The Early Church on Killing: A Comprehensive Sourcebook on War, Abortion, and Capital Punishment

by Ronald J. Sider

Publisher:

Baker Academic

, 2012

Overview

In this volume, noted theologian Ron Sider lets the testimony of the early church speak. It offers a thorough, comprehensive treatment on topics of perennial concern—war, abortion, and capital punishment—providing English translations for all extant data directly relevant to the treatment of these issues by the early church until Constantine. Primarily, it draws data from early church writings, but other evidence, such as archaeological finds and Roman writings, is included. The book contains brief introductions to every Christian writer cited and explanatory notes on many specific texts. The Early Church on Killing will be a helpful text in courses on ethics, theology, and church history.

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Scripture citations link directly to English translations, and important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Delves into the ideas surrounding the value of life for members of the early church
• Discusses the ethics of the early church and how they were derived
• Highlights issues that remain relevant today

Contents

• Christian Writers before Constantine
• Church Orders and Synods
• Miscellaneous Items
• Other Evidence of Christian Soldiers before Constantine

Praise for the Print Edition

In this very important work, Ron Sider returns to his roots as a church historian to offer an exceedingly careful, measured study of the literary evidence left by the early church on the morality of killing. This volume is entirely free of propaganda or polemics, following the evidence where it leads. This deceptively brief, highly disciplined study should prove to be authoritative in this field.

—David P. Gushee, distinguished university professor of Christian ethics, Center for Theology and Public Life, Mercer University

In a most helpful way and with an evident knowledge of the primary sources, Ronald Sider presents in translation a comprehensive sourcebook of early Christian statements on the issues of abortion, capital punishment, and military service. . . . Sider confronts the reader with the relevant texts themselves and so allows us to make our own independent judgment on the important question of the early church’s position on these difficult and yet highly relevant themes. This book will be an asset in the libraries of pastors and laypeople alike and a welcome text in college and seminary classrooms.

—William C. Weinrich, professor of historical theology, Concordia Theological Seminary

The question of ‘killing’ has been a contested and debated issue from the earliest years of the church’s history. May Christians serve in the military? Is abortion ever justifiable? What of the question of capital punishment? Ron Sider has produced an invaluable handbook of primary source material from an ancient Christian perspective that can serve the entire church well as we continue to face these thorny and often heartrending questions in a modern context.

—Christopher A. Hall, chancellor, Eastern University

In a time when violent death is all too common and wars of choice are undertaken all too readily, it is bracing to be reminded by this cloud of witnesses from the early church of the value that early Christians placed on human life and the severe judgments they issued on those who took it without cause.

—Harold W. Attridge, Sterling Professor of Divinity, Yale Divinity School

Product Details

• Title: The Early Church on Killing: A Comprehensive Sourcebook on War, Abortion, and Capital Punishment
• Author: Ronald J. Sider
• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Print Publication Date: 2012
• Logos Release Date: 2013
• Pages: 224
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Death › Religious aspects--Christianity--History of doctrines--Early church, ca. 30-600; Murder › Religious aspects--Christianity; War › Religious aspects--Christianity; Abortion › Religious aspects--Christianity; Capital punishment › Religious aspects--Christianity
• ISBNs: 9781441253767, 9780801036309, 1441253769, 0801036305
• Resource ID: LLS:EARCHRKILLINGSIDER
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T23:32:19Z

About Ronald J. Sider

Ron Sider is known worldwide for providing leadership to the movement of evangelicals who recognize not just the spiritual, but also the social and political implications of a high view of Scripture. His book Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger was lauded by Christianity Today as being among the top 100 books in religion in the 20th century and the seventh most influential book in the evangelical world in the last 50 years. Dr. Sider has published 30 books in addition to Rich Christians, including Evangelism, Salvation and Social Justice; Christ and Violence; Cry Justice: The Bible on Hunger and Poverty; Completely Pro-Life; Good News and Good Works: A Theology for the Whole Gospel; Living Like Jesus; Just Generosity: A New Vision for Overcoming Poverty in America; The Scandal of the Evangelical Conscience: Why Are Christians Living Just Like the Rest of the World?; The Scandal of Evangelical Politics: Why are Christians Missing the Chance to Really Change the World?; and I Am not a Social Activist: Making Jesus the Agenda. In the 1970s, Dr. Sider played a key role in the drafting of the historic Chicago Declaration, which helped set the direction for evangelicals concerned about the Bible’s social implications. He was the founder of Evangelicals for Social Action (ESA), which for more than three decades has provided an organizational outlet for Christians committed to holistic ministry. ESA is now a part of the Sider Center on Ministry and Public Policy at Palmer Seminary. An ordained minister in the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Churches, Ron lectured at numerous educational institutions, including Yale, Harvard, Princeton and Oxford.