Archaeology cat Posted November 30, 2013 Share Posted November 30, 2013 Any good recommendations for unbiased history books on the early Church? My non-Catholic sister is asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Story of Christianity volume one by Gonzalez. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archaeology cat Posted December 1, 2013 Author Share Posted December 1, 2013 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comingback Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 Story of Christianity volume one by Gonzalez. I am following because I am trying to get my Catholic theology and church history knowledge base up (a lot).I have a question about this book. When I was in Protestant seminary we used this as our text, but I later heard that Gonzalez has a "bias" because of his liberation theology. This is what I heard, and obviously as someone who is not a scholar, it is not something I can even weigh in on. I don't even know how liberation theology is thought of in these days. So, my question is, "Does liberation theology influence this book or is it just a good intro? If it is good intro, I want to read it again. Sorry for all this rambling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotreDame Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 I am following because I am trying to get my Catholic theology and church history knowledge base up (a lot).I have a question about this book. When I was in Protestant seminary we used this as our text, but I later heard that Gonzalez has a "bias" because of his liberation theology. This is what I heard, and obviously as someone who is not a scholar, it is not something I can even weigh in on. I don't even know how liberation theology is thought of in these days. So, my question is, "Does liberation theology influence this book or is it just a good intro? If it is good intro, I want to read it again. Sorry for all this rambling. Well, if you used this in a protestant seminary then I'm going to take this book off my Amazon Wishlist and wait for more responses, because I too am interested in buffing up on my Church history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 This is the text that is used in our seminary for early church history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NotreDame Posted December 1, 2013 Share Posted December 1, 2013 I'm interested in this subject, so I asked a friend his opinion and he gave the following books: http://www.amazon.com/The-Early-Papacy-Synod-Chalcedon/dp/1586171763/ http://www.amazon.com/The-Greek-Fathers-Their-Writings/dp/1586170139/ http://www.amazon.com/The-Christian-Tradition-Development-Emergence/dp/0226653714/ http://www.amazon.com/The-History-Church-Constantine-Classics/dp/0140445358/ http://www.amazon.com/Early-Christian-Writings-Apostolic-Classics/dp/0140444750/ http://www.amazon.com/The-Early-Church-Penguin-History/dp/0140231994/ He says "I've read the penguin classics ones years ago. They are general and unbiased for the most part. I think they were written/compiled by Anglicans long ago. I think any of them would be good for a general overview. Alcuin was Catholic. Pelikan is Orthodox." And further reading shows Fortescue (the author of the first two) is Catholic. No idea if these would be appropriate for your sister, but wanted to share in case anyone had opinions on these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archaeology cat Posted December 2, 2013 Author Share Posted December 2, 2013 Thanks, all. I'm going to see which, if any, our library has and check them out so I can evaluate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinytherese Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 For reference material, she can see if The New Catholic Encycopedia 2nd Edition which is in 15 volumes (2002) or the 1967 edition. I know that a lot of people say to use New Advent website, but my Church History professor forbid us from using it because of how out of date it is (1910.) For the first semester of the class we used A History of the Christian Tradition, Volume I, From Its Jewish Origins to the Reformation by McGonigle and Quigley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comingback Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 Well, if you used this in a protestant seminary then I'm going to take this book off my Amazon Wishlist and wait for more responses, because I too am interested in buffing up on my Church history. Whoa!! It was back in 1988 and the professor who taught the class and chose the book had done her Ph.D in 4th century desert monasticism. It was later that I heard that Candler (Emory) which is where I went, had gone to another book because of the supposedly liberation theology bias. I don't remember it being anywhere obvious in the book because I was just a first-year student and would not have picked up on it anyway. That is why I am deferring to someone currently studying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhuturePriest Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 The Fathers Know Best by Jimmy Akin. Look it up. No other book on earth is necessary if you have that book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatherineM Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Finally remembered this thread while in my office and could see my books. We also used a history of Christianity by Kenneth Scott Latourette. Volumn one. The church of the ancient councils by archbishop peter l'huullier. Handbook of Patrology by Patrick j. Hamell. Dissent from the Creed by Richard Hogan is good for explaining why the early church decided things in fights about heresy. Oxford concise something that I loaned out, and the penguin atlases of world history are nice companions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archaeology cat Posted December 4, 2013 Author Share Posted December 4, 2013 You guys rock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary+Immaculate<3 Posted December 8, 2013 Share Posted December 8, 2013 If you're looking for more of a Patristics book, I'd recommend: The Fathers of the Church by Mike Aquilina, 3rd edition It is a great, solid church fathers book that's an easy read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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