This is a 45-volume bundled product consisting of Biblesoft's Early Christianity Collection -- Classic Studies and Documents (14 volumes) and the Classic New Testament Studies 31-volume Collection.
Titles in the 14-volume Early Christianity Collection -- Classic Studies and Documents are:
The Church in Rome in the First Century, by George Edmundson
Eight lectures (Bampton Lectures, 1913) on
the subject, by an Anglican cleric/scholar who takes a more positive view of
the tradition(s) regarding Peter and the founding of the Church in Rome than
most critical scholars at the time (and since). [general academic, with fairly extensive footnotes], [c.1913]
History of Dogma, by Adolf von Harnack
Harnack's influential Dogmengeschichte (History of Dogma, 6 vol. English ed.), a landmark
work that is still regularly consulted and cited by historians and theologians.
Harnack was almost universally regarded as the leading expert on early Church
History and Doctrine, especially for the ante-Nicene period. His
ground-breaking work helped establish more serious critical study of the early
Christianity and the Fathers. [Scholarly, with extensive
documentation], [1894 Engl. Ed.,
transl. from the German]
Mission and Expansion of Christianity in the
First Three Centuries, by Adolf von Harnack
This work on early Christian history is
somewhat more approachable and easier to follow than Harnack's great work on
Dogma, though it still is quite scholarly, especially in the footnotes. It
focuses on the social, intellectual and ethical contours of the early church,
largely in regard to the Greco-Roman cultural environment [Scholarly, with extensive documentation], [c. 1902; 1908 Engl. Ed., transl. from the German]
What Is Christianity?, by Adolf von Harnack
A series of lectures given extempore at
the University of Berlin, Winter 1899-1900, covering the history and
development of doctrine, as well as the social and intellectual structure of
Christianity. The bulk of the lectures focus on the Apostolic and Early Church
period, but the last few extend in to the Medieval and Reformation periods.
Before plunging into the author's History of Dogma. These lectures provide a good introduction to the
framework and approach used in analyzing and organizing the material
used in von Harnack's History of Dogma volumes. [General academic, minimal documentation], [1900; 1908 Engl.
Ed., transl. from the German]
Two Lectures: On Monasticism and the
Confessions of Augustine, by Adolf von Harnack
Two short works - lectures, or treatises,
less academic in approach than many of Harnack's more famous works. His
treatment of 'Monasticism: It's Ideals and History' provides a useful survey;
of course, coming out of the rational Protestantanism of the 18th & 19th
centuries, he has little sympathy for the ascetic ideals of monasticism, but
his objective knowledge of the material is sound. The Augustine lecture, much
shorter and is a helpful introduction or
supplement to the reading of Augustine and his famous autobiography. [General
academic, minimal documentation], [c. 1900; 1911 Engl. Ed., transl. from the
German]
On the Apostles' Creed, by Adolf von Harnack
This is an article on the Apostles' Creed
(from Herzog's Realencyclopädie), and is one of the bits of scholarly analysis
for which Harnack is justly famous. It also provides a good example as to how
critical analytic tools began to be applied in earnest to the field of
Patristics and Early Church tradition. He provides a detailed examination:
early references to the Creed, its original provenance, how it came to take the
shape it now has, etc. Clearly, contrary to tradition, he maintains the famous
Creed is not a product of the Apostles per se -- on this, virtually all modern
scholars are agreed. However, it is also clear that such a rigorous application
of critical analysis was highly controversial with traditionalists of the time. [Scholarly], [1890s; 1901
Engl. Ed., transl. from the German]
The Christian Ecclesia, by F. J. A. Hort
A series of lectures given at Cambridge in
the autumn of 1888 and 1889. It is effectively a detailed word study on the
term "Ecclesia" (Gk. )Ekklhsi/a),
along with how the term came to be understood conceptually in the Early Church.
