The Early Church (33–313)

St. Peter, the Apostles, and Martyrs
Edited by: Mike Aquilina
$16.95

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Format: Paperback

Publication date: November 22, 2019

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Description

Winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (first place, best new religious book series).

Church history is a lot like the tale The Emperor’s New Clothes, according to Catholic historian James L. Papandrea: No one wants to seem unenlightened, so they pretend to see what’s not there.

In The Early Church (33–313): St. Peter, the Apostles, and Martyrs, Papandrea refutes fourteen fashionable “mythconceptions” about early Christian history and enables believers to make sense of the Church’s beginnings.

The first Apostles spread the message of Jesus Christ and were willing to suffer and die for their faith. The next generations of believers followed their example with zeal, producing inspiring martyrs including Sts. Justin and Perpetua, and great thinkers such as Irenaeus, and Tertullian.

In this book, you will learn:

  • No money or power was attached to being a bishop or priest in the early Church.
  • Christian holidays were not adaptations of pagan celebrations.
  • Christians have never believed in an eternal life for souls without bodies.
  • The doctrine of the Trinity was not forced upon the Church by Constantine, but rather was a belief from the beginning of Christianity.

Product Details

Pages: 160

Trim size: 6.00 x 9.00 inches

ISBN: 9781594717710

Imprint: Ave Maria Press

More Books in the Reclaiming Catholic History Series

The Early Church (33–313)
$16.95
The Church and the Roman Empire (301–490)
$17.95
The Church and the Dark Ages (430–1027)
$17.95
The Church and the Middle Ages (1000–1378)
$17.95
The Church and the Modern Era (1846–2005)
$17.95
The Church and the Age of Reformations (1350–1650)
$17.95
The Church and the Age of Enlightenment (1648–1848)
$18.95
  • “Authentic.”

    “The authentic story of the early Church.”

    Steve Weidenkopf
    Author of Timeless: A History of the Catholic Church


  • “I make it a priority to read whatever he writes.”

    “James Papandrea has done more than anyone to cast light on the obscure early centuries of Christianity. He has then taken the extra step of making his findings accessible to non-academic readers. I make it a priority to read whatever he writes.”

    Mike Aquilina
    Author of A History of the Church in 100 Objects
    Editor of the Reclaiming Catholic History series

  • “Be prepared to be surprised.”

    “Memory is the faculty that tells us who we are. Memory is what gives us our Catholic identity. Yet so much of our memory has been distorted by the falsehoods that pass for history today. This series is much needed. Every book is crystal clear, engaging, entertaining, and myth-busting. Be prepared to be surprised—and to be grateful for the wonders the Lord has done.”

    Scott Hahn
    Founder of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

  • “Academically sound yet popularly appealing.”

    The Early Church is from the new Reclaiming Catholic History series. Along with the volume, The Church and the Roman Empire, Ave Maria launches the beginnings of our 2000-year-old story of Christ’s Church. This volume has the soundness of the academic and yet the appeal of a popular presentation.”

    Catholic Press Association

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