The work of the Christian scholar Lactantius provides an ideal lens through which to study how Rome became a Christian empire. Elizabeth DePalma Digeser shows how Lactantius' Divine Institutes -- seditious in its time -- responded to the emperor Diocletian's persecution and then became an important influence on Constantine the Great, Rome's first Christian emperor.

The Making of a Christian Empire is the first full-length book to interpret the Divine Institutes as a historical source. Exploring Lactantius' use of theology, philosophy, and rhetorical techniques, Digeser perceives the Divine Institutes as a sophisticated proposal for a monotheistic state that intimately connected the religious policies of Diocletian and Constantine, both of whom used religion to fortify and unite the Roman Empire. For Digeser, Lactantius' writings justify Constantine's own attitude of tolerance toward pagans and casts light upon other puzzling features of Constantine's religious policy. Her book contributes importantly to rail understanding of the political and religious tensions of the early fourth century.

The slaughter of animals for religious feasts, the tinkling of bells to ward off evil during holy rites, the custom of dancing in religious services-these and many other pagan practices persisted in the Christian church for hundreds of years after Constantine proclaimed Christianity the one official religion of Rome. In this book, Ramsay MacMullen investigates the transition from paganism to Christianity between the fourth and eighth centuries. He reassesses the triumph of Christianity, contending that it was neither tidy nor quick, and he shows that the two religious systems were both vital during an interactive period that lasted far longer than historians have previously believed. MacMullen explores the influences of paganism and Christianity upon each other. In a rich discussion of the different strengths of the two systems, he demonstrates that pagan beliefs were not eclipsed or displaced by Christianity but persisted or were transformed. The victory of the Christian church, he explains, was one not of obliteration but of widening embrace and assimilation. This fascinating book also includes new material on the Christian persecution of pagans over the centuries through methods that ranged from fines to crucifixion; the mixture of motives in conversion; the stubbornness of pagan resistance; the difficulty of satisfying the demands and expectations of new converts; and the degree of assimilation of Christianity to paganism.

Brings James out of the shadows to show the important role he played in the beginnings of Christianity.

The fifth century brought great changes to Roman Gaul, including the expansion of the Christian church, the disappearance of the Roman imperial presence, and the arrival and settlement of various barbarian peoples. In this volume, the letters of Ruricius, bishop of Limoges (c. 485-510), and those written to him -- by Faustus of Riez, Sedatus of Nimes. Caesarius of Aries, Euphrasius of Clermont, Graecus of Marseilles, Victorinus of Frejus, Sidonius Apollinaris, Paulinus of Bordeaux, and Taurentius -- give insight into the personal lives and feelings of those who experienced these transformations first hand.

The collection affords an unparalleled view of Gaul in the last quarter of the fifth century, when it seemed that the Visigothic Kingdom of Toulouse would become the primary barbarian power in the region. In an intimate and domestic way, these personal correspondences describe what happened in Gaul after the final Roman withdrawal just before A.D. 480. They illustrate how literary culture continued under barbarian rule, and demonstrate how well-to-do Gauls responded to the changing times. They provide priceless insights not only into the private and public lives of the individual letter writers but also into life and activities in Visigothic Gaul at the local level in general. Surprisingly, they suggest how little impact the Visigoths actually had on many individuals present at the "end of Roman Gaul.

Will the Roman Catholic Church ever change its position on women's ordination, contraception, clerical celibacy, or even infallibility itself? Is change possible, or are all teachings etched in stone?

For some Catholics, the answer is in the old adage, "Rome has spoken, the case is closed." Yet history tells a different story. When Rome speaks, the debate often heats up. And the case is never closed.

For the first time the documentation of these changes is complied in a single volume. Expert commentators put the changing ideas into historical and theological contexts. Rome Has Spoken ... is a fascinating reference for adult Catholics and for anyone interested in the history of religion.