As such, the lectures touch on a variety of theological and ecclesiologial
issues, and a number of key NT passages are examined closely. The work ends
with a sermon (1890) on the occasion of the consecration of his colleague Bishop Westcott, key text Eph. 6:12-13. [Academic/scholarly, but with limited documentation and footnotes], [1897, published
posthumously]
Church and the Ministry in the Early
Centuries, by Thomas M. Lindsay
A series of in-depth lectures (Cunningham
Lectures) on a difficult topic. The author, a scholar in the Free Church
tradition in Scotland, juxtaposes two models of authority and government in the
Church: (Spiritual) Gifts (esp. the prophetic) and fixed Church Offices,
showing the interplay and dynamic of both throughout history. Overall a
careful, thorough treatment, which modern-day Protestants should find
interesting. [General academic, but with
extensive documentation in the footnotes], [1903]
Christian Hymns of the First Three Centuries, by Ruth Ellis Messenger
A short tract from the series "Papers
of the Hymn Society", written by a professor of hymnology/musicology. It
provides a good introduction/overview of the subject with several dozen early
hymns (or extracts) provided in translation. [1930-40]
Short Papers on Church History, by Andrew Miller
The author is a Baptist/Brethren pastor
and revivalist preacher who is chiefly known today for his writings on Church
History, of which these "Short Papers" are representative. Most
notable is the historicist framework he uses, where each of the Seven Churches
of Rev. 2-3 represents a period of church history. This sort of interpretive
approach was once quite popular among earlier Protestants reaching back into
the Reformation, though it is not much in favor today. The overall message is
one of a steady decline from Apostolic times to the present, with a decided
anti-Roman-Catholic polemic (though more nuanced than that of the typical
firebrand preacher) [Traditional-conservative; General academic, pastoral. [1873]
Early Years of Christianity, by Edmund de Pressensé
An oft-cited History by the distinguished
French Protestant preacher and statesman (and student of the great Church
historian Neander), this volume covers the Apostolic Period, including a survey
of some key NT critical issues [General
academic, with fairly extensive footnotes], [1968,
transl. from the French]
History of the Origins of Christianity, by Joseph Ernest Renan
Renan's famous 7-volume history, like his
earlier "Life of Jesus" provides no shortage of controversial points,
but is also a learned, eloquent work, altogether typical of the
liberal-theological critical scholarship in Europe at the time. Renan was a
gifted scholar (in the fields of theology, Semitics, and Biblical criticism),
and a full-blooded critical skeptic. This shows most vividly in his view on
miracles and the supernatural; note also the space he devotes to the learned
pagan opponents of Christianity (Lucian, Celsus, M. Aurelius). These issues
notwithstanding, there is much of interest to read along the way. [General academic with liberal-critical viewpoint, scholarly details, limited documentation], [1868-1881,
transl. from the French]
Early Christian Fathers, by Cyril C. Richardson
This standard set of translations covers most of the so-called
Apostolic Fathers (except for Hermas and the epistle of 'Barnabas'), works of
two of the Apologists (Justin Martyr's 1st Apol. and Athenagoras' 'Plea'), and
selections from Irenaeus' Against Heresies. As such the material parallels vol.
1 of the Ante-Nicene Fathers, but with more recent translations, and better,
up-to-date introductions. There is also a useful introduction to the historical
background of the writings. Any seminary/theology student will likely have
owned, or at least used, a copy of this book. [General academic, with some
scholarly detail], [1953]
Sketches of Church History, by James
Craigie Robertson
A well-known work by the distinguished
professor of Church History and canon of Canterbury. Part I covers the Early
Church period (up to c. A.D. 600), and Part II up to the time of the
Reformation. [General academic], [1878]
The Beginnings of Christianity, by Paul Wernle
A two volume work, based on lectures in NT
Theology given in 1900, by the professor at the University of Basel. Overall,
it is a vivid and engaging work. [General academic,
minimal documentation], [1903-4,
transl. from the German]
Titles in the Classic New Testament Studies 31-volume Collection are:
Introduction
to the New Testament, by Louis Berkhof — An investigation of the history and purpose of the Gospels and Epistles in the
New Testament. Berkhof's sections begin with a brief outline followed by a
comprehensive look at the characteristics, authorship, composition, and
canonical significance of each New Testament book. Introduction relies on the findings of a wide range of New
Testament scholars including the early Church Fathers. Berkhof's references are
easy to navigate making this a prime text for student study, which it was
during Berkhof's tenure at Calvin Theological Seminary where he taught for
nearly 30 years.
The
Miracles of Jesus, by
Karl Beth — A historical-critical and history-of-religion analysis
written in response the the more radical-skeptical 19th cent. treatments of the
'historical Jesus'. The author is firmly in the line of German scholarship
stemming from Harnack's historical research and writings on the transmission of
scripture through the early church fathers.
