Early History of the Christian Church: From its Foundation to the End of the Fifth Century

by Louis Duchesne

This is the first volume of a 3-volume set entitled "Early History of the Christian From its Foundation to the End of the Fifth Century." (NY 1909-1924). Originally published in French as “Histoire ancienne l’Eglisse” (Paris, 1905-1910) . Fully edited with linked footnotes.This first volume covers the period from the foundation of the Christian Church to the end of the Third Century.Duchesne’s classic work served as the standard introduction to the early church for many years. Orthodox Catholic historian Warren H. Carroll, the late founder of Christendom College, lauded the work as “excellent and thorough,” “Though privately an early modernist, Duchesne, in this classic did not challenge orthodox doctrine nor engage in indiscriminate debunking.”Louis Duchesne (1843-1922) was a French church historian of first rank. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1887 and completed his theological studies at Rome. His interest in the history of the early church was intensified by his travels in Greece and Asia Minor. He became a professor of ecclesiastical history at the Institut Catholique in Paris in 1885. In 1895 he was nominated director of the French School at Rome, a position he held until his death. He was elected a member of the French Academy in 1910. He died in 1922, in Rome, and is buried in the cemetery of Saint-Servan.His major works concentrate on early church history and the early documents of papal history.Historians today concede that Catholic historical scholarship came to a legitimate maturity in the 19th century, especially through the publication of sources. Duchesne, by his close study of these sources, called into question some of the legends of the saints. Considered too modernist by the Church during the time when the movement of Modernism was formally condemned under Pope Pius X, Duchesne’s 3-volume “Early History” was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books in 1912. Around the same time, Pope John XXIII, then just a professor of church history at the seminary in Bergamo, was similarly denounced for recommending Duchesne’s “Early History” to his students.Pius’ successor, Pope Benedict XV, while still condemning Modernism, dismantled what some have called the “witch hunt” engendered by the “Modernist crisis” and called for freedom of discussion when the Church had not pronounced on an issue. The Index of Forbidden Books was essentially abolished in 1966 by Pope Paul VI.

Genres: History, Faith, Religion, Nonfiction

306 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 5, 2009

About the author

Father Louis Marie Olivier Duchesne

Reviews

[Clifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second time I have read this book. I upgraded the rating from three stars to four. The author was a priest and a historian who wrote in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He applied modern methods of historical research that apparently offended someone, and his book was placed on a prohibited reading list by the Church. The book covers the period from the end of the life of the apostles Peter and Paul to the end of the third century. This was a time before the books that became the New Testament were compiled. The author notes several times the scarcity of primary materials from that period due to the persecution and destruction of records by the enemies of the religion. Like other historians studying ancient history, he relied on interpretation, tradition and legend to fill in the many holes in the records. Even so, the book offers a good overview of the numerous faith traditions and writings that developed out of the oral history of the life of Jesus that was passed down through the early generations of the religion. Those faith traditions competed for adherents, each claiming to teach the authorized doctrine. It was similar to today's Christian environment. The book is a good read for those who are interested in early Christianity.

[Myron T Howley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duchesne's masterful history of the church!

An excellent resource for the scholar or amateur church historian. This text based a lot on the work of revered German chroniclers of the 19th century.

[Shane Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed

This is very detailed history.
I wish it was better formatted for Kindle - footnotes don't return to the text and Greek terms are listed as "([G])". Both are unfortunate.

[Jacob O'connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent history to pass the time.  


Notes:

Is it apostasize or apostatize? Come on guys.  Make up your mind

excellent section on gnosticism