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Reclaiming Catholic History #1
The Early Church (33–313): St. Peter, the Apostles, and Martyrs
Winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (first place, best new religious book series). Church history is a lot like the tale The Emperor’s New Clothes , according to Catholic historian James L. No one wants to seem unenlightened, so they pretend to see what’s not there.
In The Early Church (33–313): St. Peter, the Apostles, and Martyrs , Papandrea refutes fourteen fashionable “mythconceptions” about early Christian history and enables believers to make sense of the Church’s beginnings. The first Apostles spread the message of Jesus Christ and were willing to suffer and die for their faith. The next generations of believers followed their example with zeal, producing inspiring martyrs including Sts. Justin and Perpetua, and great thinkers such as Irenaeus, and Tertullian. In this book, you will
Books in the Reclaiming Catholic History series, edited by Mike Aquilina and written by leading authors and historians, bring Church history to life, debunking the myths one era at a time
In The Early Church (33–313): St. Peter, the Apostles, and Martyrs , Papandrea refutes fourteen fashionable “mythconceptions” about early Christian history and enables believers to make sense of the Church’s beginnings. The first Apostles spread the message of Jesus Christ and were willing to suffer and die for their faith. The next generations of believers followed their example with zeal, producing inspiring martyrs including Sts. Justin and Perpetua, and great thinkers such as Irenaeus, and Tertullian. In this book, you will
Books in the Reclaiming Catholic History series, edited by Mike Aquilina and written by leading authors and historians, bring Church history to life, debunking the myths one era at a time
160 pages, Paperback
Published November 22, 2019
37 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
James L. Papandrea
29 books39 followersDr. James L. Papandrea is an award-winning author, Professor of Church History and Historical Theology, and the host of the Catholic Culture podcast, The Way of the Fathers. Jim has an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University in the history and theology of the early Christian Church, with secondary concentrations in New Testament interpretation and the history of the Roman Empire. He has also studied Roman history at the American Academy in Rome, Italy. More information can be found via Jim’s homepage:
https://jimpapandrea.wordpress.com/ ,
his YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginalC... ,
and his Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/James-L...
https://jimpapandrea.wordpress.com/ ,
his YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginalC... ,
and his Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/James-L...
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 28, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed book 2 in this series: The Church and the Roman Empire by Mike Aquilina, and Mike is also the general editor of the whole series. I had high expectations for this volume and it did not disappoint. Over the years I have done several courses in church history and theology. I have a Religious Studies Degree with a specialization in Roman Catholic Thought. I would have loved to have had this book, and both I have read from the series so far while I was a student. Many years ago when I did an Introduction to Church History course on Conrad Grebel College at the University of Waterloo, our professor, Arnold Snider, often said throughout the year, “I do not care as much about dates and names and places, as the story of Christianity. On your final exam the main question will be ‘Your uncle Billy at Christmas dinner says: ‘I hear you did the history of Christianity, tell us the story in your own words?’” And that was one of the essay questions on the exam. This book and the two I have read in the series would have been great resources for that course. And If I had had them they would have been pulled out often for essays, papers and research. This is a great read in an excellent series.
This is the second book published in a this series, Reclaiming Catholic History, though it is the first book in the series. The series is being edited by Mike Aquilina and the first published volume is by him as well. About this series we are told:
“The history of the Catholic Church is often clouded by myth, misinformation, and missing pieces. Today there is a renewed interest in recovering the true history of the Church, correcting the record in the wake of centuries of half-truths and noble lies. Books in the Reclaiming Catholic History series, edited by Mike Aquilina and written by leading authors and historians, bring Church history to life, debunking the myths one era at a time.”
