This anthology edited by Philip Schaff, a renowned ecclesiastic historian, includes the most important works by early Christian theologians. Their comportment and sacrifice, their lectures and preaching, their moral values, and their understanding of Christianity and its most precious messages - shaped the foundations of the Christianity, helping it spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond its borders during the first centuries after the death of Jesus. The edition includes: Volume I:...

In our author rises before us another contributor to Latin Christianity, which was still North-African in its literature, all but exclusively. He had learned of Tertullian and Cyprian what he was to impart to his brilliant pupil Lactantius. Thus the way was prepared for Augustine, by whom and in whom Latin Christianity was made distinctly Occidental, and prepared for the influence it has exerted, to this day, under the mighty prestiges of his single name. TRANSLATOR’S INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. ...

The Nicene Creed is the defining statement of the belief of Christianity. The original Nicene Creed was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. This anthology includes the works, speeches and studies of the most influential theological minds of early Christianity. They have set the philosophy and moral standards that became the centre stone of Christian belief system. The second part of the edition includes the wri...

The Nicene Creed stands as the definitive expression of Christian belief. Initially promulgated at the First Council of Nicaea in 325, it underwent subsequent refinement at the First Council of Constantinople in 381. Within this anthology, one encounters a compendium of works, speeches, and studies authored by eminent theological figures of early Christianity. Their profound insights not only shaped the philosophical foundations but also delineated the moral ethos intrinsic to the Christia...

"The Sacred Writings Of ..." provides you with the essential works among the Early Christian writings. The volumes cover the beginning of Christianity until before the promulgation of the Nicene Creed at the First Council of Nicaea. To overcome the doubts of the local bishop as to the earnestness of his Christian belief Arnobius wrote (about 305) an apologetic work in seven books that St. Jerome calls (De Vir. Ill., lxxix) "Adversus Gentes" but is entitled "Adversus Nationes" in the only (...

Arnobius of Sicca (died c. 330) was an Early Christian apologist, during the reign of Diocletian (284305). According to Jerome's Chronicle, Arnobius, before his conversion, was a distinguished Numidian rhetorician at Sicca Veneria (El Kef, Tunisia), a major Christian center in Proconsular Africa, and owed his conversion to a premonitory dream. Arnobius writes dismissively of dreams in his surviving book, so perhaps Jerome was projecting his own respect for the content of dreams. According ...

St. John Chrysostom was born in the year 349 AD in Antioch. His father died soon after his birth and he was raised by his deeply pious mother. Under her influence St. John became devout as well, and took to studying scripture under the guidance of the bishop of Antioch who would later be the one to baptize him.St. John was drawn to become a monk, and when he mother died he withdrew to the wilderness. There he wrote a number of works on the ascetic life. After a number of years he w...

Athanasius was born in Egypt to a Christian family sometime around 295 AD. He was given a good education by his parents, and in his youth, the local bishop, recognizing his talents, took him on as his aide. As a result he would get the chance to be present at Nicaea for the first Ecumenical council of the church.These works cover the full span of his life, beginning before 319 AD, when he wrote his famous, 'On the Incarnation of the Word'. At the time there were a number of differe...

The Philokalia is a collection of texts written between the fourth and the fifteenth centuries by spiritual masters of the Orthodox Christian tradition.First published in Greek in 1782, then translated into Slavonic and later into Russian, The Philokalia has exercised an influence in the recent history of the Orthodox Church far greater than that of any book apart from the Bible. It is concerned with themes of universal importance: how man may develop his...

The Ante-Nicene Period (literally meaning "before Nicaea") in the history of early Christianity was the era following the Apostolic Age of the first century to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. During this period the orthodoxy (right belief) of the faith developed. The authors of the faith are known as the church fathers. They not only defined the faith but wrote against various heresies.Some of the unorthodox beliefs were:Gnosticism (2nd to 4th centuries) – reliance on r...

his is the full set of early Christian writings covering the first 4 centuries after Christ, as edited by Philip Schaff.A total of 64 authors, and over 2,500 works are included in this collection. Everything has been cataloged in an organized fashion to make it easy to reference with the Kindle format.The following authors are included in this collection:Alexander of AlexandriaAlexander of LycopolisAmbroseAphrahatArchelausAristides...

The Didache was possibly written around 65 - 80 A.D. and is supposed to be what the twelve apostles taught to the Gentiles concerning life and death, church order, fasting, baptism, prayer, etc. There is debate as to its authenticity.In the Babel of conflicting opinions, it is best to notice first the obvious internal phenomena. The first part of the Teaching (now distinguished as chaps. i.-vi.) sets forth the duty of the Christian; in chaps. vii.-x., xiv., we find a directory for ...