Ecclesiastical Authority and Spiritual Power in the Church of the First Three Ce [Hardcover]

Hans Von Campenhausen (Author), Hans Campenhausen (Author), J. A. Baker (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1997

The issue of authority in the church—what constitutes authority, and who has it—has been one of the foremost issues throughout church history, including the modern church.

The practice of the early church and the writings of the New Testament are of primary importance for understanding the problem of authority. We can enhance our understanding further by taking into consideration the sociological phenomena surrounding any emergent social group that traverses a path from charismatic leadership to formal governing structures.

Von CampenhausenÂ’s masterful blending of historical assessment with sociological analysis makes this work a fundamental resource for the study of the development of the early church and the writings of the New Testament.

"This is a fine book which demonstrates the author's deep learning and his grasp of the whole complex history of the Church in the first three centuries. . . . Within the limits he has set for himself, however, the author has written a work of great value and significance. A wealth of topics, including the development of the Church's penitential discipline and the power of the Keys as a factor in arousing the self-awareness of the clergy, receive the stamp of his erudition. In days when authority remains one of the divisive elements in Christendom, theologians of all traditions will find this work indispensable."
—W. H. C. Frend, Journal of Ecclesiastical History

Editorial Reviews

Review

". . . But if this volume is not the definitive word on the subject, it is nevertheless a magisterial interpretation which, thanks to an expert translator, students of primitive Christianity cannot be excused for ignoring."
—Scottish Journal of Theology

"It is no exaggeration to say that there is no area of the subject which he touches without illuminating. . . . This will prove to be an invaluable work as an introduction to the subject and, for those who are already familiar with the material, a powerful stimulus to further thought."
—Expository Times

"[This book] is a valuable contribution to be appreciated by all scholars, theologians, and historians and religious students as well. Rich source material and detailed index are of great help to the reader."
—Choice -- Review

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1565632729
• ISBN-13: 978-1565632721
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,586,329 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "In-Depth Perspective to the Ecclesiastical Foundations", May 8, 2001

By 

Johannes Platonicus (South Bend, Indiana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ecclesiastical Authority and Spiritual Power in the Church of the First Three Ce (Hardcover)

This book is among the most dynamic approaches to solving the much discussed problem of "Ecclesiastical and Spiritual Authority in the First Three Centuries of the Church" that may be found. Hans Von Campenhausen's sociologial and historical perspective, blendid with his theoretical wit and scholarly lore, make this book an entertaining and ultimately edifying experience. Von Campenhausen dissolves some of the most complex questions history has left us behind and builds a comprehensive and unequivocal bulwark of learning for the clergyman and lay person alike. Some topics Von Campenhausen deals with are the power of the keys to bind and loose, the penitential and disciplinary techniques, and the controversial nature of apostolic succession in the Church of the first three centuries. All in all this book is an excellent source for grasping the perplexities of the Church's formation into the ecclesiastical organization we know today.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unimportant and Inaccurate Liberal Perspective, March 24, 2010

By 

Pasca "Pasca" (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Ecclesiastical Authority and Spiritual Power in the Church of the First Three Ce (Hardcover)

I found little to convince me of the book's importance.

Fundamentally, Campenhausen is a liberal German historian. (Edersheim warns of them routinely in his works.) He believes the Pastorals and the letters of John were written by anonymous writers from a later generation; that Luke had ulterior motives; that the "keys" statement is a later embellishment. In short, much-if not most-of the New Testament is not what it seems, but is rather a conglomeration of pericopes and ideas included by various groups in the succeeding generations. Only his brilliant insight is capable of discerning what is historically true and what is false. While it remains a coveted badge among scholars to be viewed as liberal, I learned long ago that modern scholarship has generally been led astray. Campenhausen's liberal perspective is pervasive and hopelessly inaccurate.

Generally, Campenhausen belongs to that unwholesome group of modern ecclesiastical writers and theologians (Berkhouwer comes to mind) who mistakenly believe that one's intellectual brilliance is exhibited by the use of twenty words where ten will do. Clarity is important in writing. It is not window-dressing. One of the reasons I came to detest theology in seminary was the gravitation of this species toward deliberate obscurity and superfluous wordiness. (And spare me the shopworn rebuttal that the thoughts of the theologian are necessarily obscure because of the nature of his study.) Neither does Campenhausen get to hide behind translation into English. In German or English, his style is excessively and unnecessarily tedious and verbose.

Campenhausen finds nothing sinister in efforts by Clement and Ignatius to develop structure and hierarchy. He sees the growth of the bishopric as understandable. Most significantly, however, is his lack of an accurate, historic understanding of the prophetic ministry-the nature and work of the apostle and prophet. Campenhausen would have done well to read Lindsay and Selwyn-who are strangely not referenced in his book. Pity. They might have clarified his thoughts.

Rather than waste time with this book, one would do well to read classical scholars like Lindsay, Edmundson, Hatch, and Selwyn-all of whom have an uncluttered understanding of ecclesiastical history and who can concisely and clearly present their arguments, without the need to impress the reader with their supposed intellectual brilliance and capacities.