The Early Church - Hardcover

Robinson, Thomas A.; Shaw, Brent

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0810827638 ISBN 13: 9780810827639

Publisher: Scarecrow Press, 1993

Synopsis

The Early Church: An annotated Bibliography of Literature in English is designed for students and interested laypersons, providing them with a non-technical, informed survey of recent scholarly debate on major topics important to an understanding of the early church. Divided into twenty-six chapters, each with an introductory essay of 2-3 pages, the bibliography contains abstracts of about one thousand books and major articles dealing with the church from the beginning of the second century roughly to the end of the sixth. Specific chapters deal with the development of the cannon, conversion and missions, persecution and martyrdom, monasticism, church office, church and state, creeds, orthodoxy and heresy, regional forms of Christianity, church and society, Constantine and the Christian empire, Christology, women, ethice, Gnosticism, Jewish-Christian relations, Roman society and empire, art and architecture, theology, worship and the liturgy, and patristic exegesis. More general chapters introduce the reader to the basic reference works, including dictionaries, atlases, serials, patristic texts and general histories. The entries are extensively cross-referenced, and user-friendly codes direct the reader to introductory works, survey articles, bibliographies, and collections of primary texts. Each abstract indicates the number of pages of bibliography, indexes, maps, charts, etc., and most abstracts are followed by a list of book reviews, enabling the user to gain access to a wider evaluation of the work in question. Almost forty pages of indexes (general and modern authors) complete the volume, making this a key tool for those interested in the early church.

About this title

About the Author

Brent Shaw, (PhD, Cambridge), Professor of History at the University of Lethbridge,is a contributor to the revised Cambridge Ancient History and to such journals as Classical Philology, Past & Present, and The Journal of Roman Studies, has provided a significant number of abstracts related to the Roman world. Other contributors include M.J. Penton, Terence Donaldson, and Michael DeRoche

Review

... succinct introductions... well done in every way... (CHOICE)

This is almost certainly the best bibliography of patristic studies ever produced.... (Theological Book Review)

It will be an essential guide to every teacher and student working in the field of early Christianity for a long time to come. (Ecclesiastical History, Volume 46/No.2-Apr 1995)

Robinson's work is a model of precise analysis, judicious judgment, and good common sense. (The Living Church)

This is a useful and well-executed addition... (Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses)

...has the advantage of presenting a broad perspective on the early church, with significant annotation to guide students. (Calvin Theological Journal)

Edition details

• Publisher: Scarecrow Press
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0810827638
• ISBN 13: 9780810827639
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 522