The Earliest Christian Meeting Places: Almost Exclusively Houses?Edward Adams challenges a strong consensus in New Testament and Early Christian studies: that the early Christians met 'almost exclusively' in houses. This assumption has been foundational for research on the social formation of the early churches, the origins and early development of church architecture, and early Christian worship. Recent years have witnessed increased scholarly interest in the early 'house church'. Adams re-examines the New Testament and other literary data, as well as archaeological and comparative evidence, showing that explicit evidence for assembling in houses is not nearly as extensive as is usually thought. He also shows that there is literary and archaeological evidence for meeting in non-house settings. Adams makes the case that during the first two centuries, the alleged period of the 'house church', it is plausible to imagine the early Christians gathering in a range of venues rather than almost entirely in private houses. His thesis has wide-ranging implications. |
What people are saying - Write a review
We haven't found any reviews in the usual places.
Contents
1 | |
5 | |
8 | |
10 | |
15 | |
17 | |
2 The DeuteroPauline Letters | 35 |
3 The General Epistles | 40 |
4 House Synagogues | 124 |
5 Conclusion | 133 |
Part II EVIDENCE AND POSSIBILITIES FOR NONHOUSE MEETING PLACES | 135 |
Chapter 6 RETAIL INDUSTRIAL AND STORAGE SPACES | 137 |
2 Barns | 146 |
3 Warehouses | 149 |
4 Conclusion | 156 |
Chapter 7 COMMERCIAL HOSPITALITY AND LEISURE SPACE | 157 |
4 Conclusion | 43 |
GOSPELS AND ACTS | 45 |
2 The Book of Acts | 51 |
3 Conclusion | 67 |
Chapter 3 LITERARY EVIDENCE FROM 100 TO 313 CE | 68 |
1 Evidence for Houses as Meeting Places | 69 |
2 Evidence for Adapted Houses as Church Buildings | 80 |
3 Conclusion | 88 |
Chapter 4 ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE | 89 |
2 The Christian Prayer Hall at Megiddo | 96 |
3 The Titular Churches of Rome | 99 |
4 Other Claimed PreConstantinian Domestic Domus Ecclesiae | 104 |
5 Conclusion | 111 |
Chapter 5 COMPARATIVE EVIDENCE | 113 |
2 Houses as Schools and Places of Teaching | 116 |
3 Houses as Collegial Meeting Places | 119 |
2 Rented Dining Rooms | 166 |
3 Bathhouses | 171 |
4 Conclusion | 179 |
Chapter 8 OUTDOOR SPACES AND BURIAL PLACES | 181 |
2 Watersides | 186 |
3 Urban Open Spaces | 189 |
4 Burial Sites | 192 |
5 Conclusion | 196 |
CONCLUSION | 198 |
Appendix 1 THE SETTING OF THE CORINTHIAN COMMUNAL MEAL | 203 |
Appendix 2 FIGURES | 207 |
232 | |
253 | |
261 | |
Other editions - View all
The Earliest Christian Meeting Places: Almost Exclusively Houses? Edward Adams No preview available - 2013 |
The Earliest Christian Meeting Places: Almost Exclusively Houses? Edward Adams No preview available - 2013 |
The Earliest Christian Meeting Places: Almost Exclusively Houses? Edward Adams No preview available - 2013 |
Common terms and phrases
According Acts adapted Āoor apostle appears archaeological architectural argues assembly association barn bathhouse bathing believers Binder built called century Chapter Christian meeting places church building complex construction Corinth dating dining rooms discussion domestic domus ecclesiae dwelling early Christian epistles especially establishment evidence Figure FLLMITJ four fourth function further garden gathering Gehring given gives Gospels hall house churches household indicate inns Jashemski Jesus John Kraeling larger least literary living located Luke meal means mentioned noted offers originally passage Paul Paul’s period Peter PJ>LPK points Pompeii possible preaching probably reference renovated Roman Rome seems served setting side sometimes space street structure suggests synagogue tabernae taken takes teaching temple term Testament thinks third took upper urban wall White workshops worship