Christianity and the Roman Empire : Background Texts
The rise of Christianity during the first four centuries of the common era was the pivotal development in Western history and profoundly influenced the later direction of all world history. Yet, for all that has been written on early Christian history, the primary sources for this history are widely scattered, difficult to find, and generally unknown to lay persons and to historians not specially trained in the field. In Christianity and the Roman Empire Ralph Novak interweaves these primary sources with a narrative text and constructs a single continuous account of these crucial centuries. The
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9780567018403, 0567018407
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Foreword
Significant Events and Primary Sources
1. A Brief Introduction to Historical Method
2. The Eagle and the Cross: The First Century C.E
3. A Century of Martyrs: The Second Century C.E
4. Struggle and Accommodation: The Third Century C.E
5. The Cross Triumphant: The Fourth Century C.E
6. The Scouring of Alexandria, CA. 361-416 C.E
Appendixes on Primary Source Topics
Appendix A: Rome's Accommodation with Judaism
Appendix B: Accusations of Christian Immorality
Appendix C: The Worship of the Roman Emperor. Appendix D: The Formulation of the Nicene Creed
Appendix E: Determining the Dates of the Life of Jesus
Sources and Translations
Index of Ancient Texts
Index of Subjects