And if the others are as good as the two that are published we are in for some excellent reads. The chapters in this volume are:
Reclaiming Catholic History: Series Introduction
Chronology of The Early Church (33–313)
Map
Introduction: The Scholar’s New Clothes Chapter
1 The Era of the Apostles
2 The Era of the Apostolic Fathers
3 The Era of the Apologists
4 The Era of the Theologians
5 The Era of the Sacraments
6 The Era of Tribulation
Just the Beginning
Notes
For Further Reading
We are reminded again in the series introduction that:
“Not until the Bible do we encounter histories written by historical losers. God’s people were regularly defeated, enslaved, oppressed, occupied, and exiled. Yet they told their story honestly, because they held themselves—and their historians—to a higher judgment, higher even than the king or the forces of the market. They looked at history in terms of God’s judgment, blessings, curses, and mercy.”
We are also told that:
“Christian history tells the story not of an empire, nor of a culture, but of a family. And it is a story, not a scientific treatise. In many languages, the connection is clear.
…
The authors in this series strive to communicate history in a way that’s accessible and even entertaining. They see history as true stories well told. They don’t fear humor or pathos as threats to their trustworthiness.”
And from the two volumes available they have done an excellent job of doing just that. Papandrea in the introduction states:
“If I believe (as I do) that Jesus Christ really is the Son of God, really did create the Church, and really did send the Holy Spirit to guide her, then I’m more likely to accept that traditions are based on truth, and that miracles can happen. But if a historian is not a believer, and especially if that historian has an anti-Church bias (or an anti-Catholic bias, as many Protestant scholars of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries did), then that historian will fill in the gaps with some very different conclusions about what “must have” happened.”
He also says:
“What I’m giving you in this book is what I believe happened, based on a career of studying the evidence, with a firm belief in divine providence.”
And when writing about the birth of the church he says:
“I would argue that the birth of the Church was that Thursday night when Jesus took some bread and said, “This is my body,” and held up a cup of wine and said, “This is my blood.” The Church was born when Jesus instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist.”
We are informed that one of the main causes of conflict between Rome and the early church was mistrust.
“Eventually, the Romans started to understand that Christians were something separate from the Jews. This meant Christianity was something new. New was bad. New was suspicious. The Jews got a pass and got to practice their religion because it was ancient and because the Romans were trying to avoid rebellion. But this Christianity thing—this was an unknown quantity.”
And because:
“One of the most remarkable facets of the early Church is that Christians considered their morality as part of their very identity. This is very different from the way that pagan Romans thought of themselves.”
The section by Papandrea on the four reasons the church needs clergy and a clerical hierarchy is amazing. Papandrea also does an amazing job through out the book debunking myths about the Catholic church and church history. The ‘Up Close and Personal’ sections takes us deeper into specific historical figures. And the ‘You be the Judge’ sections lay out the historical facts and helps us to draw our own conclusions. The two quotes of the many I highlighted in the text that struck me the hardest were:
“One lesson to be learned from all this is that we can’t really understand the New Testament without understanding the early Church and the Church Fathers. They are the ones who decided what books would be in the canon, so they are the ones who really gave us our New Testament. But we can trust them, and we can trust the text of the New Testament because it was written and compiled within the lifetimes of people who knew Jesus and the apostles personally.”
And
“You’re not going to be excommunicated as a heretic just because you don’t have all the answers. A heretic is someone who teaches incorrect doctrine, leads the faithful astray, and then, when confronted by the bishop, refuses to submit to the authority of the Church.”
This book is an excellent resource. It can be read by late high school students or undergrads and used as a resource. It can be read by anyone interested in church history. It is engaging and entertaining. An excellent resource!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More. And reviews of other books in the Reclaiming Catholic History Series.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!
This is the second book published in a this series, Reclaiming Catholic History, though it is the first book in the series. The series is being edited by Mike Aquilina and the first published volume is by him as well. About this series we are told:
“The history of the Catholic Church is often clouded by myth, misinformation, and missing pieces. Today there is a renewed interest in recovering the true history of the Church, correcting the record in the wake of centuries of half-truths and noble lies. Books in the Reclaiming Catholic History series, edited by Mike Aquilina and written by leading authors and historians, bring Church history to life, debunking the myths one era at a time.”