Causes
of the Corruption of the Traditional Text of the Gospels, by
John W. Burgon — A valuable
treatment of New Testament textual criticism, especially the issue of textual
'corruption' resulting from the rise of variant readings from a late 19th cent.
perspective. The chapters provide a still-useful overview of the types and
causes of these variant readings, with many examples from the Gospels. The
author is also a strong adherent of the 'Majority Text', and a pronounced
opponent of the approach taken by Tischendorf, Westcott & Hort, etc., in
their critical editions of the New Testament.
The Last Twelve Verses of
the Gospel of Mark, by John W. Burgon — A vigorous
and learned defense of the originality of the 'long ending' of Mark
(16:9-20). In Burgon's day, following the discovery of Codex Sinaiticus
[a] and Vaticanus [B], critical scholars were already doubting the
originality of these verses; despite Burgon's work of reviewing and
refuting all supposed evidence produced against these verses. He proves some
false, misconstrued, and none of any force in proving the verses anything but
genuine. No one has ever dared to answer Burgon point by point. Burgon
poses stubborn fact to which critics offer subjective opinions, circular
reasoning, but no facts. The
tide of opinion today is even further against him; evangelical scholars are
split on the question, tending toward the critical view.
The
Gospel According to St. Mark, by J. A. Chadwick — A popular devotional/expository commentary
(from The Expositor's Bible).
Lectures
on the Acts of the Apostles, by John Dick — A Scottish preacher and professor of
Theology, Dick's fame rests primarily on these Lectures on Acts, which were and
still are popular in published form. Expository, with some historical
background and detail provided.
The
Origin of the New Testament, by Adolf von Harnack — Though titled "Origin of the New
Testament", this is really a study on the use of the New Testament text in
the Early Church, with the purpose of demonstrating that the New Testament
writings were already known and in use in the 2nd century A.D. Harnack and
Tischendorf perceived the need to refute the critical scholars of the 19th and
early 20th century who claimed that many of the NT books weren't written until
the 2nd century (or later). Harnack is foremost known as a Patristics scholar,
with pioneering work in the critical study of Church History and the History of
Dogma.
Commentary
on Ephesians, by
Charles Hodge — Best known for his Systematic Theology, Hodge's New Testament
commentaries are still highly regarded in Reformed circles. This work on
Ephesians is extremely thorough and deals extensively with the Greek text.
The
Epistle of James, by
F. J. A. Hort — A commentary based exclusively on the Greek text by one of the
foremost NT textual scholars (half of the team that produced the famous 1881
critical edition). Very detailed, with a thorough introduction; but the
commentary itself was unfinished due to the author's death.
Johnson,
Barton Warren — Commentary on John Written by a distinguished American
minister, probably best known for his People's New Testament, this Commentary
on the gospel of John is quite a thorough work. It is subtitled Volume 3
apparently of a larger NT commentary ("A Commentary for the People").
Dissertations
on Theological Subjects Connected with the Study of St. Paul's Epistles, by Benjamin Jowett — A collection of
interesting essays touching on key theological points from Paul's epistles and
theology. Written largely from the standpoint of the History of Religions and
Philosophy, his scriptural interpretations were rather controversial at the
time from his perspective as a (somewhat unorthodox) Greek scholar who
specialized in the works of Plato.
The
Epistles of Peter An Expository Commentary on Both Epistles, by J. H. Jowett — In this classic
study, distinguished
British/American pastor J.H. Jowett deals with passages which are at the same time
full of meaning and difficult in terms of interpretation. Jowett's skills of
interpretation are blended and expressed through the vehicle of a unique
literary style in a commentary that is both scholarly and devotional.
The
Friend on the Road and Other Studies in the Gospels, by J. H. Jowett — A series of approx. 60
short homilies or sermon illustrations, very much in the simple devotional
style.
From the
Talmud and Hebraica,
by John Lightfoot — From a landmark 6-vol. work, this is an exegetical
commentary on Gospel passages citing relevant background or supplementary
information from the Talmud and other Rabbinic sources (as they were known and
understood at the time). In addition to the verse-by-verse commentary, there
are supplemental geographical and cultural notes.
Commentary
on the Acts of the Apostles, by J.W. McGarvey — An expository commentary by the
distinguished American pastor and scholar.
The
Four-fold Gospel, by
J. W. McGarvey and Philip Pendleton — A work chronicling the life of
Christ, which was intended especially for use by Sunday School teachers. The
detailed format is handled effectively, and each parallel section/event has a
numerical index number (1-145). Theologically conservative, though not
polemical, it has all of the expected harmonizing tendencies and explanations.
