After the New Testament: A Reader in Early Christianity [Paperback]

Bart D. Ehrman (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195114450 | ISBN-13: 978-0195114454 | Publication Date: October 22, 1998

The remarkable diversity of Christianity during the formative years before the Council of Nicea has become a plain, even natural, "fact" for most ancient historians. Until now, however, there has been no sourcebook of primary texts that reveals the many varieties of Christian beliefs, practices, ethics, experiences, confrontations, and self-understandings. To help readers recognize and experience the rich diversity of the early Christian movement, After the New Testament provides a wide range of texts from the second and third centuries, both "orthodox" and "heterodox," including such works as the Apostolic Fathers, the writings of Nag Hammadi, early pseudepigrapha, martyrologies, anti-Jewish tractates, heresiologies, canon lists, church orders, liturgical texts, and theological treatises. Rather than providing only fragments of texts, this collection prints large excerpts--entire documents wherever possible--organized under social and historical rubrics.
This unique reader's concise and informative introductions and clear and up-to-date English translations make it ideal for courses on the New Testament, Christian Origins, Early Church History, or Late Antiquity. It will also be of interest to anyone--student, scholar, and general reader alike--interested in the entire range of early Christian literature from the period after the New Testament up to the writings of the so-called father of church history, Eusebius.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Ehrman's] collection presents a broad range of primary texts from the early years of Christianity, with as full a set of texts as possible within the restrictions of providing these works in a single volume. The texts deal with a range of significant issues within early Christianity, such as evangelism, persecution and martyrdom, apologetics, heresies, apocrypha/pseudepigrapha, church offices, liturgics and ethics, arranged according to the topics themselves rather than according to the categories of systematic theology....Ehrman has sought to include large selections: complete texts when possible, and lengthy excerpts when not....In spite of having most of these texts in various editions I found myself excitedly looking through the selections for the intelligent topical arrangement, and looking forward to using this as a required textbook...." [this review takes up 2 fields; see below for conclusion]

"Each chapter begins with a sketch of the important historical aspects of the topic, and each individual text is introduced with brief comments concerning its historical context and significance. The topical introduction of each chapter is not a brief and passing mention, but rather an in-depth essay to the stated topic, with a brief bibliography before the primary text on good current titles for further reading. This reader is a welcome and needed addition to the increasing titles available on early Christianity, especially since it is not an anthology of secondary scholarly opinion on the history of early Christianity, but provides the opportunity for students to become immersed in the primary sources themselves."--John Voelker, Marquette University, in the Journal of Early Christian Studies

"An outstanding collection of relevant primary sources for courses on the history of early Christianity. Students found the texts exciting, readable (because of the modern translation), and informative. They also appreciated the helpful introductions to each section."--William Tabbernee, Phillips Theological Seminary

"Finally! Just what I have been looking for: a judiciously selected anthology with appropriate-length early texts."--Stephen Healey, University of Bridgeport

"A wonderful text. It is a comprehensive and provocative collection of early Christian writings sufficient to induce even the most sleepy-headed reader to ask questions. Those who teach Christian history should welcome this anthology."--Lawrence Snyder, Western Kentucky University

"An excellent Ante-Nicean primary source reader. The thematic approach is well thought out. A very useful text for a class on Christian origins."--Gaston Espinosa, Westmont College

"Ehrman's shrewd chapter topics, along with his brief (but pithy) introductions enable good use of these 2nd and 3rd century texts which together well represent the breadth and variety of Christian beginnings. We now have a fresh and student-friendly set of resources for examination of early Christian literature 'after the New Testament.'"--Bob Gregg, Stanford University

"This is a splendid anthology that should replace several others that have been in use during the past decades. It should be of tremendous benefit to teachers and students of the New Testament and Early Christianity."--Elizabeth A. Clark, Duke University

"This volume will be invaluable to teachers of early Christian history who have lacked such a broad-ranging collection of key texts. It is likely to be sufficient in itself for a college or seminary introduction to early church history. Ehrman's selection of texts and of passages to excerpt is judicious, covering a wonderfully vast territory of topics with depth sufficient both to map central issues and to allow students to explore more obscure regions."--Derek Krueger,The University of North Carolina, Greensboro

"This is a tremendous anthology of early church writings--will be of better value to my church history class than previous anthologies."--Merrill Hawking, Carson Newman College

About the Author

Bart D. Ehrman is at University of North Carolina.

Product Details

• Paperback: 436 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (October 22, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195114450
• ISBN-13: 978-0195114454
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,075 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Law > International Law

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

90 of 91 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First Steps in Christian Beginnings, May 29, 2000

By 

E. T. Veal (Chicago, Illinois USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: After the New Testament: A Reader in Early Christianity (Paperback)

Though the Church in the Second and Third Centuries is a "Dark Age" in the minds of most Christians, the darkness is not due to lack of data. The 19th Century series "The Ante-Nicene Fathers" runs to 5,000-some large pages in small type - and it was not complete even in its own day. Subsequent discoveries, most notably the Nag Hammadi library of Gnostic-Christian literature, have added much to our knowledge or, oftentimes, to our perplexity.

