Customer Reviews

The Ancient Church As Family

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Hellerman's "The Ancient Church as Family" argues that the early church formed a family for the believers. The idea of the church was central to the early church. Paul's epistles are full of the language of kinship.

Hellerman concedes that the idea of the church as a surrogate family was not central to the Old Testament. The Old Testament rarely explores "God as father to his sons and daughters, the Israelites" (p 60)yet "The kin group metaphor does manifest itself" (p 60) in such passages as "You are the children of the Lord your God" (Deut 14).

The New Testament was to see an expansion of these early strands. No other early religion stressed the idea of God as father. Christ, however, had announced that those who believed in him were his brother, sisters and mother. An astounding statement.

Hellerman argues that the early church formed closely knit groups of people who thought of themselves as family. He further defends the idea that this concept did not vanish after the first hundred years, but was part of the church in the 2nd and 3rd century.

Written in Thesis style, this is not a book for those with a limited theological vocabulary. Still, the quality of scholarship is excellent and this book was delivered in pristine condition, and about as fast as I have ever received anything by standard shipping. The seller is to be highly commended and recommended!! Wish someone had said something about the tiny type-font, though.