Moffat
New Testament Commentary, by James Moffat — (General Epistles: James, Peter, Jude) A
commentator and professor of church history, Moffat is no doubt best known for
his popular (and occasionally controversial) Moffat Bible translation. The Moffat New Testament Commentary series was written 1928-49; this is
the volume on the General Epistles. His commentaries are thorough and
exegetical, but do tend to be theologically critical of the standard theories
regarding biblical authorship.
Messages
from the Epistle to the Hebrews, by H.C.G. Moule — Traditional and conservative, this is an
exegetical and devotional commentary, from the Anglican bishop better known for
his poems and hymns.
Expositions
of the Epistles, by
Augustus Neander — (Philippians, James, 1 John) From the famous Church
historian, these expositions, intended to be part of a larger series of
commentaries, cover three of the Epistles. They are generally exegetical, but
the work on Philippians is presented more in summary fashion.
The Life
of Christ, by
Augustus Neander — Neander's famous Life of Christ, written as a direct
response to D. F. Strauss' Life
of Jesus. Like many critical German scholars of the time, he felt the need
to answer the more radical critical theories of Strauss, F. C. Baur, et al.
This work is important for its historical context of grappling with ideas and
theories — of German scholarship which modern American
evangelicals tend to dismiss.
Romans
Verse by Verse, by
William R. Newell — An exegetical commentary on Romans, typical of Newell's
work, which remains highly regarded in evangelical circles.
Pink, Arthur
W. — Why Four Gospels? An introductory study of the Gospels, focusing on
aspects and elements unique to each, with certain passages examined in more
detail.
Was
Christ Born in Bethlehem?, by W. M. Ramsay — A famous study on the Lukan birth narrative,
especially with regard to the historical problem and the historicity of the
Gospel in general. As such, it has proven quite popular over the years as an
aid to New Testament apologetics.
St. Paul
the Traveler and Roman Citizen, by W. M. Ramsay — Ramsay, a classics scholar and well-traveled
geographer, made important contributions to the study of Early Christianity and
the historical-cultural background of Christianity in relation to the Roman
Empire. This life of Paul has been extremely popular for its detailed
historical chronology which integrates information from the Epistles and Acts.
Letters
to the Seven Churches of Asia, by W. M. Ramsay — A thorough treatment of the historical
background of Revelation 2-3.
The
Johannine Writings,
by Paul W. Schmiedel — An introduction and survey of the Johannine Writings
(the Gospels, Epistles and Revelation), but the vast majority of the book is
devoted to the Gospel, especially its historicity and relation to the
Synoptics. Schmiedel, a professor of theology and NT exegesis typifies German
critical scholarship (from an evangelical point of view) - penetrating
analysis, with a more liberal-critical viewpoint.
Origin
of the Four Gospels by Constantine Tischendorf — One of the
most famous and influential of all New Testament scholars, Tischendorf's
discovery of the Codex Sinaiticus is legendary, and his numerous critical
editions of the NT mark him as a pioneering text-critical scholar. This work
demonstrates the historical witness of the four gospels in the early church;
namely, that they were attested and in use, rather than being written by the
second century A.D.
When
Were Our Gospels Written?, by ConstantineTischendorf — A bit more detailed and organized
work covering much of the same subject matter as above; it also includes a
narrative of the discovery of Codex Sinaiticus.
Commentary
on the Epistles to the Seven Churches, by R.C. Trench — (Rev. 2-3) A thorough exegetical treatment
of Rev. 2-3, written by the distinguished NT scholar and Anglican archbishop.
The
Sinlessness of Jesus,
by Carl Ullmann — Written by a distinguished German professor of church history
and dogmatics, this work (subtitled "An Evidence for Christianity"),
is, like Neander's “Life of Christ”, an answer to D. F. Strauss' Life of Jesus,
and the more radical-liberal historical criticism it represents.
The
Christ of History, by
John Young — An apologetic work which takes the interesting approach of attempting
to use the objective historical facts of the human person Jesus of Nazareth to
demonstrate his deity.
This add-on is compatible with PC Study Bible Version 5 libraries. For it to operate, your computer must have a pre-installed Version 5 library. If an existing PC Study Bible program is not installed, a program-only version will be installed to run this add-on content. This add-on will not install or work properly with any pre-installed PC Study Bible program prior to Version 5.
The product photos shown on this page are for illustrative purposes only. All reference works are supplied on CD or via online download.