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From Paul to Valentinus: Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries

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Being fairly ignorant of the early history of Roman Christianity, (or any early Christian history for that matter), "From Paul to Valentinus: Christians at Rome in the First Two Centuries" was just begging to be read. The book did not fail to impress or keep me interested.

Let me just say to begin with that Peter Lampe is very thorough in his approach and the scope of his study. Through this book, he looks into a variety of aspects within the Roman Christian community, using many different sources. Lampe looks at the locations within Rome where Christians tended to live, using a few different criteria. He also covers aspects of economic well-being within the Christian groups, and also what he calls "social stratification". Lampe also traces the origins of Christians, and tries to show where they tended to come from in terms of background and geographical origins. Lampe additionally looks at individuals, and how indicative they are of the community as a whole.

Lampe's use of different sources is impressive, and he is very thorough in this respect. Sources include literary sources, (Jewish, Christian, pagan, philosophical, etc), along with archealogical sources from the catacombs to quite detailed discussions on grave sites around Rome and more. Lampe also uses computer-compiled lists of names found in the region, as well as other scholar's work. Lampe also makes use of the New Testament, though is is far from uncritical, and he is quite cautious and careful in his application of its data. Overall, I have found Lampe to be a careful and methodical scholar in his use of sources.

Lampe also uses a lot of sources from Latin, Koine Greek and some other languages, (including French). While laudable, Lampe does not always provide translations in English, which can be somewhat frustrating at times. His quotations in Greek can be a paragraph long, and if you can't understand the language, you may miss out on some of the details.

Peter Lampe also has some interesting chapters on individual people, including Marcion, the woman in Justin's "Apology", (some interesting theories here from Lampe), the author of "The Shepherd of Hermas" and others. I personally enjoyed these aspects of Lampe's study immensely, as he was able to throw some light onto the more individual and personal aspects of early Roman Christian life.

Apart from the point about untranslated languages above, I found this book to be both informative and dynamic. At times, it can get a little swamped in the details, (such as tracing phrases and common motifs through various sources), but this is a rare thing. Usually, the book covers a lot of ground with flair and skill.

For a look at Roman Christianity as the evidence seems to point, Peter Lampe's book is very good and it is very thorough, with lots of references and good, generous helpings of footnotes. I am rather glad that I read it, and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

From Paul To Valentinus: Christians At Rome In The First Two Centuries by Peter Lampe (Professor of New Testament, University of Heidelberg, Germany), amalgamates world history, archaeology, theology, and social analysis in a scholarly and informationally impressive presentation on the rise and shape of the earliest Christian churches in Rome. Extensively researched and superbly presented, From Paul To Valentinus successfully strives to present a multifaceted picture of a once-struggling faith's crucial formative era that would be of immense interest to both academia and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the history of the Christian church.

I was fascinated by the analysis of the early Christian house churches in Rome and by the fact that the office of a monarchical bishop developed relatively late (in the second half of the 2nd century) in the city of Rome. The social world of the early Christians and Jews in Rome becomes very much alive.

On the basis of inscriptions, ancient texts and archaeological results the author paints a picture of early Christianity and its social world in a brilliant and solid way.

A great book, pathbreaking, and based on solid evidence.

I have only read the chapter on Valentinus, who is an interest of mine. What disturbs me is the speculation which completes the chapter, that Valentinus was an example of a politically powerless intellectual whose power drive was frustrated and so he created a form of religious ideology where his displaced drive could have a kind of imaginative revenge. Well, Nietzsche made a very similar case about all of Christianity. There's a kind of ad hominem politico-material reductiveness about this, as well as the enormous speculative leap involved, which makes me question the whole enterprise. Shall we apply the same criteria to the authors and suggest that they are projecting their own professorial power drive and political powerlessness onto Valentinus? I have degrees and experience both in theology and psychology. Both are noble disciplines, but if not carefully watched, they can start to sound like the opinions of wine-tasters and astrologists, making me wonder: "Is there less to this than meets the eye?" As I say, I read only one chapter. I hope the rest of the work is better.

This is clearly one of the best books about early Christianity and ancient social history that I have read.