The treasure chest of the early Christians : faith, care and community from the Apostolic Age to Constantine the Great / David Batson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Batson, David.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Christian life--History--Early church, ca. 30-600.

Christian life.

History.

Church history--Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600.

Church history.

Church history--Primitive and early church.

Physical Description:

xvi, 128 pages : 1 map ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

Leominster : Gracewing ; Grand Rapids, Mich. : W.B. Eerdmans, 2001.

Summary:

Integral to the rapid and startling growth of Christianity throughout the Mediterranean world in the first three centuries following the Crucifixion, were the early Church's systems for social caring -- the 'treasure chest', or area, of Tertullian, in which the Christian communities kept the offerings of the faithful collected for the poor, stands as a symbol of the application of faith to social welfare. In this book David Batson highlights the interaction between Christianity and its social setting in the period from the Apostolic Age to the time of Constantine, and shows how the earliest believers cared for the needs of the destitute and deprived in anxious and dangerous times, eventually providing a model of social care unique in Late Antiquity. The role already developed by the Early Church as carer of the needy has contributed to the modern concept of care in the community.

The dominant themes continue to resonate down the centuries: the relationship between Church and State, the divergences between faith and practice, the conflict between traditionalism and modernity, the challenge of fundamentalism and the continuing reality of persecution. Here is an invaluable introduction to the world of the first Christians, set against the complex background of Classical and Late Antique society.

Contents:

Chapter 1 The Historical Background 1

Chapter 2 The Social Context of the Apostolic Age 14

Chapter 3 Jesus and the First Communities 25

Chapter 4 Charity Begins at Home 42

Chapter 5 Consolidation and Controversy 55

Chapter 6 Changing Fortunes 74

Chapter 7 Constantine and the Christian Empire 100

Epilogue: The Roots of Community Care 114.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [120]-123) and index.

ISBN:

0852445229

0802839452

OCLC:

59398860