When early Christians began to study the Bible, and to write their own history and that of the Jews whom they claimed to supersede, they used scholarly methods invented by the librarians and literary critics of Hellenistic Alexandria. But Origen and Eusebius, two scholars of late Roman Caesarea, did far more. Both produced new kinds of books, in which parallel columns made possible critical comparisons previously unenvisioned, whether between biblical texts or between national histories. Eusebius went even farther, creating new research tools, new forms of history and polemic, and a new kind of library to support both research and book production. Christianity and the Transformation of the Book combines broad-gauged synthesis and close textual analysis to reconstruct the kinds of books and the ways of organizing scholarly inquiry and collaboration among the Christians of Caesarea, on the coast of Roman Palestine. The book explores the dialectical relationship between intellectual history and the history of the book, even as it expands our understanding of early Christian scholarship. Christianity and the Transformation of the Book attends to the social, religious, intellectual, and institutional contexts within which Origen and Eusebius worked, as well as the details of their scholarly practices--practices that, the authors argue, continued to define major sectors of Christian learning for almost two millennia and are, in many ways, still with us today.,

It is estimated that only a small fraction, less than 1 per cent, of ancient literature has survived to the present day. The role of Christian authorities in the active suppression and destruction of books in Late Antiquity has received surprisingly little sustained consideration by academics. In an approach that presents evidence for the role played by Christian institutions, writers and saints, this book analyses a broad range of literary and legal sources, some of which have hitherto been little studied. Paying special attention to the problem of which genres and book types were likely to be targeted, the author argues that in addition to heretical, magical, astrological and anti-Christian books, other less obviously subversive categories of literature were also vulnerable to destruction, censorship or suppression through prohibition of the copying of manuscripts. These include texts from materialistic philosophical traditions, texts which were to become the basis for modern philosophy and science. This book examines how Christian authorities, theologians and ideologues suppressed ancient texts and associated ideas at a time of fundamental transformation in the late classical world.

From a prize-winning author, this book charts the course of Christianity from ancient history onwards.

Insider twentysomething Christian journalist Brett McCracken has grown up in the evangelical Christian subculture and observed the recent shift away from the "stained glass and steeples" old guard of traditional Christianity to a more unorthodox, stylized 21st-century church. This change raises a big issue for the church in our postmodern world: the question of cool. The question is whether or not Christianity can be, should be, or is, in fact, cool. This probing book is about an emerging category of Christians McCracken calls "Christian hipsters"--the unlikely fusion of the American obsessions with worldly "cool" and otherworldly religion--an analysis of what they're about, why they exist, and what it all means for Christianity and the church's relevancy and hipness in today's youth-oriented culture.

Answers to the most-asked questions about Christian faith! The Case for Christianity Answer Book is a great book for both newer and seasoned Christians alike. The Q&A format lends itself to helping believers know how to effectively defend their faith. Perfect for those ready to consider Jesus, longtime believers, someone seeking the truth, or even a skeptic. This book is great for anyone looking for a handy reference. The Case for Christianity Answer Book provides succinct answers to real questions about Christianity. Strobel, a former atheist, uses his investigative journalism skills to dig deep into the Bible to provide compelling and concise answers about Christianity. In this answer book, bestselling author Lee Strobel offers biblically based answers to questions such as: Did God use evolution when He created the world? If God is loving, why is there so much suffering? Do the resurrection accounts in the four Gospels contradict each other? Can you have doubts and still be a Christian?

Examine the evidence for Christianity and why it is worth considering. Lots of people assume that Christianity is simply a nice story for kids or a niche hobby for weirdos—or worse, unattractively restrictive. In this book, Ben Shaw invites sceptical readers to think again. He outlines seven reasons why Christianity is worth considering—or reconsidering—not least because it offers some thought-provoking and rational answers to our deepest questions. This warm, honest book shows that the Christian message is both more credible and more wonderful than we might have otherwise thought, and calls readers to investigate the person of Jesus for themselves.

Although many people suggest that Christianity is declining, research indicates that it continues to be the world's most popular worldview. But even so, the Christian faith includes many controversial beliefs that non-Christians find hard to accept. This book explores 12 issues that might cause someone to dismiss orthodox Christianity—issues such as the existence of suffering, the Bible's teaching on gender and sexuality, the reality of heaven and hell, the authority of the Bible, and more. Showing how the best research from sociology, science, and psychology doesn't disagree with but actually aligns with claims found in the Bible, these chapters help skeptics understand why these issues are signposts, rather than roadblocks, to faith in Christ.

You Mean to Say You Don’t Know the Meaning of * Monophysitism * Hypostatic Union * Infralapsarian * Traducianism * Chiliastic * Pneumatomachian Cheer up! You don’t have to have thousand-dollar vocabulary in order to grasp the priceless basics of Christianity. Christianity 101 bridges the gap between biblical scholarship and people who want to understand the Christian faith. This book presents eight basic doctrines of Christianity--The Bible, God, Christ, Holy Spirit, Human Beings, Redemption, The Church, and The Last Things--in clear, simple language that gives seasoned Christians a fresh understanding of the Bible and its teachings and puts new Christians on familiar terms with Christian doctrine. Gilbert Bilezikian does not shape his analysis of these doctrines in the worn-out, rationalistic categories of older systematic theologies, but in vibrant, dynamic language designed to communicate biblical truths to contemporary believers.

From the creative minds of the scholarly group behind the groundbreaking Jesus Seminar comes this provocative and eye-opening look at the roots of Christianity that offers a thoughtful reconsideration of the first two centuries of the Jesus movement, transforming our understanding of the religion and its early dissemination. Christianity has endured for more than two millennia and is practiced by billions worldwide today. Yet that longevity has created difficulties for scholars tracing the religion’s roots, distorting much of the historical investigation into the first two centuries of the Jesus movement. But what if Christianity died in the fourth or fifth centuries after it began? How would that change how historians see and understand its first two hundred years? Considering these questions, three Bible scholars from the Westar Institute summarize the work of the Christianity Seminar and its efforts to offer a new way of thinking about Christianity and its roots. Synthesizing the institute’s most recent scholarship—bringing together the many archaeological and textual discoveries over the last twenty years—they have found: There were multiple Jesus movements, not a singular one, before the fourth century There was nothing called Christianity until the third century There was much more flexibility and diversity within Jesus’s movement before it became centralized in Rome, not only regarding the Bible and religious doctrine, but also understandings of gender, sexuality and morality. Exciting and revolutionary, After Jesus Before Christianity provides fresh insights into the real history behind how the Jesus movement became Christianity. After Jesus Before Christianity includes more than a dozen black-and-white images throughout.

With over twenty years in the classroom, Gail Ramshaw frames this new introduction to Christianity survey text around the basic questions students ask. Taking a broad social-scientific approach and integrating historical context, she anchors each chapter in phenomenological theory and teases out the answers to each chapters question by surveying the history, doctrine, practices, and convictions of Christianity. Written for students with little to no background in Christianity, the book contains student-friendly learning helps including chapter summaries, photos and charts, I am a Christian statements that illustrate the diversity of practice and belief, study questions, suggestions for further exploration in both books and film, a glossary, and an index.