Table of Contents
Introduction 1
How to Read Early Christian Texts 2
Chapter 1 The Church in the Roman Empire 7
What Do We Mean by Church? 7
Relations with Judaism 8
Relations with the Romans and the Beginning of Persecution 10
The Martyr Documents 15
Chapter 2 The Apostolic Fathers 18
The Didache 18
Clement of Rome 19
Second Clement 23
Ignatius of Antioch 24
Polycarp of Smyrna 27
The Martyrdom of Polycarp 28
Papias of Hierapolis 29
The Epistle of Barnabas 30
The Shepherd of Hermas 30
Chapter 3 The Apologists 33
The Apology of Aristides 36
The Epistle to Diognetus 36
Justin Martyr 37
The Martyrdom of Justin 39
Tatian 40
Melito of Sardis 41
Athenagoras 41
Theophilus of Antioch 42
Clement of Alexandria 44
Chapter 4 The Church in the Subapostolic Age 48
The Development of the Hierarchy 48
Worship and the Sacraments 54
Christology and Theology in the Subapostolic Age 58
From Apology to Theology 88
Chapter 5 The Theologians 92
Irenaeus of Lyons 92
Tertullian 97
Hippolytus 105
Origen 111
Novatian 115
Chapter 6 The New Testament Canon 119
Stages of Development of the New Testament 120
Patristic Exegesis 125
The History of Patristic Exegesis 134
Chapter 7 The Church in the Third-Century 139
Christology and Theology in the Third Century 139
The Episcopacy and the Emerging Primacy of Rome 147
Persecution in the Third Century 156
The Controversy over Baptism and Rebaptism 168
What, Then, Is the Church? 172
Chapter 8 The Church and the Empire 176
The Great Persecution 177
The First Christian Emperor 179
The Arian Controversy 183
Unity through Standardization 191
Chapter 9 Ongoing Themes 200
Anthropology 200
Ecclesiology 207
Christology 210
Soteriology 219
Conclusions 225
Charts and Tables 229
Chart 1: The Gnostic Family Tree 231
Table 1: Christology and Theology in the Subapostolic Age 232
Table 2: Assumptions of Patristic Exegesis 233
Table 3: The History of Patristic Exegesis 235
Table 4: Christology and Theology in the Third Century 237
Chart 2: Christological Options and Influences 238
Table 5: Christology and Theology in the Fourth Century 239
Table 6: Christology and Theology in the Fifth Century 240
Table 7: Important Theological Concepts and Doctrines 241
Appendix: The Primary Sources 243
Map of the Roman Empire with Places Mentioned 244
Notes 245
Subject Index 337