These studies break new ground in the exploration of early Christianity and Judaism towards the end of the Second Temple period.Professor Borgen introduces fresh perspectives on many central issues in the complexity of Judaism both within Palestine and in the Diaspora. He also examines the variety of tendencies which existed within Christianity as it emerged within Judaism and spread out into other nations.An invaluable study for all scholars, teachers and students of the New Testament in general and of Judaica, Classics and Hellenism

Christianity possesses two basic rites that complement one another, baptism and the Eucharist, the one giving access to the other. In The Origins of Christianity etienne Nodet and Justin Taylor investigate the character of the early Christian community by looking into the origins of these two rites and the links between them. A fundamental work on the initiation sacraments, The Origins of Christianity focuses on the Essenes for whom baptism marked the successful conclusion of a process of initiation and whose essential act as a community was an eschatological meal, principally of bread and wine. This marginal, tradition-bound culture came in contact with Gentiles. The result was a profound change that transformed a sect into a Church. The Origins of Christianity begins by examining two scenes in Acts 'Peter's visit to Cornelius and the night at Troas 'bringing baptism and the breaking of bread into sharper focus as customs dating back to earliest times. The authors then look at the history and geography of Jewish Galilee and focus on shared traditions with the Essenes. They also show the Last Supper as having elements of both the Passover (Jewish) and Easter (Christian) feasts. They look at those corresponding rituals and their meaning and also at the developments in the ways in which the Covenant is expressed (from circumcision to baptism). From institutions, The Origins of Christianity moves back to the historical question of the opening of the Essene group to those it had never envisaged as members, looking at the deeds and gestures of the first Christians at Ephesus and Corinth: Was the opening of Christianity ton on-Jewish people a result of a crisis within Judaism? Or did it correspond to the changes in the way in which Jesus was represented, as Teacher, as Christ, and as Lord. Does this affect our understanding of the historical Jesus?

It is often assumed that early Christian asceticism drew its followers completely away from worldly concerns into the realm of pure spirituality. But the life and thought of Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria (AD 328-73), shows just how worldly--and deeply political--ascetic theology could be. David Brakke examines this important church leader's efforts to reconcile asceticism's compelling intensity with the more conventional needs of the families and everyday believers on whom the Church relied for support and stability. Brakke describes how Athanasius joined with other fourth century bishops to create a strongly unified Christian church in Egypt, bringing both the solitary monks of the desert and the female ascetics in the cities under church authority by organizing them into auxiliaries of the emerging local parishes. By carefully integrating ascetic values and practices into a comprehensive vision of the church as a heavenly commonwealth, Brakke argues, Athanasius unified a community of Christians practicing diverse versions of their faith and helped to establish the lines of administrative and pastoral authority that would be essential to the church's future success. This illuminating study of the turmoil of fourth century Christianity also includes the first English translations of many of Athanasius's ascetic and pastoral writings.

Lucretius, Epicurus, Epictetus, Stocism, Sextus Empiricus, Lucian and Philo of Alexandria were among the greatest philosophers of the Hellenistic Age. In carefully chosen selections of their writings, eminent scholar Jason Saunders offers readers a provocative sampling of the major surviving works, showing the enormous influence of Greek philosophy on the formative years of Christianity as well as the early Christian's distrust and eventual intergration of these important ideas.

In "The Theology of the First Christians," Walter Schmithals offers a comprehensive history of the development of religious thought from the preaching of Jesus to the formation of the New Testament canon. This well-researched volume will be of great interest to New Testament scholars and students.

In this classic study of the Zealots Martin Hengel draws on Josephus, the discoveries of the Qumran texts, the pseudepigrapha, and later rabbinic traditions, to examine the religious, social and political context which led to the Jewish insurrections of 66 A.D. This meticulous and illuminating work makes a major contribution to our understanding of the era which witnessed an eclipse of Judaism and the birth of Christianity.

The fifteen hagiographies about holy women of the Syrian Orient collected here include stories of martyrs' passions and saints' lives, pious romances and personal reminiscences. Dating from the fourth to seventh centuries A.D., they are translated from Syriac into accessible and vivid prose. Annotations and source notes by the translators help clarify elements that may be unfamiliar to some readers. This collection bears witness to the profound contributions women made to early Chistianity: their various roles, their leadership inside and outside the church structure, and their power to influence others. A new preface discusses recent developments in the field and updates the bibliography.

Luke Johnson here issues a provocative call for a radically new direction in New Testament studies that can change the way we have viewed the entire phenomenon of early Christianity.

Johnson is convinced that the dominant ways of studying early Christianity tend to miss its specifically religious character, because of a disjunction between formal religion and "popular" religion. He proposes in this book, by means of three case studies -- baptism, glossolalia, and meals -- to show how a more holistic, phenomenological approach can be made. This makes possible the inclusion in the study of early Christianity the world of healings and religious power, of ecstasy and spirit -- in short, the religious experience of real persons.

