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Christianity spread across North Africa early, and it remained
there as a powerful force much longer than anticipated. While this
African form of Christianity largely shared the Latin language and
Roman culture of the wider empire, it also represented a unique
tradition that was shaped by its context. Ancient African
Christianity attempts to tell the story of Christianity in Africa
from its inception to its eventual disappearance. Well-known
writers such as Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine are studied in
light of their African identity, and this tradition is explored in
all its various expressions. This book is ideal for all students of
African Christianity and also a key introduction for anyone wanting
to know more about the history, religion, and philosophy of these
early influential Christians whose impact has extended far beyond
the African landscape.
Since what Christian doctrine denies can be as important as what it
affirms, it is important to understand teachings about Jesus that
the early church rejected. Historians now acknowledge that
proponents of alternative teachings were not so much malicious
malcontents as they were misguided or even misunderstood. Here a
recognized expert in early Christian theology teaches orthodox
Christology by explaining the false starts (heresies), making the
history of theology relevant for today's church. This engaging
introduction to the christological heresies is suitable for
beginning students. In addition, pastors and laypeople will find it
useful for apologetic purposes.
Who was Tertullian, and what can we know about him? This work
explores his social identities, focusing on his North African
milieu. Theories from the discipline of social/cultural
anthropology, including kinship, class and ethnicity, are
accommodated and applied to selections of Tertullian's writings. In
light of postcolonial concerns, this study utilizes the categories
of Roman colonizers, indigenous Africans and new elites. The third
category, new elites, is actually intended to destabilize the other
two, denying any "essential" Roman or African identity. Thereafter,
samples from Tertullian's writings serve to illustrate comparisons
of his own identities and the identities of his rhetorical
opponents. The overall study finds Tertullian's identities to be
manifold, complex and discursive. Additionally, his writings are
understood to reflect antagonism toward Romans, including Christian
Romans (which is significant for his so-called Montanism), and
Romanized Africans. While Tertullian accommodates much from
Graeco-Roman literature, laws and customs, he nevertheless retains
a strongly stated non-Roman-ness and an African-ity, which is
highlighted in the present monograph.
Christianity spread across North Africa early, and it remained
there as a powerful force much longer than anticipated. While this
African form of Christianity largely shared the Latin language and
Roman culture of the wider empire, it also represented a unique
tradition that was shaped by its context. Ancient African
Christianity attempts to tell the story of Christianity in Africa
from its inception to its eventual disappearance. Well-known
writers such as Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine are studied in
light of their African identity, and this tradition is explored in
all its various expressions. This book is ideal for all students of
African Christianity and also a key introduction for anyone wanting
to know more about the history, religion, and philosophy of these
early influential Christians whose impact has extended far beyond
the African landscape.
Building on the work of Tertullian and Paul and The Apostolic
Fathers and Paul, this volume continues a series of specially
commissioned studies by leading voices in New Testament/early
Christianity and patristics studies to consider how Paul was read,
interpreted and received by the early Church Fathers. In this
volume the use of Paul's writings is examined within the writings
of Irenaeus of Lyon. Issues of influence, reception, theology and
history are examined to show how Paul's work influenced the
developing theology of the early Church. The literary style of
Paul's output is also examined. The contributors to the volume
represent leading lights in the study of Irenaeus, as well as
respected names from the field of New Testament studies.
Building on the work of Tertullian and Paul this volume continues a
series of specially commissioned studies by leading voices in New
Testament/Early Christianity and Patristics studies to consider how
Paul was read, interpreted and received by the Church Fathers. In
this volume the use of Paul's writings is examined within the work
of the Apostolic Fathers. Issue of influence, reception, theology
and history are examined to show how Paul's work influenced the
developing theology of the early Church. The literary style of
Paul's output is also examined. The contributors to the volume
represent leading lights in the study of the Apostolic Fathers, as
well as respected names from the field of New Testament studies.
Building on the work of Tertullian and Paul and The Apostolic
Fathers and Paul, this volume continues a series of specially
commissioned studies by leading voices in New Testament/early
Christianity and patristics studies to consider how Paul was read,
interpreted and received by the early Church Fathers. In this
volume the use of Paul's writings is examined within the writings
of Irenaeus of Lyon. Issues of influence, reception, theology and
history are examined to show how Paul's work influenced the
developing theology of the early Church. The literary style of
Paul's output is also examined. The contributors to the volume
represent leading lights in the study of Irenaeus, as well as
respected names from the field of New Testament studies.
How might late second/early third century readings of Paul
illuminate our understanding of the first century texts? A close
comparison of Tertullian and Paul reveals the former to be both a
dubious and a profoundly insightful interpreter of the latter. With
growing interest in the field of patristic exegesis, there is a
need for examination of Tertullian's readings of Paul. Tertullian,
the first among the significant Latin writers, shaped generations
of Christians by providing both a vocabulary for and an exposition
of elemental Christian doctrines, wherein he relied heavily on
Pauline texts and appropriated them for his own use. This new
collection of essays presents a collaborative attempt to
understand, critique, and appreciate one of the earliest and most
influential interpreters of Paul, and thereby better understand and
appreciate both the dynamic event of early patristic exegesis and
the Pauline texts themselves. Each chapter takes a two pronged
approach, beginning with a patristic scholar considering the topic
at hand, before a New Testament response. This results in a fast
paced and illuminating interdisciplinary volume.
