The Church in Ancient Society

R. A. Markus, The Tablet Review from previous edition The first 600 years: that is nearly one third of the Church's entire history. No one but Henry Chadwick ... could have given us so full and so authoritative an account of these decisive centuries. His new book crowns a body of illuminating work on several of the outstanding figures as well as on many of the thorniest problems of the early Church's history.

R. A. Markus, The Tablet The book is a tour de fource to which we will keep turning as an essential reference work.

English Historical Review This is a tour de force by a great scholar ... a magisterial account of the doctrinal and institutional history of the early Church, particularly in the east Roman provinces. The easy style, not without a sprinkling of colloquialisms, conceals the author's great learning and enthusiasm for his subject ... Henry Chadwick's book will remain a standard work on the history of early Christianity for the forseeable future.

Whoever looks for a reliable and highly readable companion to the formative centuries of Christianity and, in many respects, of European culture as well could hardly make a better choice ... The exposition is rich in detail, and makes an enjoyable read that will appeal to an academic and to a general readership alike.

Kate Cooper, Times Literary Supplement Marked by a monumentality both of scope and detail ... the last great narrative history of the twentieth century in its field ... Henry Chadwick ranks as one of the great figures of the twentieth century in his field, and there is every reason to believe that a future generation of scholars will be keen to have access to his guidance on any one of a thousand points of detail.

`A masterpiece beyond classification.' Church Times

Henry Chadwick is Emeritus Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge

Introduction; 1. The First Followers of Jesus; 2. The Jewish Matrix; 3. Jews and Christians Survive Rome's Crushing of Revolts; 4. The Hebrew Scriptures in the Church; 5. Interpreting Scripture: Philo and paul; 6. Apostles and Evangelists; 7. Women among Jesus' Followers; 8. 'Barnabas', Jewish Christianity, Trouble at Corinth; 9. Ignatius of Antioch; 10. Didache; 11. Marcion; 12. Justin; 13. Irenaeus of Lyon; 14. The New Testament Text; 15. Celsus: A Platonist Attack; 16. Montanism: Perpetua; 17. Tertullian, Minucius Felix; 18. Clement of Alexandria; 19. Julius Africanus; 20. Hippolytus and Liturgy; 21. Origen; 22. Cyprian of Carthage; 23. Dionysius of Alexandria; 24. Paul of Samosata; 25. Mani; 26. Plotinos, Porphyry; 27. Diocletian and the Great Persecution, Rise of Constantine; 28. Constantine, Lactantius, and Eusebios of Caesarea; 29. The Seeds of Reaction; 30. The Church at Prayer; 31. Athanasios, Marcellus, and the Gathering Storm; 32. Fiasco at Serdica; 33. Religious Division: A Note on Intolerance; 34. Athanasios' Return: A Wind of Change; 35. Constantius' Double Council of Unity; 36. Julian and the Church; 37. Damasus, Siricius, Papal Authority, Synesios of Cyrene; 38. Basil of Caesarea (Cappadocia); 39. Ambrose; 40. Ambrosiaster; 41. Donatism; 42. Monks: The Ascetic Life; 43. Messalians; The Macarian Homilies; 44. Schism at Antioch: The Council of Constantinople (381); 45. Jerome and Rufinus: Controversy about Origen; 46. Pelagius, Celestius, and the Roman See in Gaul and North Africa; 47. Julian of Eclanum: Augustine's Critics in Gaul and North Africa; 48. Augustine; 49. John Chrysostom; 50. Innocent I and John Chrysostom's Honour. Alaric and the fall of Rome; 51. The Christological Debate I: To the First Council of Ephesus; 52. The Christological Debate II: From Reunion to a breakdown of unity (449); 53. The Christological Debate III; From the Second Council of Ephesus (449) to Chalcedon (451); 54. Chalcedon II: fall of Dioscoros. the emperor Leo's Encyclia; 55. The aftermath of the Council of Chalcedon; Zeno's Henotikon; 56. Justinian: Origen and the Three Chapters; 57. The Church and the Barbarian Invasions in the West; Salvian, Sidonius, Caesarius; 58. Worship after Constantine; 59. Pope Gregory the Great (590 - 604); 60. Pilgrims; 61. Penance; Further Reading; Dates of Roman Emperors; List of Bishops of Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Jerusalem