October
2010
The New Testament and Diversity
So, historically, the NT represents the inclusiveness that characterized earliest “proto-orthodoxy” (as I’ve noted in my chapter on “Proto-Orthodox Devotion” in Lord Jesus Christ, 563-648). For Christians thinking about diversity among themselves today, there just might something there worth pondering.
August
2010
How did Jesus become a God?
Larry Hurtado has a well deserved reputation for his excellent work on the origins on Christian worship. As such, he has also made a welcome contribution to the debates over Christology in the earliest church. Happily, thanks to St John’s Nottingham, he can speak for himself.
July
2009
An Early Christian Refuge?
A 2,000-year-old underground chamber has been discovered in Israel’s Jordan Valley.
The largest human-made cave in Israel, the 1-acre (0.4-hectare) space is thought to have begun as a quarry. In subsequent centuries it may have served as a monastery, hideout for persecuted Christians, or Roman army base, experts say.
Archaeologists working in the valley found the cave this past March when they came across a hole in a rock face.
As they were about to enter, two fearful-looking Bedouins appeared and warned the team that hyenas and wolves inhabited the cave.
Read more at National Geographic…
October
2008
Alexandria and Antioch
Some sources to help you get your head around these two schools of thought:
October
2008
Sidetrack and Diversions
The books I mentioned yesterday on Teresa/John of the Cross were:
Merton, Thomas (1976) Ascent to Truth (Continuum)
Williams, Rowan (2003) Teresa of Avila (Continuum)
For more on Roman attitudes towards Christians try the superb:
Wilkin, Robert L (2003) The Christians as the Romans Saw Them (Yale)
On the early church generally, Wilken has written the equally good: The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God which was published by Yale in 2005.
August
2008
The Greek Fathers
The Patrologia Graeca is an enormous 161 volume collection of the those Early Church fathers who wrote in Greek. Whilst it is sometimes criticized it remains, 140 years on, still a crucial resource.
March
2008
Early Church Fathers
There are a vast number of writings from the Early Church Fathers online, but many of them are taken from the Victorian collection translated by Roberts and Donaldson. However, this is not a complete collection and many works are missing or incomplete. Gaps can be filled by going to the Tertullian website which has many Early Church Fathers in English translation unavailable elsewhere online.