And if the others are as good as the two that are published we are in for some excellent reads. The chapters in this volume are:
Reclaiming Catholic History: Series Introduction
Chronology of The Early Church (33–313)
Map
Introduction: The Scholar’s New Clothes Chapter
1 The Era of the Apostles
2 The Era of the Apostolic Fathers
3 The Era of the Apologists
4 The Era of the Theologians
5 The Era of the Sacraments
6 The Era of Tribulation
Just the Beginning
Notes
For Further Reading
We are reminded again in the series introduction that:
“Not until the Bible do we encounter histories written by historical losers. God’s people were regularly defeated, enslaved, oppressed, occupied, and exiled. Yet they told their story honestly, because they held themselves—and their historians—to a higher judgment, higher even than the king or the forces of the market. They looked at history in terms of God’s judgment, blessings, curses, and mercy.”
We are also told that:
“Christian history tells the story not of an empire, nor of a culture, but of a family. And it is a story, not a scientific treatise. In many languages, the connection is clear.
…
The authors in this series strive to communicate history in a way that’s accessible and even entertaining. They see history as true stories well told. They don’t fear humor or pathos as threats to their trustworthiness.”
And from the two volumes available they have done an excellent job of doing just that. Papandrea in the introduction states:
“If I believe (as I do) that Jesus Christ really is the Son of God, really did create the Church, and really did send the Holy Spirit to guide her, then I’m more likely to accept that traditions are based on truth, and that miracles can happen. But if a historian is not a believer, and especially if that historian has an anti-Church bias (or an anti-Catholic bias, as many Protestant scholars of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries did), then that historian will fill in the gaps with some very different conclusions about what “must have” happened.”
He also says:
“What I’m giving you in this book is what I believe happened, based on a career of studying the evidence, with a firm belief in divine providence.”
And when writing about the birth of the church he says:
“I would argue that the birth of the Church was that Thursday night when Jesus took some bread and said, “This is my body,” and held up a cup of wine and said, “This is my blood.” The Church was born when Jesus instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist.”
We are informed that one of the main causes of conflict between Rome and the early church was mistrust.
“Eventually, the Romans started to understand that Christians were something separate from the Jews. This meant Christianity was something new. New was bad. New was suspicious. The Jews got a pass and got to practice their religion because it was ancient and because the Romans were trying to avoid rebellion. But this Christianity thing—this was an unknown quantity.”
And because:
“One of the most remarkable facets of the early Church is that Christians considered their morality as part of their very identity. This is very different from the way that pagan Romans thought of themselves.”
The section by Papandrea on the four reasons the church needs clergy and a clerical hierarchy is amazing. Papandrea also does an amazing job through out the book debunking myths about the Catholic church and church history. The ‘Up Close and Personal’ sections takes us deeper into specific historical figures. And the ‘You be the Judge’ sections lay out the historical facts and helps us to draw our own conclusions. The two quotes of the many I highlighted in the text that struck me the hardest were:
“One lesson to be learned from all this is that we can’t really understand the New Testament without understanding the early Church and the Church Fathers. They are the ones who decided what books would be in the canon, so they are the ones who really gave us our New Testament. But we can trust them, and we can trust the text of the New Testament because it was written and compiled within the lifetimes of people who knew Jesus and the apostles personally.”
And
“You’re not going to be excommunicated as a heretic just because you don’t have all the answers. A heretic is someone who teaches incorrect doctrine, leads the faithful astray, and then, when confronted by the bishop, refuses to submit to the authority of the Church.”
This book is an excellent resource. It can be read by late high school students or undergrads and used as a resource. It can be read by anyone interested in church history. It is engaging and entertaining. An excellent resource!
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More. And reviews of other books in the Reclaiming Catholic History Series.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2020 Catholic Reading Plan!
