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The Theology of Jewish Christianity: A History of Early Christian Doctrine Before The Council of Nicaea
English, French (translation)
- GenresChurch History
446 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
About the author
Jean Daniélou
135 books49 followersJean Daniélou S.J. (1905–1974) was a theologian, historian, cardinal and a member of the Académie Française.
Jean-Guenolé-Marie Daniélou was born at Neuilly-sur-Seine, son of Charles and Madeleine (née Clamorgan). His father was an anticlerical politician, several times minister, and his mother an educator and founder of institutions for women's education. His brother Alain (1907–1964) was a noted Indologist.
Daniélou studied at the Sorbonne, and passed his agrégation in Grammar in 1927. He joined the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1929, becoming an educator, initially at a boys' school in Poitiers. He subsequently studied theology at Fourvière in Lyon under Henri de Lubac, who introduced him to patristics, the study of the Fathers of the Church. He was ordained in 1938.
During World War II, he served with the Armée de l'Air (Air Force) in 1939–1940. He was demobilised and returned to civilian life. He received his doctorate in theology in 1942 and was appointed chaplain to the ENSJF, the female section of the École Normale Supérieure, at Sèvres. It was at this time that he began his own writings on patristics. He was one of the founders of the Sources Chrétiennes collection. In 1944 he was made Professor of Early Christian History at the Institut Catholique de Paris, and later became dean. Beginning in the 1950s, he produced several historical studies, including The Bible and the Liturgy, The Lord of History, and From Shadows to Reality, that provided a major impetus to the development of Covenantal Theology.
At the request of Pope John XXIII, he served as an expert to the Second Vatican Council, and in 1969 was consecrated as a bishop and made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI. He was elected to the Académie Française on 9 November 1972, to succeed Cardinal Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Tisserant.
His unexpected death in 1974, in the home of a prostitute, was very diversely interpreted. He died on the stairs of a brothel that he was visiting. It turned out he was bringing her money to pay for the bail of her lover. Thanks to a group including Henri Marrou, his reputation was cleared.
Jean-Guenolé-Marie Daniélou was born at Neuilly-sur-Seine, son of Charles and Madeleine (née Clamorgan). His father was an anticlerical politician, several times minister, and his mother an educator and founder of institutions for women's education. His brother Alain (1907–1964) was a noted Indologist.
Daniélou studied at the Sorbonne, and passed his agrégation in Grammar in 1927. He joined the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1929, becoming an educator, initially at a boys' school in Poitiers. He subsequently studied theology at Fourvière in Lyon under Henri de Lubac, who introduced him to patristics, the study of the Fathers of the Church. He was ordained in 1938.
During World War II, he served with the Armée de l'Air (Air Force) in 1939–1940. He was demobilised and returned to civilian life. He received his doctorate in theology in 1942 and was appointed chaplain to the ENSJF, the female section of the École Normale Supérieure, at Sèvres. It was at this time that he began his own writings on patristics. He was one of the founders of the Sources Chrétiennes collection. In 1944 he was made Professor of Early Christian History at the Institut Catholique de Paris, and later became dean. Beginning in the 1950s, he produced several historical studies, including The Bible and the Liturgy, The Lord of History, and From Shadows to Reality, that provided a major impetus to the development of Covenantal Theology.
At the request of Pope John XXIII, he served as an expert to the Second Vatican Council, and in 1969 was consecrated as a bishop and made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI. He was elected to the Académie Française on 9 November 1972, to succeed Cardinal Eugène-Gabriel-Gervais-Laurent Tisserant.
His unexpected death in 1974, in the home of a prostitute, was very diversely interpreted. He died on the stairs of a brothel that he was visiting. It turned out he was bringing her money to pay for the bail of her lover. Thanks to a group including Henri Marrou, his reputation was cleared.
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
April 7, 2012
A really fascinating read, looking at some of the earliest Christian texts to establish one of the theologies of the nascent Christian movement. Christians at first saw themselves as being faithful adherents to the prophecies and promises given to the Jews in the Scriptures. Danielou tries to show the distinctness of this early Christian theology from later developments particularly in Roman Catholic thinking. One can see in these early works the basis for a number of elements found in Orthodoxy such as the the veneration of the Cross, Christi's descent into Hades, piety toward the Virgin. He sees in the unfolding Christian doctrines and practices far more the roots of Jewish Christianity than Hellenism. Some of the emphases of this early Christianity is found in the piety of the Orthodox Church today.
The above comments were from when I first read the book. I just finished it for a 2nd time, mostly because I didn't remember much of it. This time I was mostly struck by how diverse the early Church was in its beliefs and practices. Even if one limits the study to just Jewish Christians, the diversity among them is staggering. When one adds in Christians who were Romans, Greeks, Syrians, Egyptians, gnostics and all the rest, it is easy to see how diverse early Christianity was. It moved from great diversity to some uniformity and conformity in beliefs and practices, no doubt to help hold it all together. Over time, Christians refined their theology, terminology, liturgical and sacramental practices. Ideas which were acceptable in Christianity's earliest days are clarified, some are dropped or modified because of other implications in them or because various heretical groups embraced them. Efforts are made to be more precise in terminology and as some ideas lead to certain problems, they disappear even though early on they were totally acceptable. But then as time passes and with the Reformation many old practices, customs, beliefs, and terminology which had been carefully discontinued became revived by one denomination or another.
The above comments were from when I first read the book. I just finished it for a 2nd time, mostly because I didn't remember much of it. This time I was mostly struck by how diverse the early Church was in its beliefs and practices. Even if one limits the study to just Jewish Christians, the diversity among them is staggering. When one adds in Christians who were Romans, Greeks, Syrians, Egyptians, gnostics and all the rest, it is easy to see how diverse early Christianity was. It moved from great diversity to some uniformity and conformity in beliefs and practices, no doubt to help hold it all together. Over time, Christians refined their theology, terminology, liturgical and sacramental practices. Ideas which were acceptable in Christianity's earliest days are clarified, some are dropped or modified because of other implications in them or because various heretical groups embraced them. Efforts are made to be more precise in terminology and as some ideas lead to certain problems, they disappear even though early on they were totally acceptable. But then as time passes and with the Reformation many old practices, customs, beliefs, and terminology which had been carefully discontinued became revived by one denomination or another.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review