Eusebius: The Church History

by Eusebius, Paul L. Maier

Overview

Much of our knowledge of the first three centuries of Christianity comes from Eusebius, the first great historian of the Christian faith. This full-color edition is a standard reference work on the early church.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780825494888
Publisher:	Kregel Publications
Publication date:	02/01/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	4 MB

About the Author

Eusebius, the Bishop of Caesarea in Roman Palestine, has well been called "The Father of Church History." As the first Christian historian, he recorded the colorful events and personalities that characterized Christianity in its crucial first three centuries from Christ to Constantine.

Paul L. Maier is the Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University. In 1984 he was named "Professor of the Year" as one of America's twenty-five finest educators. His other works include the award-winning Josephus: The Essential Works, Eusebius: The Church History; In the Fullness of Time; Pontius Pilate; and The Flames of Rome.

Read an Excerpt

If Herodotus is the father of history, then Eusebius of Caesarea (c. A.D. 260-339) is certainly the father of church history. He was the first to undertake the task of tracing the rise of Christianity during its crucial first three centuries from Christ to Constantine. Since no other ancient author tried to cover the same period, Eusebius is our principal primary source for earliest Christianity, and his Church History is the cornerstone chronicle on which later historians would build. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus provides fascinating addenda to our information about the people, places, and events of the biblical world, and Eusebius does the same for the period up to A.D. 324.

What happened to Jesus' apostles later in life? Did Simon Peter ever to go Rome? Where did John spend the rest of his days? Did Paul survive his trial before Nero? When were the Gospels written? Who wrote them, and where? How did the New Testament canon develop? Why and how were the early Christians persecuted? These questions and many more involve an era no longer covered by the New Testament and could hardly be answered were it not for Eusebius.

Table of Contents

Introduction     9
The Person and Work of Christ     21
Commentary: Eusebius on Jesus     49
The Apostles     52
Commentary: Eusebius on the Apostles     77
Missions and Persecutions     80
Commentary: Eusebius's Sources     115
Bishops, Writings, and Martyrdoms     118
Commentary: Defenders and Defamers of the Faith     147
Western Heroes, Eastern Heretics     150
Commentary: Christian Agonies and Arguments     185
Origen and Atrocities at Alexandria     188
Commentary: Eusebius's Horizons     223
Dionysius and Dissent     227
Commentary: Dionysius of Alexandria     255
The Great Persecution     259
Commentary: The Four Emperors     283
The Great Deliverance     286
Commentary: The End of Persecution?     304
Constantine and Peace     308
Commentary: Eusebius and Constantine     333
Eusebius's Citation of Josephus on Jesus     336
The Successions of Emperors and Bishops     339
Bibliography     344
Indexes     348

Editorial Reviews

Well-translated, carefully-introduced edition of ancient texts are the lifeblood of real history. . . . Kregel's publication of a new translation of Eusebius's Church History by Paul L. Maier is, therefore, an important event.

McManis Professor of Christian Thought Wheaton College - Mark A. Noll

A pleasant and accessible introduction to this important resource for church history.

Atlanta Constitution-Journal

There is no book more important to understanding the early church than Eusebius's Church History . And there is no edition more readable and engaging than this one.

Mark Galli Christian History Magazine

A masterful translation.

Forum Letter

Maier has done something for ordinary Christian pastors and lay people. He's brought the earliest years of the church back to life.

Metro Lutheran News - Michael L. Sherer

Eminently enjoyable.

Restoration Quarterly

A publication with enduring value.

Response

Far and away the best [translation] on the market.

Northwest Baptist Witness

"There is no book more important to understanding the early church than Eusebius's The Church History. And there is no edition more readable and engaging than this one."

Christianity Today - Mark Galli

While there are numerous editions of The Church History, none compares with this one.

Biblical Worldview

Eusebius, as the first church historian, gave us a priceless treasure. . . . Now Dr. Paul Maier in his new translation and commentary brings this resource in its most accessible and convenient form to modern readers.

Christian History Institute - Ken Curtis

"The publication of a new translation of Eusebius's The Church History is an important event. This translation, along with the helpful introductions and commentary by Paul L. Maier, makes early history come alive."

University of Notre Dame - Mark A McAnaney