History of Christianity Bookshelf:

These books are excellent additions to one's library and are particularly useful for research.

Influence of Greek Ideas on Christianity
Greek philosophy had formed the minds of the educated classes of the Roman Empire for centuries before the early Christians set out to spread their message there. If they wished to gain a hearing, therefore, the language of Greek philosophy was the language they had to speak. This venture was to have a long history and an enduring effect both upon Christianity itself and on the world that it was seeking to convince and convert. Buy from Amazon.com »

The Influence of Greek Ideas and Usages upon the Christian Church
This book consists of the Hibbart Lectures of 1888 that were published following the death of Edwim Hatch, a devout Christian scholar. His thesis is clearly stated: "It is impossible for any one, whether he be a student of history or no, to fail to notice a difference of both form and content between the Sermon on the Mount and the Nicene Creed... The one belongs to a world of Syrian peasants, the other to a would of Greek philosophers. The contrast is patent.... The presumption is that [the change] was the result of Greek influence. It will appear from the Lectures that this presumption is true. Their general subject is, consequently, The Influence of Greece upon Christianity." Anyone who has wrestled with the contrasting images of the teaching of Jesus in the New Testament and the propositional creeds of later Christianity, and who has wondered how "belief" as trust and confidence in a person became transmuted into "belief" meaning assent to a series of metaphysical propositions will find Hatch's work very illuminating, in spite of its age and somewhat stilted (by today's standards) language. Highly recommended, and worth seeking out. Buy from Amazon.com »

One God One Lord: Early Christian Devotion and Ancient Jewish Monotheism
Early Christian devotion and ancient Jewish monotheism. The reissue of a classic work, with an extensive new introduction in which Professor Hurtado evaluates the most recent developments in Christology. Hurtado traces the rise of ideas of Christ's divinity to Jewish sources. He shows that Christains naturally relied on Jewish concepts of a principal angelic helper to God to under-stand the meaning of Jesus' mission. Buy from Amazon.com »

At the Origins of Christian Worship: The Context and Character of Earliest Christian Devotion
An informative look at the beginnings of Christian worship. Christian worship has a long and complex history. This volume deepens our understanding of early Christian worship by setting it within the context of the Roman world in which it developed. Exploring this formative period in church history, Larry Hurtado highlights the two central characteristics of earliest Christian worship: its exclusive rejection of the gods of the ancient world and its inclusion of Christ with God as the focus of devotion. His excellent study also offers reflections on Christian worship today, suggesting ways contemporary worship can be enriched and corrected by drawing on the early Christian worship traditions. Both historical and practical, this volume will be valuable to readers ranging from church pastors and worship leaders to individuals interested in the origins of Christian faith and practice.