History

Evangelism in the Early Church: Recommended Resources

Evangelism in the Early Church

Most historians agree on the basic methods and reasons for the evangelization of the Roman Empire, but each brings a different emphasis. (All the in-print books can be ordered from Books Now at 1-800-962-6651 ext. 1248 or http://www.booksnow.com/christianhistory.htm.

On the evangelists

Michael Green’s Evangelism in the Early Church (Eagle, 1995; distributed in North America by Harold Shaw) dwells on both the New Testament and later periods. As the advisor on evangelism to the archbishop of Canterbury, his zeal for spreading the gospel shines through his well-researched history.

Another fascinating read by a nonhistorian is Rodney Stark’s The Rise of Christianity: A Sociologist Reconsiders History (Princeton, 1996), which applies the discoveries of modern sociology to the study of ancient history. Historians don’t agree with all his conclusions, but the work sparkles with insights.

Michael Walsh also highlights the legacy of the first century church in his accessible The Triumph of the Meek: Why Early Christianity Succeeded (1986, out of print), which contains over 100 photos.

The resource we are probably most excited about is the newly revised Encyclopedia of Early Christianity (Garland, 1997), edited by Everett Ferguson. At $187.50 for both volumes, it’s pretty expensive for the average reader. But since it is one of the top reference works on the subject, demand that your local library purchase a copy.

On the evangelized

The most comprehensive book on this topic, Pagans and Christians by Robin Lane Fox (Knopf, 1986), is out of print but well worth hunting down. It is a challenging read, and sometimes a tad too reductionistic, but each of its 800 pages is crammed with facts you never knew about early Christianity and Roman paganism.

Taking a creative approach to the subject, Robert L. Wilken’s The Christians as the Romans Saw Them (Yale, 1984) is an informative character study of specific Romans and how they interacted with their Christian neighbors.

In their own words

Two resources we used most in researching this topic were on the computer. Logos’s Early Church Fathers CD-ROM is easily searched (http://www.logos.com or 1-800-875-6467 for more information). The Christian Classics Electronic LibraryWeb site (http://www.ccel.org) has dozens of early church writings, all of which can be downloaded for free—though it can take some time. For primary source material, no book beats these.

Other issues of Christian History

We’ve covered the early church on many occasions, and the issues relating most closely to the current issue are Persecution in the Early Church (Issue 27) and Worship in the Early Church (Issue 37). Paul and His Times (Issue 47) covers the earliest period. Phone 1-800-806-7798 to order.

Tired of heavy reading?

The Trial and Testimony of the Early Church is a six-part video series by Vision Video (1-800-523-0226) that covers one major thread of early church growth.

Many novels—Ben Hur, for example—also get you into the period. You may also want to look at something completely different: the popular online game S.P.Q.R: An Ancient Adventure in Rome (http://www.cybersites.com:8080/twep/rome/). It is essentially a mystery set in the period covered in this issue. There’s a CD-ROM version of it too, but the Web version is free.

Copyright © 1998 by the author or Christianity Today/Christian History magazine. Click here for reprint information on Christian History.

Our Latest

The Bulletin

NYC Mayoral Race, Trump Softens to Ukraine, and Can Horror Films Edify?

Mamdani leads NYC mayoral race, Trump-Putin relationship cools, and why horror movies might help you cope in a horrible world.

The Bigfoot and UFOs Podcast Introducing Listeners to Christ

“We want to make a space where people can scratch an itch about the weird stuff they’ve encountered, but our heart for this is for people to encounter God.”

News

What Would a Liberal Democracy in Lebanon Look Like?

An interfaith group created a Youth Mock Parliament to imagine a nonsectarian government.

Analysis

‘Drug Boat’ Strikes Prompt Questions about Human Dignity, Executive Power

When the president exercises lethal force without congressional authority, we all lose.

News

Brazilian Evangelicals See God at Work Among the Working Class

Small Pentecostal churches across poor peripheral neighborhoods fuel Protestant growth nationwide.

Wire Story

Top ACNA Leader Faces Sexual Harassment Allegations

Following a string of scandals, the accusations against Archbishop Steve Wood come amid plans for the denomination to overhaul its abuse response.

The Russell Moore Show

 Listener Question: Should Communion Be Open to All Believers?

Russell takes a listener’s question about church membership and the Communion table.

Anti-Fragile Faith in Chaotic Times

Slow Theology highlights how a long obedience in the same direction grows.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube