Imatge de l'autor

Everett Ferguson

Autor/a de Backgrounds of Early Christianity

106+ obres 3,723 Membres 24 Ressenyes 3 preferits

Sobre l'autor

Everett Ferguson is Professor Emeritus of Bible and Church History at Abilene Christian University, Texas. He was editor of The Encyclopedia of Early Christianity (2nd ed., 1997). Cascade Books is reprinting his scholarly articles, The Early Church at Work and Worship, in three volumes.

Obres de Everett Ferguson

Backgrounds of Early Christianity (1987) 1,363 exemplars
Early Christians Speak (1971) 257 exemplars
The Instrumental Music Issue (1987) 33 exemplars
Women in the church (2003) 31 exemplars
Literature of the early church (1993) 2 exemplars
Church History 1 exemplars
Worship in early Christianity (1993) 1 exemplars

Obres associades

Etiquetat

Coneixement comú

Nom oficial
Ferguson, William Everett
Data de naixement
1933-02-18
Gènere
male
Nacionalitat
USA
Lloc de naixement
Montgomery, Texas, USA
Llocs de residència
Abilene, Texas, USA
Educació
Abilene Christian University (BA|1953, MA|1954)
Harvard University (STB|1956, PhD|1960)
Organitzacions
Society of Biblical Literature
American Society of Church History
Ecclesiastical History Society
Biografia breu
Everett Ferguson is recognized as an authority on the history of the Lord's church. A graduate of Abilene Christian University, he holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University. He taught Bible, church history, and Greek courses at Abilene Christian University from 1962 until his retirement in 1998.

Ferguson edited the Encyclopedia of Early Christianity and the Living Word Commentary on the New Testament. He has authored numerous books, including several volumes on church history.

Membres

Ressenyes

The beginning of a collection of various essays by the author regarding the early church.

In this volume various essays are presented on ministry and ordination (specifically regarding the use of terminology and how that terminology developed over the patristic period), covenant (how covenant was understood, particularly "old" versus "new"), and canon (generally defending the idea of a generally recognized informal canon which was formalized over time, and defending the early date of the Muratorian Canon).

For those interested in patristics, this collection has value. For those not well versed in patristics and early Christianity it may be difficult to follow.
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Marcat
deusvitae | Oct 4, 2021 |
"...concise and reliable information. Highly recommended as a core title in all personal and professional Christian historical studies collections." -- The Midwest Book Review

"It is a testimony to the vitality and breadth of early Christian studies in North America. It is also testimony to the perceptive editing and revising skills of Everett Ferguson and his associate editors, Michael McHugh and Frederick Norris." -- The Catholic Historical Review

"[I]ndispensable for the scholar for its concise and accurate information as well as the basic and updated bibliography for every entry. We commend the editor, contributors and publisher for this major achievement and valuable reference on the early Church." -- Coptic Church Review

"...provides a useful orientation to the major topics, the scholarly issues, and the literature through which to begin exploring an important but complex set of places, times, and people." -- Church History

"Remarkably successful in its aim to be comprehensive...This substantive reference work will continue to appeal to general readers and students as well as specialists. Highly recommended." -- Library Journal

"Information is presented thoroughly but in a way that enables it to be understood by nonexperts...Recommended especially for libraries serving graduate and undergraduate students of early Christianity and for other libraries needing a good, up-to-date reference work on this subject." -- Choice

"The second edition of Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, like the first, will be useful for general readers, students and scholars-the clientele of large public, academic, and theological libraries." -- Reference Books Bulletin

"This extensively augmented new edition will ensure its rapid inclusion in libraries supporting serious study of antiquity...lavishly produced." -- Religious Studies Review

"The strength of the work is in the clear and concise writing of the articles...a valuable resource that will certainly be a standard reference source for years to come. I highly recommend this work." -- The Master's Seminary Journal

"One of the top reference works on the subject, demand that your local library purchase a copy." -- Christian History

