The ancient church as family / Joseph H. Hellerman. [print]

Christianity in its social environment -- Mediterranean family systems : structure and relationships -- Origins of the surrogate kin group idea -- The communities of Paul of Tarsus -- Second-century Christian writers -- North African Christianity -- Summary and evaluation.

The earliest churches around the Mediterranean were closely knit groups who regarded each other as family. But did this break down by the end of the first century in a move toward institutionalization? Or did these "fictive kin groups" persist into the second and third centuries? In this compelling treatment, Hellerman analyzes the elements of Mediterranean family systems and how they played a role in defining the structure and facilitating the values of these early groups of believers. Discussing Jesus, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Paul, writers of the second century (such as Justin, Ignatius of Antioch, and Irenaeus), and Cyprian in the third century, the author correlates the use of kinship language, the social structures of Patrilineal kin groups, and kinship values embodied in the churches. The witness of Greco-Roman authors, who wrote as outsiders, provides further confirmation of how solidarity, support, and nurture were constitutive elements of the self-understanding and practice of the churches. The implications for how we conceptualize the earliest history of the churches are wide-ranging. ~ Back Cover.

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