Life and Practice in the Early Church: A Documentary Reader

ISBN 10: 0814756492 / ISBN 13: 9780814756492

Published by NYU Press, 2001

About this Item

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Life and Practice in the Early Church: A Documentary Reader
• Publisher: NYU Press
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0814756492
• ISBN 13: 9780814756492
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: acceptable

About this title

Synopsis

A collection of primary texts revealing how early Christians practiced their faith

Life and Practice in the Early Church brings together a range of primary texts from the church's first five centuries to demonstrate how early Christians practiced their faith. Rather than focusing on theology, these original documents shed light on how early believers "did church," addressing such practical questions as, how did the church administer baptism? How were sermons delivered? How did the early church carry out its missions endeavors?

Early Christian writings reveal a great deal about the tradition, as well as the wider culture in which it developed. Far from being monolithic, the documents which present the voices of the early church fathers in their own words demonstrate variation and diversity regarding how faith was worked out during the patristic period. The texts illuminate who was eligible for baptism, what was expected of worshippers, how the Eucharist was celebrated, and how church offices and their functions were organized. Contextual introductions explain practices and their development for those with little prior knowledge of Christian history or tradition. The pieces included here, all in accessible English translation, represent such sources as Justin Martyr, Tertullian, the Cappadocians, Cyril of Jerusalem, John Chrysostom, and Augustine.

About the Author

Steven A. McKinion is Associate Professor of Church History at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He is the author of Words, Imagery, and the Mystery of Christ.