"I highly recommend this excellent tool. It is a must have, indispensable for libraries, large and small. Truly a starting point for the study of the Early Church Fathers. It will be the centerpiece for any study of early Christianity. It is my top choice for most scholarly and valuable resource so far this year. Again, my highest recommendation!" -- Critical Review

"This is nothing short of a remarkable achievement. An excellent set which should be a 'must' reference in any religious school's library." -- The Bookwatch

"Information is presented thoroughly but in a way that enables it to be understood by nonexperts. Recommended especially for libraries serving graduate and undergraduate students of early Christianity and for other libraries needing a good, up-to-date reference work on this subject." -- Choice

"Highly recommended." -- ARBA 98
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OLibrary | Jun 30, 2021 |
This is a mammoth book: 2 authors, 22 Chapters covering 8 centuries, 16 pages of contents, 4 maps, 103 black and white illustrations in 843 pages. It covers the period from the “Babylonian Captivity of the Church" in 1309 to January 2012 when Boko Haram, a violent Islamic terrorist group, committed 54 murders.

The book has a number of goals: to provide an academically responsible engagement with the facts of history; to provide a global perspective; to be contemporary and relevant to the church today; not to avoid controversial issues, but not make final judgments; and to evaluate actions according to the cultural norms of the times but mindful that Christians affirm doctrinal and ethical standards that are culturally transcendent; and finally to be respectful of all Christian traditions.

Far too often history has been written by white men about other (usually dead) white men. How then does this book fare? It is written by two white men, but women do get a share - albeit a small one - of mentions. So, for example in the first chapter we have mentions of Birgitta of Sweden, Catherine of Sienna.The book aims to be global and it does avoid being too Euro and American-centric.

Inevitably, there is more focus on Protestantism than Roman Catholicism and on Europe and North America than Africa or Asia. But that is perhaps more a statement about the nature of history and the available documents rather than the book; until the nineteenth recently most Protestants lived in Europe, in 1900 81% of Christians were white - it is estimated that by 2015 this will be 30% - and in 1900 70% of all Christians lived in Europe and by 2025 this will be 20%. This global shift from Europe to North America and now to the Global South is certainly reflected in the later chapters of the book.

Why don’t Christians study more history? One problem has been a lack of good introductory resources. Woodbridge and James have addressed the that problem, they have produced a good overview of the story of history. However, as John Fea in his Why Study History? points out “Historians are not mere storytellers. Not only do they have the responsibility of making sure that they get the story right; they are also charged with the task of analyzing and interpreting the past.” Woodbridge and James are great story tellers, but at times I was wanting a little more analysis and interpretation.

Having said that though there is a brief helpful analysis of Calvin. The accusations that Calvin’s emphasis on predestination led to a lack of evangelism and missionary emphasis are examined and found wanting. They point out that “Contemporary scholars generally agree that predestination was not the wellspring of Calvin’s theology.” And they provide evidence of church growth that supports Phillip Hughes assertion that “Calvin’s Geneva was nothing less than “a school of missions … and a dynamic centre of missionary concern and activity.” (Churchman 78(4))

This is a great resource for those who want to know more about Church history. It provides enough detail in its overview to be also satisfying to undergraduates. At the end of each chapter is a “For further study” section which highlights several key books which will be helpful to those who want to take church history further.
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stevebishop.uk | Hi ha 4 ressenyes més | Jul 23, 2020 |
Having long served as a standard introduction to the world of the early church, Everett Ferguson's Backgrounds of Early Christianity has been expanded and updated in this third edition. The book explores and unpacks the Roman, Greek, and Jewish political, social, religious, and philosophical backgrounds necessary for a good historical understanding of the New Testament and the early church. New to this edition are revisions of Ferguson's original material, updated bibliographies, and fresh discussions of first-century social life, of Gnosticism, and of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Jewish literature.… (més)
 
Marcat
dfortson | Hi ha 5 ressenyes més | Mar 4, 2020 |

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Estadístiques

Obres
106
També de
9
Membres
3,723
Popularitat
#6,806
Valoració
4.2
Ressenyes
24
ISBN
96
Llengües
2
Preferit
3

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