Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years

Summary

The book is divided into seven thematic chapters, each following a loose chronological order within its subject while covering the entire period from Jesus and Paul through the establishment of Nicene Christianity as the standard form of the faith. Every chapter begins with a short abstract that outlines its key arguments. The first chapter, "The Idea of Israel," looks at how Christianity started within Second Temple Judaism and tracks the changing relationship between Jews and Christian groups over five centuries.

It shows how the gospel message, as it moved through the Greco-Roman world, slowly pushed most of Jesus's followers away from the Jewish roots of the movement. The author contends that the meaning of "Israel" shifted so drastically that the church under Constantine eventually took the name for itself. This chapter also covers the growth of Christian anti-Judaism, from early internal Jewish debates to the uncertain position of Jews in a Christianized Roman Empire.

The second chapter, "The Dilemmas of Diversity," explores how differences in Christian belief and practice came to be called heresy. Fredriksen examines the second and third centuries as a period of intense theological experimentation, showing how neo-Platonic ideas about God and matter influenced conflicts. She argues that the solidifying of orthodox boundaries was shaped in part by classical rhetorical training, which most major figures had. The chapter highlights key figures across several centuries of debate, including second-century thinkers Valentinus, Marcion of Sinope, and Justin Martyr, as well as the third-century prophet Mani and the fourth-century theologian Pelagius, along with their teachings and opponents.

The third chapter, "Persecution and Martyrdom," deals with Christian interactions with the Roman state and the lasting memory of those events in martyr stories and the cult of saints. Fredriksen emphasizes how religion and politics were intertwined in the ancient world, placing the discussion within classical views on the link between the divine and civic welfare. After covering Roman persecution of Christians, the book also examines how martyr-language was later used for violence among Christians once their faith became dominant.

Reviews

Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years updates Henry Chadwick's 1967 textbook The Early Church, which Fredriksen considered outdated in its methods and themes. Historian Ellen Muehlberger, reviewing the book for Bryn Mawr Classical Review, called it an excellent classroom tool that both introduces newcomers and models current historical approaches. She noted Fredriksen balances complex historiographical issues with an authoritative tone suitable for beginners, and that nearly every sentence in the book corresponds to an identifiable ancient source, making it useful for both students and teachers planning lessons.

Muehlberger observed the work reflects Fredriksen's expertise, with frequent focus on Paul and Augustine, and a reliance on Greek and Latin sources over Syriac and Coptic ones. She was revising her undergraduate course to make the book required reading. Former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, writing in the Times Literary Supplement, praised the book's synthesis of recent scholarship, particularly its treatment of early Christian anti-Judaism and apocalyptic thought as a driver of intolerance.

However, he argued Fredriksen downplays the seriousness of pre-fourth-century doctrinal divisions, suggesting that existing intense disagreements, not just an emperor sympathetic to Christianity, prompted Constantine to call the Council of Nicaea. Williams also found her occasional use of "denominations" anachronistic. He noted the book says little about liturgy, art, the Eucharist, the psychological depth of early monastic literature, or the philosophical contributions of figures like Gregory of Nyssa and Augustine. Still, he said he would recommend the book to students beginning their study of the subject.