The Treasure Chest of the Early Christians - Faith, Care and Community from the Apostolic Age to Constantine the Great (Paperback)

This volume explores the formation of the Christian church as a faith community deeply concerned for the care of others. Plumbing the historical sources that illumine the development of Christian corporate and social life from its earliest days through the fourth century, David Batson chronicles the church's crucial role as caretaker of the destitute and deprived -- a role unique in late antiquity.

In uncovering the origins of Christian social action, Batson treats many themes that still resonate today: the relationship between church and state, the divergence of faith and practice, the conflict between traditionalism and modernity, the challenge of fundamentalism, and the continuing reality of persecution. Deft in his narrative of such accounts, Batson provides a fascinating story as well as an insightful study in social history. Readers will find in this book both valuable background to the world of the New Testament and a proper Christian model for modern community care.