Ancient Christianity: The Development of its Institutions and Practices

How did a scattered movement of house churches become a worldwide institution with bishops, councils, creeds, liturgies, and a shared way of life spanning three continents? Ancient Christianity: The Development of Its Institutions and Practices is Angelo Di Berardino's magisterial answer—the fruit of forty years of study, teaching, and writing at the Augustinianum in Rome.

Retracing the first five centuries of the church, Di Berardino shows how ecclesiastical institutions arose, developed, and matured across widely different regions and traditions. Rather than flattening this rich history into a single tidy narrative, he insists on its true diversity, drawing on primary sources from every corner of the ancient Christian world to demonstrate that Christianity has been multi-faceted from its very beginnings. The culmination of decades of research, this volume is an indispensable reference for scholars, students, and serious readers alike.

Product Details: Dimensions: 7 x 10 inches · Pub. Date: October 2021 · Format: Hardback · Pages: 718 · ISBN: 978-1-62428-015-3