It is this subtle yet real presence of religious experience that alters the discipline and practice of New Testament scholarship, as Johnson notes: "This is neither history in the strict sense of the term, nor is it theology. That's the whole point: we need a new way of looking in order to see what we can't otherwise see. If I have succeeded at least in whetting an appetite for getting at what these chapters try to get at, I am content, for what they try to get at is important."

Johnson concludes that there is still much to be learned about early Christianity as a religion, if we can find a way to get at the category of real experience. He maintains that early Christian texts reflect lives that are caught up by and defined by a power not in their control but controlled instead by the crucified and raised Messiah Jesus.

Judaism and Christianity in the first century is a broad, but also immensely important, subject. This collection of eleven papers is the mature product of the five-year work of the Seminar on New Testament Texts in Their Cultural Environment sponsored by the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas. Wide-ranging in subject matter and deep in scholarship, this volume includes archaeological and epigraphic contributions, social and historical contributions, and developmental studies. Written by leading scholars in the field, these essays elucidate more precisely the social, historical, and religious character of Judaism and Christianity in first-century Rome.

By the fourth century A.D., devout Christians--men and women alike--had begun to retreat from cities and villages to the deserts of North Africa and Asia Minor, where they sought liberation from their corrupt society and the confining shell of the social self. The Desert Fathers is the perfect introduction to the stories and sayings of these heroic pioneers of the contemplative tradition. Selected and translated by Helen Waddell, The Desert Fathers opens a window onto early Christianity while presenting us with touchingly human models of faith, humility, and compassion. With a new Preface by the Cistercian monk, writer, and revered teacher of contemplative prayer M. Basil Pennington, author of O Holy Mountain and Challenges in Prayer.

"God is our home but many of us have strayed from our native land.  The venerable authors of these Spiritual Classics are expert guides--may we follow their directions home."
--Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Shaw's rich and fascinating work provides a startling look at early Christian notions of the body--diet, sexuality, the passions, and especially the ideal of virginity--and sheds important light on the growth of Christian ideals that remain powerful cultural forces even today. Focusing on the fourth and early fifth centuries, Shaw considers three types of Christian arguments--physiological, psychological, and eschatological--about the efficacy of fasting in the ascetic pursuit of chastity. Demonstrating their connections also illumines relationships between body and belief, theory and behavior, and physical self-abnegation and theological speculation. In the process, Shaw examines a variety of texts from the seventh century b.c.e. to the seventh century c.e., including medical treatises, philosophical writings, Christian homilies, and theological treatises.

Here Jerome Murphy-O'Connor presents a completely new, vivid, and dramatic account of the life of Paul. From his childhood in Tarsus and his years as a student in Jerusalem, to the successes and failures of his ministry, this biography gives the most detailed reconstructions of his movements and motives available.

This series seeks to keep New Testament and early church researchers, teachers, and students abreast of emerging documentary evidence by reproducing and reviewing recently published Greek inscriptions and papyri that illumine the context in which the Christian church developed. Produced by the Ancient History Documentary Research Centre at Macquarie University, the New Docs volumes broaden the context of biblical studies and other related fields and provide a better understanding of the historical and social milieus of early Christianity.

This collection of papers from the Roehampton conference on the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible is the first jubilee volume published to celebrate the discovery of the Scrolls fifty years ago. Experts on the Scrolls, Hebrew language, biblical studies, ancient Judaism and modern literary theory cover a range of perspectives-as well as important issues of method and the perennial problems of the identity of the inhabitants of Khirbet Qumran and the relationship between the site and the discoveries in the nearby caves. Contributors include the well-known experts, Philip Davies, George Brooke, Al Wolters and J.D.G. Dunn.>

In this book, the author discusses the reception of Paul in the modern day church, and argues that Paul and his gospel are the least understood parts of the New Testament in the church today. Beker examines the deutero-Pauline literature to reveal how the earliest churches received Paul's message. Refreshingly, Beker doesn't assume that the deutero-Pauline letters are a corruption of Paul's message. Rather, Beker's reconstruction reveals the ways Paul's gospel was adapted to the particular situations of the deutero-Pauline texts, and this becomes a model for the church today in receiving Paul afresh.

