Table of Contents
For Emily & Elaina. Yes, Daddy can play now.
Introduction
Welcome to The Complete Idiots Guide to Early Christianity. By early Christianity, we are referring to the first 300 years or so of the existence of the Christian faith. This period begins with the life of Jesus of Nazareth, on whom Christianity is based, and ends with the rise of the Roman Emperor Constantine, under whose leadership Christianity became a favored religion.
How to Use This Book
While well try to cover all the bases, any book of this size can only hope to orient the reader to the amazingly complex and sometimes baffling world of early Christianity. Think of this book as a map. At nearly every point along our journey, there will be room for you to explore more deeply areas of this history that catch your eye. My hope is that what you read here will help to orient you, and as we go, I will point you to further resources that can assist you.
The Path Ahead
Weve got a lot of ground to cover, so Im going to make this as easy as possible. Ive broken the book down into five parts to make this more manageable for you.
Part 1, Beginnings, will get us familiar with the background that well need to understand Jesus and his earliest followers. If youve ever read the New Testament and felt like you were getting only part of the story, this will interest you.
Once weve got that foundation going for us, Part 2, Conflict and Crisis, will delve into the ways that Christians began to define themselves as their numbers grew larger and more diverse. This is where well look at folks like the gnostics, who have been getting so much press recently.
Sometimes we can get so focused on the big names and big arguments in history, we forget about the little guy. Well take a more thematic approach in Part 3, Church and Culture, and ask what daily life was like as a Christian in the Roman Empire.
When we get back to the action in Part 4, Kingdom and Empire, things are really beginning to heat up between Christians and the Roman Empire. At the same time, the Church is getting stronger and more assertive. As well see, just when it seems like theres no end in sight, a series of events brings Constantine, a Christian emperor, to the throne. That, of course, changes everything. Christianity went from being an illegal religion to being the favored faith of the empire. Well wind up our time together by looking at how those changes impacted Christianity and look at how current, momentous changes in the Christian world make our exploration of early Christianity very relevant.
Clues for the Journey
All through this book, you will find these little gems that we call sidebars. Theyre designed to provide you with information that doesnt fit well into the flow of the story.
From the Source
Theres nothing quite like hearing it straight from the horses mouth. In these sidebars, Ill share with you selected quotations from ancient writers.
Word to the Wise
Just as well hear from ancient writers, occasionally Ill share with you an insightful remark from a modern scholar.
In Depth
Late antiquity was a very different place and time. Heres where Ill highlight significant people, events, and discoveries that enhance our understanding of early Christianity.
Word Knowledge
I promise to use plain language as much as possible, but sometimes we have to use new terms. When that happens, Ill have a handy definition so you can keep on reading without wondering what Im talking about.
Acknowledgments
A book doesnt write itself, much as I have wished that it would at times. Every author owes a debt of gratitude to those who make the work possible. In particular, I have relied a great deal on the patience of those around me as this project came to completion.
First, to Michele Wells and the editors at Alpha Books, my deepest thanks for their skill and energy, and especially for their incredible patience with me through this process.
I am surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who remind me who I am and what Im about, and who are patient with me when I too frequently forget. To Dale and Diane Pollard, Deb Steinkamp, Adam Foy, and all of my friends with Eighth Day Community; to Baron and Cristina Miller (I got it right this time!) and the folks at Roosevelt Community Church; to Brett Desper, Chris Bickert, Josh and Jessa Parrish, and Rob Haskell, my deepest thanks. I want to especially thank two men, Fr. Dale Caldwell and Dr. Jonathan Wilson, for their friendship and for graciously sharing their time and wisdom with me. I treasure you both.
To my wife, Christine, thanks are not enough. She is the glue that keeps my world together. Without her, none of this would be possible. Thank you, dearest.
Finally, to my little girls, Emily and Elaina, Daddy says, Thank you. This book was an unexpected project, and Dad had to do a disappearing act more times than he found comfortable. Emily and Elaina are the ones who gave up the most so that I could complete this book, often without understanding why. It is to them and their patience that this work is dedicated.
Special Thanks to the Technical Reviewer
The Complete Idiots Guide to Early Christianity was reviewed by an expert who double-checked the accuracy of what youll learn here, to help us ensure that this book gives you everything you need to know. Special thanks are extended to James S. Bell.
Trademarks
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be or are suspected of being trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Alpha Books and Penguin Group (USA) Inc. cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.
Part 1
Beginnings
Before there was Christianity, there was Christ. Before there was a church, per se, there were the women and men who knew Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus left us no writings of his own, so we have to rely on what his followers tell us about him. Who were they, and how did they interpret Jesus life?
In this first part, well get acquainted with the world that Jesus and his earliest followers occupied. Once we have a snapshot of late antiquity in our minds eye, well be ready to consider the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Well listen to his teachings through his contemporaries and explore the impact of the stories about his death and alleged resurrection. When his followers shift into high gear, well head out with them as they spread his word. Cataclysmic events and the passing away of the first generation of Christians forced the emerging Christian community to relate to Jesus differently, and thats where well end up.