November 20, 2019
I was genuinely looking forward to reading this, even though I was already aware that this was a book published by Ave Maria Press, who is a Catholic publishing company for the Catholic Church. I have read a large number of religious and Church books in my time and Religious Education, however, I was surprised at the tone Papandrea set within the pages.
The Early Church is first in a series of books, published by Ave Maria Press, which aims to 'reclaim' Catholic History and share "the true history of the Church" and "correcting the record in the wake of half-truths and noble lies" although failing to mention remotely which lies in particular, or where this history is being 'reclaimed' from.
Very much akin to Oxford University Press "A Short Introduction" series which cover a variety of subjects The Early Church is a very short (160 pages in total) introduction to the topic, albeit from a very subjective viewpoint.
The book itself is very well researched and set out to be as informative and as entertaining as the subject allows. This in itself would be a welcome to many a reader in the subject of the early Church, however Papandrea's attitude towards the subject is what lets this book down. What could have been a great introduction to the subject which would allow even those who are interested in the history of the early Church an educated glimpse of those early days when the original Jesus Movement was still but a seed. What we, unfortunately, are given is an unenlightened, sneering and narrow-minded description of how everyone else is wrong but him. This certainly does not do the book, nor the Church, any favours!
The Early Church is one of the most important developments of the First Millenium, regardless of whether you believe or not, the fact that the Church exists and the power it holds is something everyone is very much aware of and the historical aspects of The Early Church are put forward in such a way that can be easily understood by any reader, and that's certainly of high value in this day and age of mobile phones and short attention spans, however, the book often lapses into phases of pure silliness when it comes to anything the author sees as 'disagreeable, willing to denounce any other writing that is not contained in the New Testament, with particular regard to the Gnostic Gospels (who Papandrea seems to have a particular venom towards), is certainly not something many Religious Scholars would approve of, and slandering those who persecuted the Christians in the First Century as "hateful pagans" isn't going to put him on anyone's Christmas Card list.
As I said from the start, I was really looking forward to this, it's in my personal field of study and interest, however, being dealt with by a condescending and narrow-minded author really leaves me reaching for something a bit more informative.
As Mike Aquilina, the author of the books' introduction says "It takes a subtle, discerning, and modest hand to write truly Christian history."
If only.
The Early Church is first in a series of books, published by Ave Maria Press, which aims to 'reclaim' Catholic History and share "the true history of the Church" and "correcting the record in the wake of half-truths and noble lies" although failing to mention remotely which lies in particular, or where this history is being 'reclaimed' from.
Very much akin to Oxford University Press "A Short Introduction" series which cover a variety of subjects The Early Church is a very short (160 pages in total) introduction to the topic, albeit from a very subjective viewpoint.
The book itself is very well researched and set out to be as informative and as entertaining as the subject allows. This in itself would be a welcome to many a reader in the subject of the early Church, however Papandrea's attitude towards the subject is what lets this book down. What could have been a great introduction to the subject which would allow even those who are interested in the history of the early Church an educated glimpse of those early days when the original Jesus Movement was still but a seed. What we, unfortunately, are given is an unenlightened, sneering and narrow-minded description of how everyone else is wrong but him. This certainly does not do the book, nor the Church, any favours!
The Early Church is one of the most important developments of the First Millenium, regardless of whether you believe or not, the fact that the Church exists and the power it holds is something everyone is very much aware of and the historical aspects of The Early Church are put forward in such a way that can be easily understood by any reader, and that's certainly of high value in this day and age of mobile phones and short attention spans, however, the book often lapses into phases of pure silliness when it comes to anything the author sees as 'disagreeable, willing to denounce any other writing that is not contained in the New Testament, with particular regard to the Gnostic Gospels (who Papandrea seems to have a particular venom towards), is certainly not something many Religious Scholars would approve of, and slandering those who persecuted the Christians in the First Century as "hateful pagans" isn't going to put him on anyone's Christmas Card list.
As I said from the start, I was really looking forward to this, it's in my personal field of study and interest, however, being dealt with by a condescending and narrow-minded author really leaves me reaching for something a bit more informative.
