Foreword / Rowan Williams -- Introduction / William G. Rusch -- Ministry and tradition -- Episopacy in the New Testament and early church -- The role of the Christian bishop in ancient society -- Bishops and monks -- The origin of the title 'oecumenical council' -- Faith and order at the Council of Nicaea : a note on the background of the sixth canon -- Ossius of Cordova and the presidency of the Council of Antioch, 325 -- The Chalcedonian definition -- The circle and the ellipse : rival concepts of authority in the early church -- St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome : the problem of the Memoria apostolurm ad catacumbas -- The power of music -- New letters of St. Augustine -- New sermons of St. Augustine -- On re-reading the Confessions -- Providence and the problem of evil in Augustine -- The attractions of Mani -- Augustine's ethics -- The originality of early Christian ethics -- Pachomios and the idea of sanctity -- Christian and Roman universalism in the fourth century -- Oracles of the end in the conflict of paganism and Christianity in the fourth century.
Summary:
This anthology offers a choice selection of writings by one of the twentieth century's premier church historians, Sir Henry Chadwick. Many of Chadwick's considerable contributions to a fuller understanding of the early church were unpublished or not circulated widely during his lifetime, but here they are compiled in a convenient, accessible form. Reflecting Chadwick's wide-ranging expertise, this volume contains his essays on a variety of themes pertaining to the early church, including the emerging faith's relationship to classical culture; the interaction between piety, politics, and theology; councils in the early church; the power of music in the church; and more. As relevant for the study of early Christianity today as when they were first written, Chadwick's essays remain a valuable resource for better understanding the church both past and present, shedding light on ecumenical problems that still keep Christians visibly divided--Dust jacket.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.