Ecclesiastical Authority and Spiritual Power in the Church of the First Three Centuries

by Hans von Campenhausen

Publisher:

Baker Academic

, 1995

Overview

The issue of authority in the church—what constitutes authority, and who has it—has been one of the foremost issues throughout church history, including the modern church.

The practice of the early church and the writings of the New Testament are of primary importance for understanding the problem of authority. We can enhance our understanding further by taking into consideration the sociological phenomena surrounding any emergent social group that traverses a path from charismatic leadership to formal governing structures.

Key Features

• Offers to be a valuable tool for scholars, theologians, historians and religious students
• Blends a historical assessment with a sociological analysis of the early church and the writings of the New Testament
• Demonstrates the author's deep learning and his grasp of the whole complex history of the Church in the first three centuries

Praise for Ecclesiastical Authority and Spiritual Power

. . . But if this volume is not the definitive word on the subject, it is nevertheless a magisterial interpretation which, thanks to an expert translator, students of primitive Christianity cannot be excused for ignoring.

Scottish Journal of Theology

This is a fine book which demonstrates the author's deep learning and his grasp of the whole complex history of the Church in the first three centuries. . . Within the limits he has set for himself, however, the author has written a work of great value and significance. A wealth of topics, including the development of the Church's penitential discipline and the power of the Keys as a factor in arousing the self-awareness of the clergy, receive the stamp of his erudition. In days when authority remains one of the divisive elements in Christendom, theologians of all traditions will find this work indispensable.

W. H. C. Frend, Journal of Ecclesiastical History

It is no exaggeration to say that there is no area of the subject which he touches without illuminating. . . This will prove to be an invaluable work as an introduction to the subject and, for those who are already familiar with the material, a powerful stimulus to further thought.

Expository Times

Product Details

• Title: Ecclesiastical Authority and Spiritual Power in the Church of the First Three Centuries
• Author: Hans von Campenhausen
• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Print Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 308
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• Resource ID: LLS:CCLSSTCLTHCNTRS
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2021-09-07T15:55:43Z