Early Christianity in Contexts

“During its early centuries, Christianity spread in varied ways to varied places. . . . [This book] draw[s] on a wide array of documentary and material sources to describe and compare those diverse origins and the cultural environments that informed them. . . . This work provides historians of early Christianity with a framework of context for the various local churches and serves as a useful starting point for students of the early church.”—Library Journal

“The global presence of Christian faith is now accepted as commonplace. This carefully researched volume demonstrates convincingly how very early that presence came to an extraordinary range of world locations. Close attention to material and cultural evidence makes this an unusually illuminating book.”—Mark A. Noll, author of Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity

“Foregrounding the material record of Christianity in the first centuries of the Common Era, Early Christianity in Contexts magnificently captures the diversity of Christian experience within and beyond the borders of the Roman world. First-rate research infuses this welcome volume from start to finish, rewarding those who immerse themselves in its captivating treasures.”—Bruce Longenecker, W.W. Melton Chair of Religion, Baylor University

“This is—as always with Tabbernee’s books—a carefully written, precise, and well-documented book, but also a book that is a pleasure to read. The chapters contain trustworthy overviews, including the most interesting sources and secondary literature. Those references will allow readers to seek further information. As far as I can see the newest findings and excavations are integrated into the manuscript, and the fact that ‘Christianity outside the boundaries’ (of the Roman Empire) is included makes the book so valuable. There is no other comparable volume where the new findings from China are integrated into the traditional picture. In short: solid information on archaeological matters is combined with state-of-the-art passages on the history of Christian theologies and denominations.”—Christoph Markschies, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin