Автор: Frances Young, Lewis Ayres, Andrew Louth
Название: The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature
Издательство: Cambridge University Press
Год: 2004
ISBN: 9780521460835 / 0521460832
Язык: English
Формат: pdf
Размер: 13,1 mb
Страниц: 566
The excellent Cambridge Histories have not so far included a scholarly compendium on the literature of early Christianity. This volume seeks to fill that gap, while taking note of new developments in the field, which make it particularly appropriate to undertake the production of such a volume at this time.
This literature has traditionally been studied by students of Christian theology and Christian scholars with an interest in the doctrinal and organizational development of the Church. It has commonly been described using the adjective ‘patristic’, since these authors were considered the ‘Fathers’ of the Church, and introductory handbooks have been known as ‘Patrologies’. It is not intended to ignore the concerns of this clientele, though it is hoped that a wider readership may also turn to this volume as a standard work of reference. Increasing historical interest in the late Roman and early Byzantine worlds has made the subject much more interdisciplinary. Indeed, it could be argued that this material is simply a subclass of the literature of late antiquity, and a reference work should include the whole range of material. However, this would consign the material in this volume to a small section, and since it is a substantial and historically significant subclass, there is a case to be made for examining it in its own right, as long as the wider historical context, and the sharing of perspectives and concerns with non-Christian contemporaries, are made clear.
The work of individual writers are considered alongside three general essays which survey the social, cultural and doctrinal context within which Christian literature arose. This is a landmark reference book for scholars and students alike.