Frances Young, Lewis Ayres, and Andrew Louth, eds. The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004, reprinted 2006), xxvii + 538 Pps., $37.99.
Frances Young is Emerita Professor of Theology, University of Birmingham, Lewis Ayres is Associate Professor of Historical Theology at the Candler School of Theology and Graduate Division of Religion, Emory University, and Andrew Louth is Professor of Patristic and Byzantine Studies at the University of Durham. Acknowledging that the output of Christian literature between c.100 and c.400 represents one of the most influential periods of textual production, this History offers a systematic account of the literature and its setting of Early Christianity, analyzing the work of individual writers, as well as surveying the social, cultural and doctrinal context within which Christian literature arose. It provides essays on the major schools of Alexandria, Antioch, Edessa, and Nisibis, covering the major controversies found in each school. Notably, this work embraces feminist and sociological approaches to the material. Fifteen different contributors provide a total of forty different chapters, some of which will highlighted in what follows hereafter.
The book is divided into three main parts, covering the second, third, and fourth centuries, with two subdivisions within each part, the ‘A’ section covering the literature of the period, with the ‘B’ section enabling the generation of a greater sense of perspective on various hermeneutical questions that arose from the chapters in the preceding section. Part I, entitled “The Beginnings: The New Testament to Irenaeus,” is comprised of ten chapters. Therein, R.A. Norris contributes a chapter on the Apostolic and subapostolic writings, as well as a chapter covering the Gnostic literature. Young writes about Christian teaching in the third century, which is a thoroughly interesting chapter, and he then contributes a summative chapter regarding second century texts, entitled “Towards a Hermeneutic of Second-Century Texts.”
Part II covers the third century. Ronald E. Heine begins this part by providing an illuminative essay on the Alexandrians, which is then followed by a chapter on the beginnings of Latin Christian literature, also written by Heine. Sebastian Brock offers an essay covering Syriac literature within this period. Young’s concluding review of the literary culture and significance of the third century is worth the price of the book alone. The third part of the book, “Foundations of a New Culture: From Diocletian to Cyril,” covers the fourth century. Louth contributes individual chapters on Eusebius and the birth of Church history, the Cappadocians, and the literature of the monastic movement. Sebastian Brock contributes another essay, this later one addressing Ephrem and the Syriac tradition. Young again writes a concluding essay regarding the necessity of the interpretation and appropriation of early Christian literature.
In sum, the editors have arranged the articles in a logical manner, not alphabetical, which I find to be a strength. All of the articles, seemingly, focus on the literature itself, its interpretation and significance, its context, from historical, social, and philosophical perspectives. This is an excellent reference book for scholars and students alike, and it will be a welcome addition to reference shelves, as a ‘standard’ work.
Bradford McCall, Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA