THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EARLY CHRISTIAN IDEAS.
The period from the mid second century, when Justin Martyr wrote his defense of the Christian faith, unto the beginning of the fourth century, when Eusebius presented a somewhat triumphalistic account of church history, was a period of both theological creativityand challenge for the emergent religious movement.
It was during this period that numerous thinkers wrestled to formulate an intellectual account of the faith. In part, this was motivated by a desire to understand better the nature and basis of the Christian belief system.
I am reading the book 'EARLY CHRISTIAN THINKERS" which is about 12 early thinkers from 150-330 A.D. who worked on and wanted to resolve issues about the Christian faith.
This book covers the writings and impact of each of the 12 figures discussed here reflect the way in which these early Christians, while being rooted in their own cultural contexts, made innovative contributions towards developing Christian thought, theology and piety. These men left lasting which have shaped the subsequent history of Christianity.
Many of their ideas were formative for later expression of Christian theology.
What his book seek to do is to describe the life, theology, and contribution of each of the figures within the broader stream of the development and evolution of Christianity.
I am excited to start reading this book, because I want to learn just how those early men understood the writings of Paul and Peter and John the Apostles.
What is amazing is how from those early years following the writing of the New Testament there was a group of men who wanted to understand the writings of the Apostles..
The 12 men under study reflect the intellectual legacy and cultural heritage of a faith that transformed itself from being a messianic sect originating in the back water of Galilee into a group that proclaimed a universal salvation and in the process shook the religious fabric of the Empire.
In the following post, I will tell you the 12 figures under discussion.
I am reading this book on my Kindle Fire by the way.
