The Beginnings of the Church

by Frederick J. Cwiekowski, Raymond E. Brown (Foreword)

A popular account of the beginnings of the church from Jesus' ministry to the end of the New Testament period seen in the light of current scholarship. †

Genres: Theology

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lucid presentation of a basic history of the New Testament texts and an analysis of the diversity of early Christian communities (churches) disclosed in them. Cwiekowski recognizes the value of historical-critical analysis of these texts in relation to understanding issues in the church today, though the latter presentation is only the last chapter of the book. The rest is a very modest and attentive walk through the history of the New Testament beginning with founding influences in intertestamental Judaism and the cultural and religious milieu that formed the basis of Jesus' own ministry. The book is quite valuable as a basic introduction and offers a (mostly) chronological progression, so that readers can see developments from the earliest extant writings (Paul) through the Gospels to turn of the second century post-biblical early sources. Cwiekowski unquestionably demonstrates that the early churches were much more diverse and creative than they are perceived to be in the popular imagination of many believers, especially Catholics, to whom this book is particularly addressed. His attentiveness to the variety of leadership in the early communities, the sources of struggle within them and from beyond them, and the role of women in the New Testament texts are key highlights.



The book provides an ample bibliography for futher research, though it is written in a more accessible style and lacks significant footnotes, which, even in this format, would have helped provide a more comprehensive way of understanding Cwiekowski's thought process on certain points.

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a boring, dry read. There were parts where the writing wasn't great. In fact, the person who used the book before me put nasty little comments in the side throughout the book. I would not read this book unless it was required.