Early Church

Dr. Josef Lössl; Reader in Patristics and Late Antiquity, Cardiff University, School of Religious and Theological Studies, Director of the Cardiff University Centre for Late Antique Religion and Culture; author of 'Julian von Aeclanum' (Leiden 2001).

‘Few areas of scholarship have seen such vigorous debate in recent years as the emergence of Christianity. Josef Lössl's book is a very welcome addition to the growing literature on the subject. It provides an extremely lucid introduction to the major areas of interest to students of the early history of the Christian Church between the first century and the fifth, including the relationship of Christianity with Judaism, the interactions of Church and Empire in the Roman world, and, above all, what it meant to be a Christian - and a member of the Church - in these early centuries. Throughout the book, moreover, Lössl encourages his readers to challenge preconceived notions about these important topics and to return to the ancient evidence with critical eyes. It is a book that will be read with profit not only by students new to the subject (for whom it will now be the first point of departure), but also by professional scholars, theologians, and, indeed, anyone with an interest in how a movement that began in Roman Palestine developed into one of the most powerful institutions that the western world has ever known, and how communities of believers were willing to endure bitter trials and tribulations in defence of their faith.' - Mark Humphries, Department of Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology, Swansea University, Wales, UK.

• Introduction C. 1: What is the Early Church and Why Would We Want to Study It? C. 2: A Brief History of the Study of the Early Church C. 3: How and When Did the Early Church Originate? Some Historical Background C. 4: Jewish and Gentile Identities in the Early Church C. 5: A Brief Survey of Earliest Christian Literature C. 6: Living the Early Church: Early Christian Religious Practices C. 7: Teaching the Early Church: Origins and Developments of Early Christian DoctrineC. 8: Leading the Early Church: Bishops, Emperors and Councils Bibliography Index of Names and Subjects