As Mike Aquilina, the author of the books' introduction says "It takes a subtle, discerning, and modest hand to write truly Christian history."
If only.
November 20, 2019
The Early Church: St. Peter. The Apostles, and Martyrs by James Papandrea comes in at 160 pages and is therefore a very very concise rendering of Early Church History. With no footnotes (I was reading an ARC), how is a non-academic reader to know how trustworthy a rendering it really is. For an academic to write without footnotes and to make the bold claim, “Reclaiming Catholic History” on the cover I expect an author to address that with some academic detail. The books intro states that the author addresses “mythconcecptions” but he does not call these out in the book and gives only vague background and calls the reader “to be the judge” but without having sufficient background information from reputable sources to make that decision.
In the end a popular reading of Early Church History with a “Catholic” emphasis. If you are intereste
d in a more balanced understanding of history with more detail check out the works of Mark Noll and use his footnotes and references to dig deeper.
#TheEarlyChurch #NetGalley
In the end a popular reading of Early Church History with a “Catholic” emphasis. If you are intereste
d in a more balanced understanding of history with more detail check out the works of Mark Noll and use his footnotes and references to dig deeper.
#TheEarlyChurch #NetGalley
April 7, 2024
Church history is a topic that I am extremely passionate about and find absolutely fascinating. Having finally finished this short book however, I realize that I might not be the target audience.
It seems pretty clear that this book is intended to be an introduction into all things early church, which is totally okay, but it feels like it was intended for a middle school reading level. Again, there isn’t anything inherently wrong with that, but I found it a slog to get through because the way the information was presented was just not interesting.
In the positive side, one thing I did appreciate was that, unlike most every other Church history book I’ve read, this one is specifically written from a Catholic perspective. Their interpretation of certain events or theological developments differs from much of what I am accustomed to and I like to be challenged in that way.
All that being said, while I would like to continue to read books of church history from differing perspectives from my own, I think I’ll skip other entries in this series.
It seems pretty clear that this book is intended to be an introduction into all things early church, which is totally okay, but it feels like it was intended for a middle school reading level. Again, there isn’t anything inherently wrong with that, but I found it a slog to get through because the way the information was presented was just not interesting.
In the positive side, one thing I did appreciate was that, unlike most every other Church history book I’ve read, this one is specifically written from a Catholic perspective. Their interpretation of certain events or theological developments differs from much of what I am accustomed to and I like to be challenged in that way.
All that being said, while I would like to continue to read books of church history from differing perspectives from my own, I think I’ll skip other entries in this series.
July 8, 2023
I was raised in the Catholic religion and am still Catholic but I wanted to find out how the Catholic religion began. This book is full of history and the author is concise but it is very easy to read and understand. I can't wait to read the next book and learn more about the history of my faith.
February 24, 2020
An insightful read especially if you are a history buff.
I've always liked reading about history. Not so much about big events or dates but rather the little details that act as spices to the story. This is one such book. I recommend it.
I've always liked reading about history. Not so much about big events or dates but rather the little details that act as spices to the story. This is one such book. I recommend it.
March 8, 2020
An easy to read thorough not exhaustive work on the early church. This being the first in a series, does make me want to continue the series and read other books on the early church.
December 10, 2019
I wasn't sure if I'd like this book as much as the next in the series, which I read first, by a different author. But I shouldn't have worried. This book is just as chockfull of truthful Catholic history that's easy to read and that busts some of the ubiquitous myths about Catholicism. Even though I've read a fair amount about these early Church days, I still found new information. I especially appreciated that it was never assumed we knew basic information. This ranged from explaining the difference between numbering in plain years versus by century (the year 300 is the beginning of the fourth century) to outlining how the Church hierarchy came about.
Occasional "Up Close and Personal" boxes showcase different personalities or aspects of Christianity from that time, such as looking at the real Saint Valentine. "You Be the Judge" boxes examine common questions and set the record straight on topics like "Weren't Christian holidays originally pagan holidays?" or "Didn't the Church silence the voices of people who didn't follow the dominant party line?"
