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Books and Readers in the Early Church: A History of Early Christian Texts
This fascinating and lively book provides the first comprehensive discussion of the production, circulation, and use of books in early Christianity. It explores the extent of literacy in early Christian communities; the relation in the early church between oral tradition and written materials; the physical form of early Christian books; how books were produced, transcribed, published, duplicated, and disseminated; how Christian libraries were formed; who read the books, in what circumstances, and to what purposes.
Harry Y. Gamble interweaves practical and technological dimensions of the production and use of early Christian books with the social and institutional history of the period. Drawing on evidence from papyrology, codicology, textual criticism, and early church history, as well as on knowledge about the bibliographical practices that characterized Jewish and Greco-Roman culture, he offers a new perspective on the role of books in the first five centuries of the early church.
Harry Y. Gamble interweaves practical and technological dimensions of the production and use of early Christian books with the social and institutional history of the period. Drawing on evidence from papyrology, codicology, textual criticism, and early church history, as well as on knowledge about the bibliographical practices that characterized Jewish and Greco-Roman culture, he offers a new perspective on the role of books in the first five centuries of the early church.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 14, 2019
Deep and interesting research, but no argument. Give me a Conclusion, an Epilogue...ANYTHING to let me know why all these historical curiosities matter.
June 21, 2020
This is a foundational resource for understanding Christian writing and reading. Highly recommended.
July 25, 2022
Ch.1
From Justin the Martyr (Apo 1.67) and 1 Tim 3:13, it is to know that "learned" new converts would be charged with and expect the responsibility of teaching. Tertullian describe the majority of believers as "the simple, not to say unwise and unlearned", and Celsus' charged that Christianity prosper only among the educated, to which point Origen (Contra Celsum 1.27) responded that it is only a proportionally fair thing, because statistically speaking "there are many more vulgar and illiterate people than those who have been trained in rational thinking". (p.6-9)
Jews just had a better schooling system. (p.7)
From Justin the Martyr (Apo 1.67) and 1 Tim 3:13, it is to know that "learned" new converts would be charged with and expect the responsibility of teaching. Tertullian describe the majority of believers as "the simple, not to say unwise and unlearned", and Celsus' charged that Christianity prosper only among the educated, to which point Origen (Contra Celsum 1.27) responded that it is only a proportionally fair thing, because statistically speaking "there are many more vulgar and illiterate people than those who have been trained in rational thinking". (p.6-9)
Jews just had a better schooling system. (p.7)
November 16, 2012
REVIEW Gamble, Harry Y. Books and Readers in the Early Church: A History of Early Christian Texts. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1995.
Gamble’s BOOKS AND READERS IN THE EARLY CHURCH: A HISTORY OF EARLY CHRISTIAN TEXTS was a fresh contribution to the history of early Christian literature covering numerous original topics: the production and circulation of books, extent of literacy in early Christian communities, oral and written traditions, Christian libraries, and the public reading of books.
Name a few interesting claims made by Gamble: 1) ninety percent of the early Christians were illiterate, so they must have access to the literature through public readings and liturgical settings; 2) the oral and literary culture was not mutually exclusive but more intertwined in the ancient world; 3) the collection of Paul’s letters was too large to fit on one papyrus roll, so a codex was quickly used to hold all of his letters in one volume; 4) early Christian texts were transmitted through private channels of social network, but primarily among communities rather than individuals.
The topics under this single title prove too numerous to be well-developed in one book, however Gamble has rightly asked all the good questions and demonstrated the preliminary research fruits to answer some of those questions.
Gamble’s BOOKS AND READERS IN THE EARLY CHURCH: A HISTORY OF EARLY CHRISTIAN TEXTS was a fresh contribution to the history of early Christian literature covering numerous original topics: the production and circulation of books, extent of literacy in early Christian communities, oral and written traditions, Christian libraries, and the public reading of books.
Name a few interesting claims made by Gamble: 1) ninety percent of the early Christians were illiterate, so they must have access to the literature through public readings and liturgical settings; 2) the oral and literary culture was not mutually exclusive but more intertwined in the ancient world; 3) the collection of Paul’s letters was too large to fit on one papyrus roll, so a codex was quickly used to hold all of his letters in one volume; 4) early Christian texts were transmitted through private channels of social network, but primarily among communities rather than individuals.
The topics under this single title prove too numerous to be well-developed in one book, however Gamble has rightly asked all the good questions and demonstrated the preliminary research fruits to answer some of those questions.
February 17, 2015
Harry Gamble, a distinguished scholar from the University of Virginia, has only published three books that I'm aware of. I've read two of them, and they're both fantastic.
As a Christian, and a lover of books, this book is right up my alley. Gamble explores the culture of books, bookmaking, and reading habits in early Christianity, and as a parallel, the Greek and Roman world in which Christianity was founded in. The first chapter is full of assertions that Gamble does little to prove or demonstrate, so I was doubtful of how the book would progress. But past the first chapter Gamble provides one of the finer examples of textual, historical, and literary scholarship you're likely to see. The book was insightful, well reasoned, and very well written.
For anyone interested in early Christianity or text and canon issues, I recommend this book highly.
As a Christian, and a lover of books, this book is right up my alley. Gamble explores the culture of books, bookmaking, and reading habits in early Christianity, and as a parallel, the Greek and Roman world in which Christianity was founded in. The first chapter is full of assertions that Gamble does little to prove or demonstrate, so I was doubtful of how the book would progress. But past the first chapter Gamble provides one of the finer examples of textual, historical, and literary scholarship you're likely to see. The book was insightful, well reasoned, and very well written.
For anyone interested in early Christianity or text and canon issues, I recommend this book highly.
August 9, 2014
Well written and quite interesting. I only read the bits that pertain to the first century. It seems that Christians were among the first to make extensive use of the codex. Who knew.
April 2, 2017
Terrific overview. Going to have to think about this some more.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews