A concise history of the early church /

Brox's work on early Christian history is a lucid presentation of the major themes of the first five centuries of Christian history. He treats the standard themes with the acumen of the specialist who can write for the generalist. Brox (Univ. of Regensburg) traces the beginnings of the church in its Jewish matrix. Then, he considers the mission of the church, which led to its popular explosion in the second and third centuries. A particularly useful treatment of the church's life and organization will be welcomed by the generalist. Finally, he looks at the conflicts in the Christian church and the four ecumenical councils that chart the orthodox theological development of the early church. This work is a translation of the original German edition published in 1992. Each chapter has a concise but useful bibliography. The index of names and subjects make it a handy reference for those coming fresh to the early church and its history. Brox's work easily introduces the novice to the early world of Christian history. It narrates the main story without the burden of details. And yet, one can follow the author's leads to deeper, more complex levels of Christian development. Upper-division undergraduate; graduate. A. L. Kolp; Earlham College