As presented in the New Testament, the Eucharist is a source of both inspiration and guidance today. In "The Eucharist in the New Testament and the Ealy Church," Father LaVerdiere examines what the New Testament tells us about the Eucharist and how the Eucharist provides an important experiential and theological resource for thegospel stories of Jesus' life, ministry, passion and resurrection, as well as for the life and development of the Church.

Father LaVerdiere illustrates how the origins of the Eucharist coincide with the origins of the Church. The development of the Eucharist reflects the development of the ealy Church, as well as its creative theological and pastoral reflection. Through the lens of the New Testament it views the beginnings of both Church and Eucharist when the risen Lord appeared to the disciples at meals soon after Jesus' passion, death and resurrection. He also looks beyond the New Testament and explores theongoing development of Eucharistic theology and practice up to the mid-second century, ending with Justin Martyr, the first to describe the Eucharist to people who had no personal experience of it.

Father LaVerdiere focuses on the Eucharist in relation to ecclesiology, Christology, and liturgy. He begins by reflecting on how Christians referred to the Eucharist before it had a name, how names for the Eucharist came to be and their importance, how the Eucharist was celebrated at the very beginning, how liturgical formulas came to be, how these formulas brought out the riches of the Eucharist, and how the Eucharist related to different pastoral situations.

The concept of triunity" the assembly, the Eucharist, and the Church guides this study. The Eucharist is the sacrament of the assembly, the sacrament of the Church's life in the world. From the very beginning, there was no separating the three, nor are there separating references to the Eucharist from the letters, gospels, or other work in which the three appear. Here, FatherLaVerdiere stresses that in order to know the Eucharist in the New Testament and the ealy Church, one has only tolook at the composition and actual life of the Church. Thus, to know the Church, one has only to look at the way it celebrates the Eucharist.

Since most of today's chalenges concerning the Eucharist are similar to those experienced by the ealy Church, "The Eucharist in the New Testament and the Ealy Church" will be of greathelp to pastors, students, catechists and those inministry, who want the celebration of the Eucharist to make a difference on the rest of Christian life in the Church.

"Eugene LaVerdiere, SSS, is the senior editor of "Emmanuel "magazine and an adjunct professor of New Testament studies at Catholic Theological Union and Mundelein Seminary in Chicago. He is author of " Fundamentalism: A Pastoral Concern, A Church for al Peoples: Missionary Issues in a World Church, " and "Luke from the New Testament Message " seriespublished by The Liturgical Press.""

The fifty-six essays in this book present cultural reflections on the gospel reading assigned for each Sunday in Cycle C of the Roman Lectionary. Each essay highlights aspects of the first-century, Eastern Mediterranean cultural world in which Jesus lived and suggests across-cultural comparison with contemporary Western culture. With this background information, readers can make more fitting applications of the Scripture to modern life situations.

In this provocative book, an eminent scholar examines the complex factors that shaped Judaism and early Christianity, analyzing cardinal Judaic and Christian texts and the cultural worlds in which they were written. Howard Clark Kee's sociocultural approach emphasizes the diversity of viewpoint and belief present in Judaism and in early Christianity, as well as the many ways in which the two religions reacted to each other and to the changing circumstances of the first two centuries of the Common Era. According to Kee's interpretation of Jewish documents of the period, Jews began to adopt various models of community to bring into focus their group identity, to show their special relation to God, and to articulate their responsibilities within the community and toward the wider culture. The models they adopted-the community of the wise, the law-abiding community, the community of mystical participation, the city or temple model, and the ethnically and culturally inclusive community-were the means by which they responded to the challenges and opportunities for reinstating themselves as God's people. These models in turn influenced early Christian behavior and writing, becoming means for Christians to define their type of community, to understand the role of Jesus as God's agent in establishing the community, and to outline what their moral life and group structure, as well as their relations with the wider Jewish and Greco-Roman culture, ought to be.

John Finney's account of Celtic and Roman evangelism will challenge and change the way we evangelise

Four respected scholars of the Hebrew Bible and early Judaism provide a clear portrait of the family in ancient Israel. Important theological and ethical implications are made for the family today.

The Family, Culture, and Religion series offers informed and responsible analyses of the state of the American family from a religious perspective and provides practical assistance for the family's revitalization.