The New Testament And Other Early Christian Writings: A Reader

This Reader presents, for the first time in one volume, every Christian writing known to have been produced during the first hundred years of the church (30-130 C.E.). In addition to the New Testament itself, it includes other early non-canonical Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and Apocalypses, as well as additional important writings, such as those of the Apostolic Fathers. Each text is provided in an up-to-date and readable translation (including the NRSV for the New Testament), and introduced with a succinct and incisive discussion of its author, date of composition, and overarching themes. With an opening overview which shows how the canon of the New Testament came to be formulated - the process by which some Christian books came to be regarded as sacred Scripture whereas others came to be excluded - this accessible Reader will meet the needs of students, scholars, and general readers alike. An ideal primary text for courses in the New Testament, Christian Origins, and Early Church History, it can be used in conjunction with a companion volume, the author's The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings (OUP, 1996).