Suffering and Glory: The Church from the Apostles to Constantine
Digital Verbum Edition
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Overview
Patrick Whitworth tells the story of the growth of the early Christian community. Eschewing speculation, he provides a clear narrative interspersed with pithy accounts of the most significant Christian teachers in the period which culminated in the advent of the first Christian Emperor, Constantine. It is a story that is particularly relevant at a time when Christendom is a fading memory and the Christian community is struggling to discover where the Spirit is leading in a global culture.
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- Tells the story of the growth of the early Christian community.
- Provides a clear narrative interspersed with pithy accounts of the most significant Christian teachers.
- Explores the vivid telling of their stories.
A rapid, detailed and accurate narrative, full of picturesque scenes drawn directly from contemporary witnesses to the rise of Christianity in the Roman world. Whitworth writes with admiring passion, but does not disguise the human peculiarities and frailties of the protagonists. At all times we are aware of the importance of locality, and the shifts in Christian thought and practice are seen to result from changing relations to the ambient culture, a leading cause of which was the success of the church itself.
—Mark Edwards, Professor of Early Christian Studies, University of Oxford
Within this double narrative, the Fathers of the Early Church lived, taught, and often died for their faith. The strength of this book is the vivid telling of their stories. We are introduced to Fathers such as Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and the towering figure of Origen. They are placed in their political context, their life stories are vividly recounted, and there are lengthy extracts from their written works; so we can read their ideas in their own words. We sense their vitality and creativity, and see how they shaped the future Church.
—The Revd Dr John Binns, The Church Times
Utterly readable, even if you have no knowledge of the subject matter, yet also thoroughly researched and historically accurate.
—Alan Wakely, The Reader