Overview
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.
In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. 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.
Get more resources with the Eerdmans Studies in Early Christianity
Key Features
- Unpacks Roman, Greek, and Jewish political, social, religious, and philosophical backgrounds
- Includes revisions of Ferguson’s original material
- Provides a good historical understanding of the New Testament
Contents
- Political History
- Society and Culture
- Hellenistic–Roman Religions
- Hellenistic–Roman Philosophies
- Judaism
- Christianity in the Ancient World
Praise for the Print Edition
The text is excellent—rich and amazingly detailed. A standard textbook, it would also be a good addition to a parish library.
—Current in Theology and Mission
Product Details
- Title: Backgrounds of Early Christianity
- Author: Everett Ferguson
- Edition: 3rd
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Publication Date: 2003
- Pages: 672
- Christian Group: Evangelicals
- Resource Type: Topical
- Topic: Early Church
About Everett Ferguson
Everett Ferguson is professor emeritus of Bible and distinguished scholar-in-residence at Abilene Christian University. Among his published works are Backgrounds of Early Christianity and The Church of Christ: A Biblical Ecclesiology for Today.
