Customer Reviews

The First Christian Centuries: Perspectives on the Early Church

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I found this book to be an outstanding introduction to the major issues surrounding the early church through its first three centuries. Mr. McKechnie directly engages modern scholarhip, such as Frend, Pagels and Meeks, which is very helpful to get a good feeling for where his own ideas fit. I am reading it in preparation for a graduate divinity class in early Christian thought, and I have found it to be an excellent primer. Mr. McKechnie introduces all of the major thinkers of the period in a way that balances readability with sound scholarship. Plus, he uses footnotes (as opposed to endnotes or no notes), which I find very helpful.

I agree with another reviewer that the book can at times wander, but I always found the prose engaging.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to get a thorough introduction to the early church.

On the one hand, McKechnie's prose is often clear and engaging, sprinkled with a sense of humour. There are bits and pieces of valuable insights in the text. On the other hand, it seems evident from the introduction on that the book lacks a clear direction or purpose. Despite some useful comments, it is hard to know what to make out the total picture. I was never clear where McKechine had left, or where he was heading. The book has value, but I came away unsatisfied.

Overall, this is an interesting book. Throughout the book, the author throwed out questions that are good for deeper thoughts. But this book is definitely not suitable for someone who does not know enough about that period to weigh the various sources of evidence.