Introduction to Early Church History

The First 500 Years

Perry Edwards

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN:
  9781666755206
  9781666755213
• eBook ISBN:
  9781666755220
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: History of Christianity

As an introduction to early church history, this book is not intended to cover any subject exhaustively. Its goal is to provide an overview of the most significant leaders of the church while adding stories of ordinary Christians who remained faithful to the Lord in the face of persecution. It will introduce readers to how the church, in its first five centuries, sought to answer the primary theological questions of the day. This book is meant to whet the appetite of those who have never read early church history and refresh the minds of those who have. For some, the reading of this book will be the beginning of a journey that will lead to a deep and abiding love for the history of God's sovereign working in the church and in the world.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Alexander the Great and the Romans
• Chapter 2: Jews and Gentiles
• Chapter 3: Persecution and the Fall of Jerusalem
• Chapter 4: Persecution in the Second Century
• Chapter 5: The First Apologists
• Chapter 6: Gnosticism and the Church’s Response
• Chapter 7: Three Great Second and Third Century Teachers
• Chapter 8: Persecution in the Third Century
• Chapter 9: The Persecution of Emperor Diocletian
• Chapter 10: Emperor Constantine and the Council of Nicaea
• Chapter 11: Athanasius of Alexandria (295/300–373 AD)
• Chapter 12: The Monastic Movement
• Chapter 13: The Monastic Movement
• Chapter 14: John Chrysostom (c.347–407)
• Chapter 15: Augustine of Hippo (354–430)
• Chapter 16: Patrick (c.389–c.461/492)
• Chapter 17: Leo the Great (c.390–461 AD)
• Conclusion
• Glossary
• Further Reading
• Bibliography