The Hope of the Early Church: A Handbook of Patristic Eschatology [Hardcover]

Brian Edward Daley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 26, 1991

This book is an outline of the development of eschatological thought in the first seven centuries of Christianity. It is the first attempt, in any language, to give a comprehensive description of the origins of Christian eschatology, as it expanded from its Jewish roots and Jesus' preaching, and as it drew upon the philosophical and folkloric notions of death and its aftermath held by the peoples of the Mediterranean. Based on a study of the original texts, the book considers not only the eschatology of the Greek and Latin fathers, but also what can be known from the early Syriac, Coptic, and Armenian Christian literature. Brief and clearly-focused in its range of subjects, the book provides an accessible historical survey of a centrally important aspect of early Christian doctrine.This book is an outline of the development of eschatological thought in the first seven centuries of Christianity. It is the first attempt, in any language, to give a comprehensive description of the origins of Christian eschatology, as it expanded from its Jewish roots and Jesus' preaching, and as it drew upon the philosophical and folkloric notions of death and its aftermath held by the peoples of the Mediterranean. Based on a study of the original texts, the book considers not only the eschatology of the Greek and Latin fathers, but also what can be known from the early Syriac, Coptic, and Armenian Christian literature. Brief and clearly-focused in its range of subjects, the book provides an accessible historical survey of a centrally important aspect of early Christian doctrine.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is an excellent and thought-provoking synthesis of a wide range of early Christian eschatological statements, chiefly Greek and Latin, designed to support Professor Brian Daley's thesis that there was a basic unity in the Christian expectations about the end of the world or of individuals, in spite of striking idiosyncrasies that sometimes came to be regarded as heretical."
--The Journal of Religion (from published reviews of the hardcover edition)

"This is a well-researched, well-written study of the development of early Christian eschatology and the situations that influenced its development. It should be of interest and importance to anyone interested in New Testament studies, patristics, and the development of Christian doctrine. The work includes extensive notes and a detailed bibliography divided according to general topics and individual authors."
--Church History (From published reviews of the hardcover edition) -- Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Brian E. Daley, SJ, is the Catherine F. Huisking Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 314 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (April 26, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521352584
• ISBN-13: 978-0521352581
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,084,529 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A common hope, September 9, 2005

By 

C. Mostert "Dr Chris Mostert" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hope of the Early Church: A Handbook of Patristic Eschatology (Paperback)

This book by Brian Daley is a wonderful resource for those who want to ascertain whether the hope by which Christians live in the present is the same hope as that by which Christians after New Testament times lived and for which many died. The book is a goldmine of information and insight; it is beautifully written and helpfully structured. The notes are a splendid tool for further research, as is the excellent bibliography. Daley concludes that there is an 'eschatological consensus', though it is expressed in very varied forms. This is the work of a first-rate scholar and an elegant writer.