I liked it. Can't wait for the rest of the series.
Occasional "Up Close and Personal" boxes showcase different personalities or aspects of Christianity from that time, such as looking at the real Saint Valentine. "You Be the Judge" boxes examine common questions and set the record straight on topics like "Weren't Christian holidays originally pagan holidays?" or "Didn't the Church silence the voices of people who didn't follow the dominant party line?"
I liked it. Can't wait for the rest of the series.
November 19, 2019
As I read “The Early Church: St. Peter, the Apostles, and Martyrs,” by James L. Papandrea, I was reading an exciting family history. Names I have heard many times became attached to stories of the real people who were part of the Church’s beginnings.
Papandrea’s background is theologically rich and deep, yet, “The Early Church” was very approachable, The author has a sense of humor and allows his personality to shine through, as well. Despite the complex history of the early church, this account was easy to follow due to the way the book was organized chronologically. Readers will easily see the cause and effect that is such a natural part of history.
Within this concise history, the author includes the heresies the early church had to overcome, as well as the major players in the ups and downs of the early church, including martyrs, early popes, philosophers, and politicians. What stood out the most to me was the way these people and the hurdles they faced came alive.
“The Early Church,” provides a deeper understanding of how we moved from Jesus and the Apostles to the Church as it is today. “The Early Church” is just the beginning of the “Reclaiming Catholic History” series. I look forward to seeing how the books in the rest of the series build on this informative, and at the same time entertaining book.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the Church Fathers and the first 3 centuries of Church History. I give it a hearty 5 stars and look forward to reviewing the 2nd book in the series, “The Church and the Roman Empire (301–490): Constantine, Councils, and the Fall of Rome” by Mike Aquilina. “The Early Church” will be released on November 22, 2019. Until then you can pre-order your copy so that you get it as soon as it is available.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ave Maria Press for providing me with an ARC of ”The Early Church” in exchange for an honest review.
Papandrea’s background is theologically rich and deep, yet, “The Early Church” was very approachable, The author has a sense of humor and allows his personality to shine through, as well. Despite the complex history of the early church, this account was easy to follow due to the way the book was organized chronologically. Readers will easily see the cause and effect that is such a natural part of history.
Within this concise history, the author includes the heresies the early church had to overcome, as well as the major players in the ups and downs of the early church, including martyrs, early popes, philosophers, and politicians. What stood out the most to me was the way these people and the hurdles they faced came alive.
“The Early Church,” provides a deeper understanding of how we moved from Jesus and the Apostles to the Church as it is today. “The Early Church” is just the beginning of the “Reclaiming Catholic History” series. I look forward to seeing how the books in the rest of the series build on this informative, and at the same time entertaining book.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the Church Fathers and the first 3 centuries of Church History. I give it a hearty 5 stars and look forward to reviewing the 2nd book in the series, “The Church and the Roman Empire (301–490): Constantine, Councils, and the Fall of Rome” by Mike Aquilina. “The Early Church” will be released on November 22, 2019. Until then you can pre-order your copy so that you get it as soon as it is available.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ave Maria Press for providing me with an ARC of ”The Early Church” in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2025
A cursory intro to early history of the Catholic Church.
February 16, 2022
I want to like this book more than I do. Maybe I need to be in a better headspace, but I think it's really because every chapter is broken up into several sections that are split by random asides, like "You be the Judge" or info on a saint. While I really like the information, it breaks up the flow so much it makes the book very choppy.
I really hope the second in the series by Mike Aquilina (who wrote the intro to this one, and it is beautifully eloquent) is better. I wanted to read the series because of Aquilina's work on it.
Papandrea notes about halfway through that "The 'eras' o f the early Church are not strictly defined time periods" since there is a lot of overlap. But it helps to break up the history in this way.
