“I must warn you,” he says. Whatever persecutions the Christians have experienced, and whether it has been Jews or pagans or heretics who have mistreated them, Christians must not avenge themselves. Cyprian places himself among them: “We should not hasten… — Alan Kreider Copy Share Image
“This, the Christians believed, was God’s work and not theirs. So they did not engage in frantic action to save those who were not… — Alan Kreider Copy Share
“An unmixed marriage, Christian with Christian—this according to Tertullian enabled believers to live life in its fullness. This is not what we expect from… — Alan Kreider Copy Share
“At the heart of early Christian worship was table fellowship. Throughout the first three centuries Christian communities gathered once a week for a meal.… — Alan Kreider Copy Share
“Does my subjectivity shape the book? Of course it does, and that dynamic can be bad or good, or both! For example, in reading… — Alan Kreider Copy Share
“According to Tertullian, impatient actions do not produce what they promise. Instead, impatient actions make things worse, bringing about massive misfortunes. “Now, nothing undertaken… — Alan Kreider Copy Share
“The Christians’ focus was not on “saving” people or recruiting them; it was on living faithfully—in the belief that when people’s lives are rehabituated… — Alan Kreider Copy Share
“When people seek to follow Christ, according to Origen, God forms them into people who embody this patience. Christ’s followers are not in a… — Alan Kreider Copy Share
“Origen was most articulate about this struggle. “For you who are redeemed by Christ,” he challenged believers in Caesarea, “a physical sword has been… — Alan Kreider Copy Share
“So, in our imaginative scenario, Constantine the Christian decided to adopt a policy of mission true to the early Christians’ tradition of patience: Regarding… — Alan Kreider Copy Share
“We can hear the catechist intoning precept 26: “That it is of small account to be baptized and to receive the eucharist unless you… — Alan Kreider Copy Share
“In all their activities Christians are “filled with joy uttering and doing the precepts of the Lord,” teaching their children never to lose hold… — Alan Kreider Copy Share
“the church’s growth; it is life in “the way of Christ,” distinctive and hopeful. Christians, as Cyprian knew well, were growing in numbers because… — Alan Kreider Copy Share
“Ancient writers, we have seen, more often mention exorcism than anything else as a cause of conversion to Christianity.” — Alan Kreider Copy Share
“In this chapter and the next, I will contend that the Christians’ habitus was formed patiently, unhurriedly, through careful catechesis as well as through… — Alan Kreider Copy Share
