The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Studies

von Susan Ashbrook Harvey; David G. Hunter

Verlag:

Oxford University Press

, 2008

Overview

The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Studies responds to and celebrates the explosion of research in this inter-disciplinary field over recent decades. As a one-volume reference work, it provides an introduction to the academic study of early Christianity (c. 100–600 AD) and examines the vast geographical area impacted by the early church, in western and eastern late antiquity.

The book is thematically arranged to encompass history, literature, thought, practices, and material culture. It contains authoritative and up-to-date surveys of current thinking and research in the various sub-specialties of early Christian studies, written by leading figures in the discipline. The articles orientate readers to a given topic, as well as to the trajectory of research developments over the past 30–50 years within the scholarship itself. Guidance for future research is also given. Each article points the reader towards relevant forms of extant evidence (texts, documents, or examples of material culture), as well as to the appropriate research tools available for the area.

Key Features

• Seeks to introduce readers to the wide variety of ways in which "early Christian studies" are conducted and have been conducted for the last three decades
• Aims to be a guide to research for beginners as well as for seasoned scholars entering an unfamiliar sub-specialty
• Intents to provide cogent summary introductions to various topics, figures, or historical assessments

Contents

• Prolegomena
• Evidence: Material And Textual
• Identities
• Regions
• Structures And Authorities
• Expressions of Christian Culture
• Ritual, Piety, and Practice
• Theological Themes