Christianity in Late Antiquity 300-450 C.E.

Christianity in Late Antiquity 300-450 C.E.: A Reader collects primary sources of the early Christian world from the last Great Persecution under the Emperor Diocletian to the Council of Chalcedon in the mid-fifth century. During this period Christianity rose to prominence in the Roman Empire developed new notions of sanctity and heresy and spread beyond the Mediterranean world. This reader incorporates standard texts--from authors such as Athanasius Augustine and Eusebius--in the most recent translations and also includes less familiar texts some of which appear in English translation for the first time. Presented in their entirety or in long excerpts the texts are arranged thematically and cover such topics as orthodoxy conversion asceticism and art and architecture. The editors provide introductions for each chapter text and image situating the selections historically geographically and intellectually. Christianity in Late Antiquity 300-450 C.E.: A Reader highlights the ways in which religion and culture were mutually transformed during this crucial historical period. Ideal for courses in Early Christianity Christianity in Late Antiquity and History of Christianity this reader is an excellent companion to Bart D. Ehrman''s After the New Testament (OUP 1998) and an exceptional resource for scholars.