Building on the work of Tertullian and Paul this volume continues a
series of specially commissioned studies by leading voices in New
Testament/Early Christianity and Patristics studies to consider how
Paul was read, interpreted and received by the Church Fathers. In
this volume the use of Paul's writings is examined within the work
of the Apostolic Fathers. Issue of influence, reception, theology
and history are examined to show how Paul's work influenced the
developing theology of the early Church. The literary style of
Paul's output is also examined. The contributors to the volume
represent leading lights in the study of the Apostolic Fathers, as
well as respected names from the field of New Testament studies.
How might late second/early third century readings of Paul
illuminate our understanding of the first century texts? A close
comparison of Tertullian and Paul reveals the former to be both a
dubious and a profoundly insightful interpreter of the latter. With
growing interest in the field of patristic exegesis, there is a
need for examination of Tertullian's readings of Paul. Tertullian,
the first among the significant Latin writers, shaped generations
of Christians by providing both a vocabulary for and an exposition
of elemental Christian doctrines, wherein he relied heavily on
Pauline texts and appropriated them for his own use. This new
collection of essays presents a collaborative attempt to
understand, critique, and appreciate one of the earliest and most
influential interpreters of Paul, and thereby better understand and
appreciate both the dynamic event of early patristic exegesis and
the Pauline texts themselves. Each chapter takes a two pronged
approach, beginning with a patristic scholar considering the topic
at hand, before a New Testament response. This results in a fast
paced and illuminating interdisciplinary volume.
This book offers an upper-level introduction to the Christian
doctrine of the Church. This book is a rigorous comprehensive
introduction to the doctrine of the Church by taking the tack of
walking readers through the internal logic of ecclesiology. Rather
than simply offering a compendium of perspectives on each issue
that arises, the authors seek to teach and model thinking
theologically, with the grain of scripture and ecclesial
reflection, about the Church. The chapters are peppered with two to
three excurses per chapter which consider a particularly pertinent
issue that arises from the doctrine's development (e.g. the move
from Jesus to the Church, schism and the rise of denominations,
sacramental mediation) or contemporary concerns (e.g. the question
of other religions, contemporary ecumenical questions, the emerging
church). While the overall tone and content of the book articulate
and invite discussion on the problematics of ecclesiology, these
excurses will provide ample opportunity to examine and (where
appropriate) untangle ecclesiological knots. "Continuum's Guides
for the Perplexed" are clear, concise and accessible introductions
to thinkers, writers and subjects that students and readers can
find especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering.
Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject
difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and
ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of
demanding material.
An upper-level introduction to the Christian doctrine of the
Church. This book is a rigorous comprehensive introduction to the
doctrine of the Church by taking the tack of walking readers
through the internal logic of ecclesiology. Rather than simply
offering a compendium of perspectives on each issue that arises,
the authors seek to teach and model thinking theologically, with
the grain of scripture and ecclesial reflection, about the Church.
The chapters are peppered with two to three excurses per chapter
which consider a particularly pertinent issue that arises from the
doctrine's development (e.g. the move from Jesus to the Church,
schism and the rise of denominations, sacramental mediation) or
contemporary concerns (e.g. the question of other religions,
contemporary ecumenical questions, the emerging church). While the
overall tone and content of the book articulate and invite
discussion on the problematics of ecclesiology, these excurses will
provide ample opportunity to examine and (where appropriate)
untangle ecclesiological knots. "Continuum's Guides for the
Perplexed" are clear, concise and accessible introductions to
thinkers, writers, and subjects that students and readers can find
especially challenging - or indeed downright bewildering.
Concentrating specifically on what it is that makes the subject
difficult to grasp, these books explain and explore key themes and
ideas, guiding the reader towards a thorough understanding of
demanding material.
The first three hundred years of the common era witnessed critical
developments that would become foundational for Christianity
itself, as well as for the societies and later history that emerged
thereafter. The concept of 'ancient Christianity,' however, along
with the content that the category represents, has raised
much debate. This is, in part, because within this category lie
multiple forms of devotion to Jesus Christ, multiple phenomena, and
multiple permutations in the formative period of Christian history.
Within those multiples lie numerous contests, as varieties of
Christian identity laid claim to authority and authenticity in
different ways. The Cambridge History of Ancient Christianity
addresses these contested areas with both nuance and clarity by
reviewing, synthesizing, and critically engaging recent scholarly
developments. The 27 thematic chapters, specially commissioned for
this volume from an international team of scholars, also offer
constructive ways forward for future research.
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