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The Four: A Survey of the Gospels
Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom
From Behind the Veil: The Epistles of John
Deep Exegesis:The Mystery of Reading Scripture
1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary
The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter
A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons
Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature
Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen
The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism
A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel
From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution
Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy
Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper
A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament
Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature
Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays
Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life
The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
In his encyclopedic Later Roman Empire, A. H. M. Jones explains that the church after Constantine failed to transform ordinary social behavior and culture not because it was too lax but because it was too rigorist. Ordinary Christians felt they couldn’t live up to the standards, and responded by delaying baptism to their deathbed or retreating into monasteries.
Little direction was given to Christians in civil service: “Pagan philosophers down to the end of the fourth century produced countless works on the virtues and duties of kings. Christian writers have nothing to say on this topic, and but little on the duties of the citizen. For the most part they are content to repeat a few texts inculcating obedience to the authorities and payment of one’s taxes.” Into the fifth century, the church was doubtful about “very elementary points” of public ethics: “Good Christians . . . were made to feel that they were, if not sinners, falling short of the highest ideals, if they entered public service.”
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 7:47 pm
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