came to dominate as the most adequate expression of Jesus' legacy. Normative Christianity - a stream as wide as the New Testament canon - forged a coherence between confession of faith and community ethos that could endure and was the basis for later orthodoxy.

Traces the early history of the Christian church from Jewish Palestine prior to Christ's birth to the sixth century monastic movement, and explains how Christianity survived under a variety of cultures