History of Christianity Bookshelf:
These books are excellent additions to one's library and are particularly useful for research.
Influence of Greek Ideas on Christianity
Greek philosophy had formed the minds of the educated classes
of the Roman Empire for centuries before the early Christians set out to spread
their message there. If they wished to gain a hearing, therefore, the language
of Greek philosophy was the language they had to speak. This venture was to have
a long history and an enduring effect both upon Christianity itself and on the
world that it was seeking to convince and convert. Buy from Amazon.com »
The Influence of Greek Ideas and Usages upon the Christian
Church
This book consists of the Hibbart Lectures of 1888 that were published following
the death of Edwim Hatch, a devout Christian scholar. His thesis is clearly
stated: "It is impossible for any one, whether he be a student of history or no,
to fail to notice a difference of both form and content between the Sermon on
the Mount and the Nicene Creed... The one belongs to a world of Syrian peasants,
the other to a would of Greek philosophers. The contrast is patent.... The
presumption is that [the change] was the result of Greek influence. It will
appear from the Lectures that this presumption is true. Their general subject
is, consequently, The Influence of Greece upon Christianity." Anyone who has
wrestled with the contrasting images of the teaching of Jesus in the New
Testament and the propositional creeds of later Christianity, and who has
wondered how "belief" as trust and confidence in a person became transmuted into
"belief" meaning assent to a series of metaphysical propositions will find
Hatch's work very illuminating, in spite of its age and somewhat stilted (by
today's standards) language. Highly recommended, and worth seeking out. Buy from Amazon.com »
One God One Lord: Early Christian Devotion and Ancient Jewish Monotheism
Early Christian devotion and ancient Jewish monotheism. The reissue of a classic
work, with an extensive new introduction in which Professor Hurtado evaluates
the most recent developments in Christology. Hurtado traces the rise of ideas of
Christ's divinity to Jewish sources. He shows that Christains naturally relied
on Jewish concepts of a principal angelic helper to God to under-stand the
meaning of Jesus' mission. Buy from Amazon.com »
At the Origins of Christian Worship: The Context and Character of
Earliest Christian Devotion
An informative look at the beginnings of Christian worship.
Christian worship has a long and complex history. This volume deepens our
understanding of early Christian worship by setting it within the context of the
Roman world in which it developed.
Exploring this formative period in church history, Larry Hurtado highlights
the two central characteristics of earliest Christian worship: its exclusive
rejection of the gods of the ancient world and its inclusion of Christ with God
as the focus of devotion. His excellent study also offers reflections on
Christian worship today, suggesting ways contemporary worship can be enriched
and corrected by drawing on the early Christian worship traditions.
Both historical and practical, this volume will be valuable to readers
ranging from church pastors and worship leaders to individuals interested in the
origins of Christian faith and practice.
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