Yale University Library Research Guides: Early Christianity and Patristics: Theology

Introductions to early Christian Theology

God and history in early Christian thought: a study of themes from Justin Martyr to Gregory the Great by L. G. Patterson Online available.
Classical Christian Doctrine by Ronald E. Heine grasp the doctrines of the Christian faith considered basic from the earliest days of Christianity. identify major personalities and concepts, and each chapter concludes with discussion questions and suggestions for further reading.
God Visible : patristic christology reconsidered by Brian E. Daley considers the early development and reception of what is today the most widely professed Christian conception of Christ. Online available.

Monotheism Between Pagans and Christians in Late Antiquity by S. Mitchell studies how similarities between paganism and Christianity were obscured in the polemic that was waged by Christianity against paganism and in the pagan responses to it. debate about monotheism was not just about conceptions of the divine, but was part of the creation and defense of social, cultural and religious identities in Late Antiquity.
Aristotle and Early Christian Thought by Mark Edwards Aristotle, from the sixth century AD to the Italian Renaissance, was the dominant Greek voice in Christian, Muslim and Jewish philosophy. account of the slow appropriation of Aristotelian thought in the Christian world from the second to the sixth century. Concentrating on the great theological topics - creation, the soul, the Trinity, and Christology.

Christian Theology and Its Institutions in the Early Roman Empire by Christoph Markschies seeks to unravel the complex problem of unity and diversity by carefully examining the institutional settings for the development of Christian theology. contends that theological diversity is closely bound up with institutional diversity.
The First Christian Theologians: An Introduction to Theology in the Early Church by G. R. Evans introduction to the theology of the early Church through an accessible examination of individual theologians. Explores how Christian theology came into being - including Scriptural canon, preaching, heresies, and the role of ecumenical councils.

Arianism: Roman Heresy and Barbarian Creed by Roland Steinacher overview of the evolution of the 'Arian' churches in the Roman world of Late Antiquity and their political importance in the late Roman kingdoms of the 5th-6th centuries. introduction to the subject, grounded in the historical context, then examine the adoption of Arian Christianity among the Gothic contingents of the Roman army, and its subsequent diffusion in the barbarian kingdoms of the late Roman world.
Marcion and the Making of a Heretic by Judith M. Lieu A comprehensive and authoritative account of the 'heretic' Marcion, traces the development of the concept and language of heresy in the setting of an exploration of second-century Christian intellectual debate.
The Donatist Church in an Apocalyptic Age by Jesse A. Hoover examines an apocalypse that never happened, seen through the eyes of a dissident church that no longer exists.studies how Donatists perceived the end of the world to offer a glimpse into the inner life of the dissident communion. Online available.
Docetism in the Early Church by Joseph Verheyden et al. studies the ways modern research has tried to detect traces of Docetism in ancient sources.

The Trinitarian Controversy by William G. Rusch explores the development of the doctrine of the Trinity in the patristic church as a result of the Arian controversy: selection of primary sources.
Hilary of Poitiers on Conciliating the Homouseans and the Homoeouseans : an inquiry on the fourth-century trinitarian controversy by Jannel Abogado concerns whether Hilary of Poitiers compromised the Nicene faith, a charge suggested even in Hilary's own day, when he attempted to bring together the homouseans and the homoeouseans.
Incorruptible Bodies: Christology, society, and authority in late antiquity by Yonatan Moss In the early sixth-century eastern Roman empire, anti-Chalcedonian leaders Severus of Antioch and Julian of Halicarnassus debated the nature of Jesus's body: Was it corruptible prior to its resurrection from the dead? reveals the underlying political, ritual, and cultural stakes and the long-lasting effects of this fateful theological debate. Online available.
The Donatist Schism : controversy and contexts by Richard Miles examination of the Donatist Controversy.