In first-century Rome, following Jesus comes at a tremendous social cost. An urbane Roman landowner and merchant is intrigued by the Christian faith-but is he willing to give up his status and lifestyle to join the church? Meanwhile his young client, a catechumen in the church at Rome, is beginning to see just how much his newfound faith will require of him. A Week in the Life of Rome is a cross section of ancient Roman society, from the overcrowded apartment buildings of the poor to the halls of the emperors. Against this rich backdrop, illuminated with images and explanatory sidebars, we are invited into the daily struggles of the church at Rome just a few years before Paul wrote his famous epistle to them. A gripping tale of ambition, intrigue, and sacrifice, James Papandrea's novel is a compelling work of historical fiction that shows us the first-century Roman church as we've never seen it before.

The second century was a religious and cultural crucible for early Christian Christology. Was Christ a man, temporarily inhabited by the divine? Was he a spirit, only apparently cloaked in flesh? Or was he the Logos, truly incarnate? Between varieties of adoptionism on the one hand and brands of gnosticism on the other, the church's understanding took shape. In this clear and concise introduction, James Papandrea sets out five of the principal images of Christ that dominated belief and debate in the postapostolic age. While beliefs on the ground were likely more tangled and less defined than we can know, Papandrea helps us see how Logos Christology was forged as the beginning of the church's orthodox confession. This informative and clarifying study of early Christology provides a solid ground for students to begin to explore the early church and its Christologies.

Synopsis: Rome: A Pilgrim's Guide to the Eternal City is not a travel book; it is a pilgrim's guide to the city of Rome and its most ancient churches. In addition to helpful descriptions of the primary monuments and churches of Rome, this book will give the reader just enough historical background to enhance the spiritual nature of a trip to the Eternal City. Along with the description of each church, Papandrea includes prayers from the ancient church, and across the span of the history of Christianity, in order to facilitate prayer and meditation in the very sites that have been considered holy ground for over a millennium. Over one hundred photographs are included, not only to help the reader use this book as a guide in Rome, but also to make the book a valuable devotional aid both before and after the trip. Coming back from Rome after using this book, the reader will find that Rome has become a second home. Endorsements: "There are many guidebooks to Rome, but this is the one true pilgrim guide. It has been almost a half-century since the last great one was published, and Rome has changed much since then. Christian travelers have been in dire need of this book. A pilgrim should always travel light, but never be without Papandrea's Rome. It goes deep in history and still deeper in true piety." --Mike Aquilina, author of The Fathers of the Church and many other books Author Biography: James L. Papandrea, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Church History at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. He is the author of Reading the Early Church Fathers (2012), Novatian of Rome and the Culmination of Pre-Nicene Orthodoxy (Pickwick 2011), The Wedding of the Lamb: A Historical Approach to the Book of Revelation (Pickwick 2011), Spiritual Blueprint: How We Live, Work, Love, Play, and Pray (2010), and The Trinitarian Theology of Novatian of Rome: A Study in Third-Century Orthodoxy (2008). His Web site is www.JimPapandrea.com.

Synopsis: Novatian of Rome and the Culmination of Pre-Nicene Orthodoxy is an overview of the development of Christology and Trinitarian doctrine, which reached a plateau with Novatian, the third-century priest of Rome. Here James Papandrea offers an enlightening and thorough treatment of the thought, historical context, and theological influences of Novatian. Included are an assessment of the alternative Christologies of the pre-Nicene period, a survey of Novatian's legacy, and concluding comments on the relevance of his theology and ecclesiology for the contemporary church. Endorsements: "Jim Papandrea has rectified the long-standing neglect of Novatian, a sophisticated thinker a century ahead of his time. Dr. Papandrea insightfully corrects the simplistic, age-old equation of subordination of power with inferiority of substance. Students of early Christian thought will appreciate Papandrea's survey of a trajectory that begins in the second century and culminates in Nicea and Chalcedon." -A. Andrew Das Elmhurst College "Bringing to life Novatian of Rome--a figure whose long-lasting effects on orthodox theology have some times been overshadowed by his more famous contemporaries-in a coherent and excellently researched book, James Papandrea offers rich and valuable insights into the development of Trinitarian and christological thought in the Latin West during the crucial pre-Nicene period. This book is a much needed companion to any treatment of Christology and Trinity and will be used by both seminarians and historians alike." -George Kalantzis The Wheaton Center for Early Christian Studies "In Novatian of Rome and the Culmination of Pre-Nicene Orthodoxy Papandrea provides a concise overview of the complex aspects of second- and third-century Christology and how these various streams of thought flowed together in the thought of Novatian, an oft-overlooked but fascinating theologian whose life experiences illustrate his sincere commitment to the spirituality and theology of the Church. This is an excellent resource for anyone considering the development of Christian doctrine in this formative period." -Peter Steiger Chaminade University of Honolulu Author Biography: James L. Papandrea is Assistant Professor of Church History at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL. He is the author of The Wedding of the Lamb: A Historical Approach to the Book of Revelation (Pickwick 2011), Spiritual Blueprint: How We Live, Work, Love, Play, and Pray (2010), and The Trinitarian Theology of Novatian of Rome (2008).

Synopsis: The Wedding of the Lamb does not fit into any of the traditional categories of interpretation for the book of Revelation. The author uses historical sources to combine New Testament interpretation with the history of the Roman/early Christian period to present an interpretation that is meant to approximate the way the early Christians would have understood the text. Far from a doomsday message, the message of Revelation is one of hope for a Church in the midst of persecution. The result is an interpretation which, unlike the proliferation of fictionalized accounts of the "end-times," recognizes that most of the images in the book of Revelation are references to events in the history of the Church. Endorsements: "By grounding his interpretation on the historical reality of its author, James L. Papandrea has accomplished the very difficult task of liberating the Book of Revelation from the limitations imposed on it by both fundamentalist and liberal readings. As the title suggests, this is a historical approach to Revelation, which tries to avoid the mistakes made by those interpreters who see in it a blueprint for the future of the world or simply a metaphorical or symbolic account. This book will be very useful for those who want to attain a balanced and relevant reading of a text well traveled." --Osvaldo D. Vena Professor of New Testament Interpretation Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Author Biography: Jim Papandrea is Assistant Professor of Church History at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. He is the author of Spiritual Blueprint (2010), and The Trinitarian Theology of Novatian of Rome: A Study in Third-Century Orthodoxy (2008).