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Product Description
Product Description
Examines the beginning of the Christian movement during the first centuries AD, and the explosive force of its expansion throughout the Roman world
About the Author
Reverend Henry Chadwick is a former Dean of Christ Church, Oxford, and has been a Regius Professor at both Oxford and Cambridge. He is also an ordained Anglican priest.
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First Sentence
THE first Christians were Jews. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
THE first Christians were Jews. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
40 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"The Early Church" provides the reader with an excellent history of the first six centuries of Christianity. Author Henry Chadwick covers structural and doctrinal development, along with the rise and fall of heresies and introductions to the leading characters of the period.
This excellent book provides an overview of so many things which casual students of Church history probably heard of but may not have really understood. From my reading of this book I have a better understanding of early heresies including Arianism (Jesus was not co-eternal with the Father), Donatism (no reconciliation with apostates) Manichaeism (a secret, gnostic type sect) and Pelagianism (denial of original sin). The role of councils, such as Nicaea, in combating heresy and guiding the development of orthodoxy is made clearer. A greater understanding of the roles of the Church Fathers such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Origen, Tertullian, Theodore of Mopsuestia, St. Jerome and St. Augustine is gained by the reader of this book.
From a theological or historical perspective this book is a treasure. One test I apply to books is whether they inspire me to study more. This one does. I am confident that it will do the same for you.
This excellent book provides an overview of so many things which casual students of Church history probably heard of but may not have really understood. From my reading of this book I have a better understanding of early heresies including Arianism (Jesus was not co-eternal with the Father), Donatism (no reconciliation with apostates) Manichaeism (a secret, gnostic type sect) and Pelagianism (denial of original sin). The role of councils, such as Nicaea, in combating heresy and guiding the development of orthodoxy is made clearer. A greater understanding of the roles of the Church Fathers such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Origen, Tertullian, Theodore of Mopsuestia, St. Jerome and St. Augustine is gained by the reader of this book.
From a theological or historical perspective this book is a treasure. One test I apply to books is whether they inspire me to study more. This one does. I am confident that it will do the same for you.
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I found the book excellent for history and getting a sense of the organic development of the modern Eastern and Western rites. I also enjoyed the historical context in which the book was set in terms of the political developments in the Roman empire. It covered well the start of the rift between Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism.
The only problem that I had with it was that it covered a few cases in a lot of detail, which tends to break up the overall historical progression of the book. During these individual analysis chapters, he jumps around through history instead of analysing the developments in a smooth historical narrative, which I would have preferred.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As one who is an avid reader of Church history, I can say that this is the best volume of early Church history I have read. Henry Chadwick's account of the rise of Christianity, from its roots in Judaism to its decisive break from the mother religion, is weighty, concise and clear.
He explains how the early Christians saw themselves as Jews but that the decisive break came when they (the Christians) accepted Gentiles into the new movement. Thereafter, Chadwick explores the spread of Christianity in the Near East and eventually how it made its way to Rome. This is pretty standard stuff so far.
What I liked about the book was the explanation of the different Christological positions in the controversies surrounding the question of Christ's nature. It is in Chadwick's book that I understood Arius and Arianism, Nicene confessions, Chalcedonian Christianity, Monophysitism and Nestorianism. These controversies, which seem drab and overly punctilious to modern readers, were, as Chadwick points out, one of the reasons for the eventual split of the Church into Latin and Orthodox Christianities.
The book is not just a boring academic tome. He enlivens the book with lively descriptions of the Church Fathers; Ambrose, Tertullian and the key characters (and politics) in the Christological consipiracies. If you are interested in understanding the rise of Christianity in the Ancient World and want a readable account of the abstruse, high-falutin Christological terms that have come to define Christian doctrine then this book is a must-read. It deserves my 5 stars.
He explains how the early Christians saw themselves as Jews but that the decisive break came when they (the Christians) accepted Gentiles into the new movement. Thereafter, Chadwick explores the spread of Christianity in the Near East and eventually how it made its way to Rome. This is pretty standard stuff so far.
What I liked about the book was the explanation of the different Christological positions in the controversies surrounding the question of Christ's nature. It is in Chadwick's book that I understood Arius and Arianism, Nicene confessions, Chalcedonian Christianity, Monophysitism and Nestorianism. These controversies, which seem drab and overly punctilious to modern readers, were, as Chadwick points out, one of the reasons for the eventual split of the Church into Latin and Orthodox Christianities.
The book is not just a boring academic tome. He enlivens the book with lively descriptions of the Church Fathers; Ambrose, Tertullian and the key characters (and politics) in the Christological consipiracies. If you are interested in understanding the rise of Christianity in the Ancient World and want a readable account of the abstruse, high-falutin Christological terms that have come to define Christian doctrine then this book is a must-read. It deserves my 5 stars.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
High time to learn all this!
I am a believer in God, but not in churches. I felt that what came out of the pulpit was all too man-made and confusing. Where does dogma come from? How did it come about? Read more
Published 4 days ago by Lamppu
An Excellent resource for anyone studying....
An excellent resource for anyone studying Theology and Religious Studies. Very well compiled and easy to read. Was great for my essay on Constantine's conversion to Christianity. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Andrew
The best introduction I've read.
Extremely readable. The fact that it's a paperback, printed like a novel, may help to make this so readable. Read more
Published 22 months ago by D. King
Early Christian Doctrine
I was directed to this book as a readable history of the early church. I have found it well-written, comprehensively historical, with a wealth of detail. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mrs. Margaret M. Hall
Informative, interesting, enjoyable history!
This is the first book I have read on the early church and it was truly excellent. Chadwick writes in such a clear and entertaining manor, while staying true to the history. Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2010 by Mr. S. A. Blake
buy the whole series - they are with it
I think this series is a good introduction to the history of Christianity. They may not be bang up to date with modern historical and theological scholarship, but they are a good... Read more
Published on 16 April 2009 by will1957
Investigations into the in fight of the early church
This book covers the history from the beginning of Christianity until the 6th century AD.
First all the early different mainstream directions are described until finally... Read more
First all the early different mainstream directions are described until finally... Read more
Published on 11 Jun 2008 by Roland
The Early Church: a tug of war?
This is a good overall guide to the early Christian church. It is well written and easily readable, without needing a deep previous understanding. Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2005 by Marcus Bagg
Perfect balance
Can't complain about it at all, it covers everything in just enough detail to familiarize you with the different elements of the period, and leaves you informed as to which areas... Read more
Published on 19 April 2005 by Oliver Lea
The Perfect Introduction To The Early Church
Henry Chadwick has produced a masterpiece. I have just finished a course on the Beginnings of the church in the Roman Empire and this book helped me pass with flying colours. Read more
Published on 8 Feb 2001 by "gmgjkfjkg"
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