Study the Early Church

Get Verbum + The Didache: A Window on the Earliest Christians

This free version of Verbum Catholic study software puts insights from across all of Scripture—and a collection of key Catholic resources—right at your fingertips. With Verbum 9 Basic, you’ll do basic Bible study tasks and see for yourself how Verbum can help you discover, understand, and share more of the Faith. Customize a reading plan, take notes and highlight, consult devotionals and commentaries, and more—all with the help of intuitive, interactive tools. Get Basic plus this month's featured book for free!

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Basil of Caesarea

This introduction to the thought of Basil of Caesarea surveys his theological, spiritual, and monastic writings, showing the importance of his work for contemporary theology and spirituality. It brings together various aspects of Basil’s thought into a single whole and explores his uniqueness and creativity as a theologian. The volume engages specialized scholarship on Basil but makes his thought accessible to a wider audience. It is the third volume in the Foundations of Theological Exegesis an...

~~$26.99~~

Reading the Apostolic Fathers: A Student's Introduction, 2nd ed.

The Apostolic Fathers is a critically important collection of texts for studying the first century of Christian history. Here a leading expert on the Apostolic Fathers offers an accessible, up-to-date introduction and companion to these diverse and fascinating writings. This work is easy to use and affordable, yet offers a thorough overview for students and others approaching these writings for the first time. It explains the context and significance of each document and points to further reading. This new edition of a well-received text has been updated throughout and includes a new chapter on the fragments of Papias.

~~$29.99~~

First Corinthians (Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament)

In this volume, respected scholar Pheme Perkins examines cultural context and theological meaning in First Corinthians. Students, pastors, and other readers will appreciate the insights that Perkins derives from interrogating the text through multiple perspectives, providing historical, literary, and theological insight offered in this practical commentary. This commentary, like each in the Paideia series, approaches each text in its final, canonical form, proceeding by sense units rather than word-by-word or verse-by-verse. Each sense unit is explored in three sections: (1) introductory matters, (2) tracing the train of thought, (3) key hermeneutical and theological questions.

~~$29.99~~

Vincent of Lérins and the Development of Christian Doctrine

The theology of Vincent of Lérins is often reduced to a memorable slogan: “We hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, and by everyone.” Thomas Guarino argues that this Vincentian Canon has frequently been taken out of context.

~~$26.99~~

Second Corinthians (Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament)

In Second Corinthians, respected senior New Testament scholar, Raymond F. Collins, examines cultural context and theological meaning in Second Corinthians. Students, pastors, and other readers will appreciate the historical, literary, and theological insight offered in this practical commentary. This commentary, like each in the Paideia series, approaches each text in its final, canonical form, proceeding by sense units rather than word-by-word or verse-by-verse. Each sense unit is explored in three sections: (1) introductory matters, (2) tracing the train of thought, (3) key hermeneutical and theological questions.

~~$29.99~~

The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary

The Gospel of Mark, addressed to an early Christian community perplexed by failure and suffering, presents Jesus as suffering Messiah and Son of God. Recognizing that failure and suffering continue to perplex Christians today, world-renowned New Testament scholar and theologian Francis Moloney marries the rich contributions of traditional historical scholarship with the contemporary approach to the Gospels as narrative. This commentary combines the highest-level scholarship with pastoral sensitivity. It offers an accessible and thoughtful reading of Mark’s narrative to bring the Gospel’s story to life for contemporary readers.

~~$35.99~~

Introducing Medieval Biblical Interpretation

Does medieval hermeneutics have continuing relevance in an age dominated by the historical-critical method? Ian Christopher Levy asserts that it does. Levy shows that we must affirm both the irreversible advances made by the historical-critical method and the church's lasting commitment to the deeper spiritual senses beyond the immediate historical circumstances of the text.

~~$29.99~~

Transubstantiation: Theology, History, and Christian Unity

This thoroughgoing study examines the doctrine of transubstantiation from historical, theological, and ecumenical vantage points. Brett Salkeld explores eucharistic presence in the theologies of Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin, showing that Christians might have more in common on this topic than they have typically been led to believe. As Salkeld corrects false understandings of the theology of transubstantiation, he shows that Luther and Calvin were much closer to the medieval Catholic tradition than is often acknowledged.

~~$29.99~~

Early Judaism: The Exile to the Time of Jesus

This textbook provides an introduction to the Second Temple period (520 BC–AD 70), the formative era of early Judaism and the setting for Jesus and the earliest Christians.

~~$44.99~~