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Informationen zum Autor REBECCA I. DENOVA, Emeritus Lecturer in the Early History of Christianity, Department of Religious Studies, University of Pittsburgh. Her area of expertise is in the historical exploration of the origins of Christianity within Hellenistic Judaism. Dr. Denova is the author of The Origins of Christianity and the New Testament and Greek and Roman Religions . Klappentext Provides a broad and balanced understanding of how Christianity originated in the first five centuriesVarieties of Early Christianity: The Formation of the Western Christian Tradition traces the origins and evolution of Christian concepts from the first through the sixth century CE, exploring the events, issues, and individuals that helped shape the beliefs and practices of Christianity. With a multidisciplinary Religious Studies approach, this reader-friendly textbook places the early sources of Christian teaching within their historical and cultural contexts to highlight what gave rise to the beliefs and rituals that Christians follow in the present day.Chronologically organized chapters analyse the ways in which Christians absorbed and adapted ancient concepts from Judaism and Greco-Roman religion and culture from the first through the sixth centuries. Combining both traditions, early bishops, Church Fathers, and theologians added innovations that contributed to the establishment of a unique systematic theology (dogma) that became "Christianity."Throughout the text, readers are encouraged to consider how the ways early Christians integrated their worldviews, politics, and daily lives can help articulate their own "systems of meaning" in the modern world.* Helps readers navigate the vast amount of Christian literature produced in the early centuries of the Church* Provides the religious and cultural background of Judaism and Greco-Roman religion and culture, the two major contributors to Christian thought* Describes the methodology used to analyze the gospels in relation to ancient literature* Explores topics such as Christian martyrs in the Roman Empire, the role of women in Mediterranean society, Gnostic Christians, the Christianization of the Roman Empire, the work of Saint Augustine, and the Council of Chalcedon* Includes excerpts from primary documents, definitions of words and concepts, further readings, and numerous figures, timelines, and mapsFeaturing concise analyses of key scholarly and archaeological research, Varieties of Early Christianity: The Formation of the Western Christian Tradition is an excellent textbook for secondary school classes and college undergraduate courses on the history of Christianity, as well as a valuable resource for general readers interested in examining the history of Christian ideas in their historical context. Zusammenfassung Provides a broad and balanced understanding of how Christianity originated in the first five centuriesVarieties of Early Christianity: The Formation of the Western Christian Tradition traces the origins and evolution of Christian concepts from the first through the sixth century CE, exploring the events, issues, and individuals that helped shape the beliefs and practices of Christianity. With a multidisciplinary Religious Studies approach, this reader-friendly textbook places the early sources of Christian teaching within their historical and cultural contexts to highlight what gave rise to the beliefs and rituals that Christians follow in the present day.Chronologically organized chapters analyse the ways in which Christians absorbed and adapted ancient concepts from Judaism and Greco-Roman religion and culture from the first through the sixth centuries. Combining both traditions, early bishops, Church Fathers, and theologians added innovations that contributed to the establishment of a unique systematic theology (dogma) that became "Christianity."Throughout the text, readers are encouraged to consider how th...
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Preface vii
I Shared Concepts of Ancient Religions 1
II the History of Israel 21
Excursus I The Origins and Evolution of Satan, the Devil 51
Excursus II Introduction to the Gospels 59
III the Origins of Christianity 79
IV Martyrdom 99
Excursus III The Church Fathers 123
V Classical Culture (paideia) 127
VI Greco-roman VIews on Life, Sex and Marriage: Christian "innovations" 145
VII the Challenge of Gnosticism, "wisdom, Falsely So-called" 159
VIII Finding An Identity and Separating From Judaism 179
IX Charismatic Christianity: Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha 193
X Institutional Development: Bishops and Their Authority 205
XI The Conversion of the Roman Empire: Constantine and Nicaea 221
XII Asceticism and Monasticism: The Desert Fathers and the Cult of the Saints 239
Excursus IV The Latin Fathers 251
XIII Augustine (354-430) 257
Excursus V Chalcedon and Beyond 271
Epilog The Legacy of Christianity in the Western Tradition 277
Appendix I: A Brief Outline of the History of Rome 291
Appendix II: Timeline for the Early History of Christianity 293
Glossary 297
Index 323
