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Title: Eusebius: The History of the Church from Christ to Constantine by Eusebius, G.A. Williamson ISBN: 0-14-044535-8 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 1990 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.56 (16 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Brief Synopsis
Comment: Eusebius lived in the late third and early fourth centuries in Caesarea Palestine. His History of the Church chronicles the time from Christ to the victory of Constantine over Licinius. He wrote in Greek, but this translation Latinizes the names. Eusebius covers the period of Jewish persecution in the early first millennium a.d.; goes through the succession of the bishops of Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, Jerusalem, etc.; gives the account of heretical movements; and gives numerous examples of Christian martyrs in times of persecution. In the back of this edition is an extensive "Who's Who in Eusebius" spanning some 88 pages. It is a very useful tool in the reading of The History of the Church. It may also prove a valuable quick reference in further studies on early Christianity. Eusebius's style allows him to extensively quote several authors and historians in the early first millennium. His ten books of The History of the Church are riddled with passages from Josephus, Origen, Philo, Hegesippus, and the like. Also, behind the Who's Who in Eusebius, are a few appendices. I would highly recommend reading the appendices B, C, and D before undertaking the body of the book. A brief knowledge of the Roman empire at the time and Christianity will greatly benefit the reader.
Rating: 4
Summary: Helpful introduction and Handy Glossary
Comment: The G.A. Williamson translation of Eusebius' History of the Church has a few helpful features.
First, the lengthy introduction provides the 20th (21st?) century reader a framework for looking at these 4th century writings--it identifies his biases, omissions, strengths as well as his cultural context. I found that re-reading the introduction, once I finished *History of the Church,* helped greatly in clarifying the work.
Second, the "who's who in Eusebius" section aids in keeping track of the various names/saints/heretics that pop up in the pages. I got the most out of the book when looked up each new name in the "who's who" section and *slowly* read Williamsons comments. Such an approach made for slow going, but it helped me to sift through and synthesize the material. A couple of examples: I now know who Dionysius of Alexandria is and who's responsible for calculating the date of Easter.
One more note on the translation: it's supposedly much more modern and readable than others (or so says the introduction). Eusebius, supposedly, wrote in obtuse and windy Greek. As I have only read this translation, I can't compare it; but I did find this translation readable.
Interesting things along the way:
-Eusebius' has interesting comments on the development of the canon--i.e. the selection of the gospels and the epistles for that distribution known as the New Testament
-Reading Eusebius will give you an appreciation for the sufferings of the 2nd and 3rd century martyrs for simply refusing to give token acts of worship to Roman gods.
-This book does *not* contain much evidence of the "Eusebian Accomodation," the pro-government stance I'd heard about in church history class.
Overall, this book is *the* seminal church history book and worth reading, but will require some discipline to finish
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent introduction
Comment: This book was first assigned to me as a student of late Roman history and it was one that had a great impact on me. More than a mere ecclesiastical history, it is a defense of Christianity written by a Bishop of the 4th century. Having lived through the persecution of Diocletian and been a confidant of the first Christian Roman emperor, Constantine, Eusebius recounts the tumultuous history of the Church in all its tragedy and triumph.
Quoting from the early Church fathers, Josephus, and sacred scripture, Eusebius proceeds through the reigns of the various Roman emperors from the time of Christ down to his own time--a period of over 300 years. Among the most fascinating information included is the curious correspondence between Jesus himself and Abgar the Toparch of Edessa a city in western Asia Minor in which Jesus promises to send one of His disciples to cure Abgar after His ascension. Though of uncertain authenticity, the tale has been used in recent years to link the Holy Shroud of Turin to the Mandylion of Edessa.
Also of interest are the numerous persecution, miracle, heresy, and martyrdom narratives that are packed into this book. The recounting of the marytrdoms of St. Polycarp and St. Justin Martyr are particularly compelling.
In short, this book is a treasure house of information on the early Church and no serious student of Church history can neglect it. Note, however, that this book does not contain the famous story of Constantine's miraculous conversion--seeing a cross in the sky with the words, "Conquer by this." If I remember correctly, this incident is recounted separately in the "Vita Constantini" also written by Eusebius.
As for the Penguin translation, I am not qualified to comment. If you are in need of the original Greek, I recommend the edition from the Loeb Classical Library (vol. 265) also available here on Amazon.
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Title: Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers by Maxwell Staniforth, Andrew Louth ISBN: 0140444750 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 July, 1987 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Early Church by Henry Chadwick ISBN: 0140231994 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 1993 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations by Michael W. Holmes ISBN: 0801022258 Publisher: Baker Academic Pub. Date: 01 November, 1999 List Price(USD): $32.99 |
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Title: The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition by Flavius Josephus, William Whiston ISBN: 0913573868 Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers Pub. Date: 01 September, 1980 List Price(USD): $14.97 |
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Title: Confessions by Saint Augustine, Henry Chadwick ISBN: 0192833723 Publisher: Oxford University Press Pub. Date: 01 April, 1998 List Price(USD): $7.95 |
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