Formation and Struggles - The Birth of the Church AD 33- 200 by Veselin Kesich Hist.5
This study of the formation of the Church begins with the earliest
Christian community in Jerusalem, led by Jesus disciples, and ends
with the expansion of Christianity into various regions of the Roman
Empire. Tracing the growing pains of the Church from its birth through
its separation from Judaism to its struggle against Gnostic and pagan
influences, the author demonstrates how early Christians deepened their
loyalty to the apostolic tradition by wrestling with internal and
external challenges.
The author appeals to the general reader as well as the scholar by
answering perennially popular questions: Did Jesus marry? Who was
responsible for the crucifixion? What is the relationship between
philosophy and theology? and How were the Scriptures compiled?
The volume concludes with teachings of the church father Irenaeus of
Lyons, who presents an image of a Church shaped by ministry, canon,
creed, and openness to the world as a Church that, by method and model,
offers a solid base for growth in the following centuries.
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