Aquilina points out that this is history from a religious lens and not one solely written by the victors. The early Church saw history in terms of a covenant, and God's relationship is also based on a covenant. He also explains that the series is to communicate Catholic history in a way that is easy to read while busting different myths about it.
I agree, save for the way this particular book is presented.
- I love the chronology of the Early Church, starting with Jesus' birth in 5BC (based on the fact that he is known to have been born in the days of Herod, until Christianity was legalized by Constantine. Papandrea focuses mostly on the Western Church given that Eastern (Greek) writers didn't fully come into play until later in the fourth century.
- It is very interesting to learn that Good Friday was March 25 in the year 33 (not to the Gregorian calendar but likely another one, and before leap years were calculated in). Since he was thought to be a prophet like Moses, and Moses is rumoured to have died on his birthday, then Jesus' death was on his birthday--the day of conception. 9 months later is December 25.
Different people of the era are discussed, including Clement of Rome, Marcion, the martyrs of Lyons and Veinne, Irenaeus, and Saint Perpetua (proving that the Church doesn't silence women).
Regarding martyrs, we learn a lot about the different persecutions Christians of the time faced, including from their own. It's how heresies came into play.
- About the heresies, Papandrea provides some common things he tells his students: Heresy forces orthodoxy to define itself and orthodoxy is the middle between the extremes (that is, it's both-and, not either-or).
- Because of the heresies and persecution, the focus of Christian writers turned from addressing pagans to other Christians. These writings tell us now what they were dealing with at the time.
The information on the Council of Nicea, including that the Western part of the Church didn't feel like it applied to them, is quite interesting.
I actually like what Hippolytus said about divorced and remarried priests shouldn't be allowed to maintain their duties; however, he was quite extreme about not forgiving others.
The information on how the Roman memorial meal being the beginning of our feasts of the saints is beautiful.
I really hope the second in the series by Mike Aquilina (who wrote the intro to this one, and it is beautifully eloquent) is better. I wanted to read the series because of Aquilina's work on it.
Papandrea notes about halfway through that "The 'eras' o f the early Church are not strictly defined time periods" since there is a lot of overlap. But it helps to break up the history in this way.
Aquilina points out that this is history from a religious lens and not one solely written by the victors. The early Church saw history in terms of a covenant, and God's relationship is also based on a covenant. He also explains that the series is to communicate Catholic history in a way that is easy to read while busting different myths about it.
I agree, save for the way this particular book is presented.
- I love the chronology of the Early Church, starting with Jesus' birth in 5BC (based on the fact that he is known to have been born in the days of Herod, until Christianity was legalized by Constantine. Papandrea focuses mostly on the Western Church given that Eastern (Greek) writers didn't fully come into play until later in the fourth century.
- It is very interesting to learn that Good Friday was March 25 in the year 33 (not to the Gregorian calendar but likely another one, and before leap years were calculated in). Since he was thought to be a prophet like Moses, and Moses is rumoured to have died on his birthday, then Jesus' death was on his birthday--the day of conception. 9 months later is December 25.
Different people of the era are discussed, including Clement of Rome, Marcion, the martyrs of Lyons and Veinne, Irenaeus, and Saint Perpetua (proving that the Church doesn't silence women).
Regarding martyrs, we learn a lot about the different persecutions Christians of the time faced, including from their own. It's how heresies came into play.
- About the heresies, Papandrea provides some common things he tells his students: Heresy forces orthodoxy to define itself and orthodoxy is the middle between the extremes (that is, it's both-and, not either-or).
- Because of the heresies and persecution, the focus of Christian writers turned from addressing pagans to other Christians. These writings tell us now what they were dealing with at the time.
The information on the Council of Nicea, including that the Western part of the Church didn't feel like it applied to them, is quite interesting.
I actually like what Hippolytus said about divorced and remarried priests shouldn't be allowed to maintain their duties; however, he was quite extreme about not forgiving others.
The information on how the Roman memorial meal being the beginning of our feasts of the saints is beautiful.
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