Apocalyptic Thought in Early Christianity

by Robert J. Daly (Editor)

This volume explores how early Christian understandings of apocalyptic writings and teachings are reflected in the theology, social practices, and institutions of the early church. It enables pastors and serious students of the Bible particularly those interested in patristics and church history to read the book of Revelation and related writings through ancient Christian eyes. This is the second volume in Holy Cross Studies in Patristic Theology and History, a partnership between Baker Academic and the Stephen and Catherine Pappas Patristic Institute of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts. The series is a deliberate outreach by the Orthodox community to Protestant and Catholic seminarians, pastors, and theologians. In these multi-author books, contributors from all traditions focus on the patristic (especially Greek patristic) heritage.

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2009

Reviews

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This will certainly be more interesting to Patristic and Eschatology specialists than the general public. But its limited audience doesn't prevent it from being a useful text. It compiles thoughtful commentary on a wide variety of post-first century texts and art. As a whole, the content of the book shows about an equal interest between "standard" Fathers (Hippolytus, Cyril, and the Cappadocians) and "nonstandard" apocalypses and other texts. There may even be a slight favoring toward the latter. Thus, we have no long treatment of something as seminal as Augustine's eschatological thought, or other things of that nature.

The volume ends up providing a pathway toward appreciating the broad variety of eschatological approaches in early Christianity. The two chapters (2, 14) devoted almost entirely to the eschatological in early Christian art were certainly worth the read, with excellent observations and insights about the nature of eschatology based on how people decorated their worship spaces. The first four chapters of the volume are also especially good, offering a pointed overview of many of the most significant figures and themes among the earliest Christians.

[Thaddeus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly thorough scholarly work taking a look at the changes and patterns of thought in Early Christinity on Apocalyptic theology. Very useful for gaining insight into the changes in trends, differences in views - even early on - and how different some of the questions and problems they struggled with may be to our own today. I found this very useful also in getting some better understanding of the early church context. I found Bernard McGinn's essay on the turning points in early Christian Apocalypse exegesis very helpful!

[Rhesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

15 heavy weight essays on the apocalyptic thoughts of the book of Revelation from early church down to Byzantium period. An expensive one but worth every penny of it. First rate!