Professor Ehrman's selection of readings gives an overview of this vast forest. He has selected 76 works, mostly self-contained excerpts, though a few are complete. In addition to familiar items that cannot be omitted from such a collection (e. g., the Epistle to Diognetos, large parts of the Epistles of St. Ignatios, and selections from Justin Martyr, Tertullian and Origen), we are given much that later generations found heretical, dubious or silly: apocryphal Scriptures, esoteric Gnostic speculation and writings by Christians who refused to recognize any separation between their faith and Judaism. The texts are arranged thematically (e. g., "The Attack on Christianity: Persecution and Martyrdom in the Early Church", "Anti-Judaic Polemic", "The Development of the Liturgy") in such a way that neighboring pieces illuminate one another.

The translations have all appeared in print before, and the editor deserves credit for choosing clear, readable versions. His introductions, while well-suited to the intended audience, are open to criticism. On the positive side, they are judicious and nonpartisan, avoiding (except on the topic of the ministry of women in the early Church, where no mainstream modernist can afford to be completely candid) speculation beyond the evidence. On the negative, they are so judicious that the untutored reader is left unaware of controversies that have a major impact on the meaning of the texts. To take a significant instance, Prof. Ehrman blandly states that "most scholars" date the manual of Church discipline known as the "Didache" to c. 100 A.D. True enough, but some date it much earlier and some much later, and its value as evidence depends crucially on the time and place from which it came.

All in all, for anyone who would like to know more about pre-Nicene Church history, this volume is, if not the last word, a useful and interesting preface.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Profitable Read, September 2, 2004

By 

benjamin (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: After the New Testament: A Reader in Early Christianity (Paperback)

I used this book in a course on Early Judaism and Early Christianity, which I took as an undergraduate. Although one may read a secondary reader, there is nothing like reading a well-chosen sampling of primary texts - and the selections here are just that: well-chosen.

Although the Church traces its lineage and heritage through a particular history - the New Testament, followed by the Apostolic Fathers and they themselves followed by the Church Fathers - in reading this volume one immediately notices a spectrum of thought, filled with every subtle shade of variation that one could imagine. It is in reading the differences and polemical writings contained here that makes the battles between traditions so fascinating: after the New Testament, one can rightly speak of earliest Christianities. Somehow or another, though, they all find their raison d'etre in Jesus, the itinerant Jewis Hasid from Nazareth.

Perhaps one may be generous enough to say that every writing in this book seeks to answer Christ's question to the Apostles: "Who do you say that I am?" From Gnostic writings and proto-orthodox Church Fathers to apocryphal Gospels and "lost" Epistles, one is thrust into a mass of movements, each of which claims to have the answer to this question. (And, as a side note, it turns out that the views of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches are, in fact, among the most ancient of these various other traditions.)

Ehrman's introductions are short and to the point; they are helpful and note where writings develop earlier, more historical traditions, if writings were later declared orthodox or heretical and what the polemical context was of a particular piece. He also notes where texts were once used and where they were popular, and if and when they fell out of favor. Lastly, and most interestingly to this reader, is the short section that notes the development of the canon of the New Testament and how many books that are now taken for granted were hotly debated in those early centuries.

One could easily spend hundreds of dollars collecting the various works that were important to and written by early Christians/s/s/s/s/...; this book is a wonderful, well-written selection of those works. As a supplement to studies in early Christianity, Judaism and/or later Antiquity, it will prove to be quite helpful and informative. For the interested lay person, this book will also prove to be both informative and an excellent introduction to the subject. In short, it is a profitable read.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice serviceable volume of worthwhile texts, July 26, 2003

By 

Charles S. Houser (Binghamton, NY) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: After the New Testament: A Reader in Early Christianity (Paperback)

Professor Ehrmann has assembled a nice collection of Christian (orthodox and heterodox) writings from the period immediately following the New Testament and before the Council of Nicea. Although these are not brand new translations and all are readily available in other collections, the easy-to-read double column textbook format, the thematic way the texts are categorized, and the brief, helpful introductions make this anthology well worth its price. This volume and Ehrmann's other anthology THE NEW TESTAMENT AND OTHER EARLY CHRISTIAN WRITINGS are essential companions to his THE NEW TESTAMENT: A HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION TO THE EARLY CHRISTIAN WRITINGS.

On the frustrating side, there is much overlap between Ehrmann's two anthologies--in fact, I ended up buying them both because it was too much trouble to compare the tables of contents to see which volume included more non-New Testament works. Also somewhat disappointing was the fact that there are no bibliographic references to the supplied texts (each chapter introduction concludes with a short list of general topic books "For Further Reading"). I would, at least, like to know if there are other respected translations or commentaries in print on any of these texts. Another oddity: The Didache is split into three parts and presented out of sequence (with the document's brief chapter 6 being omitted altogether). This is not inappropriate, considering that Ehrmann has arranged his texts topically so readers can read significant key documents in relation to one another (such as, The Structure of Early Christianity [Did ch 11-15]; The Development of the Liturgy [Did 7-10]; Leading the Upright Life [Did 1-5]).

This is a nice, handy collection of key texts that I'm sure I'll return to over and over, especially as I read other books about the beginnings of the early Church.