Sources for Early Christianity and Patristic Studies

This will be a running collection of sources to assist beginning researchers in Early Christianity and Patristic studies.What I mean by Early Christianity is a concern for both the Graeco-Roman world in which early Christian’s lived, but also those sources, figures, and institutions that are generally connected to Christianity but may have not received the title of orthodoxy. In this way, Early Christianity and Patristics reflects social history, theological history, and related Christian material. 

Furthermore, this discipline needs to and must be distinguished in terms of a specific time. So, I want to veer from the disciple of New Testament, which assumes first-century Graeco-Roman material, Second-Temple Judaism, and a critical study of the first century. Additionally, I want to veer from the Medieval and Byzantine eras too, which scholars may begin as early as the sixth or seventh century. Thus, this section exclusively devotes attention the source material for the second century through sixth century with some overlap with the New Testament discipline and Medieval studies.

As time progresses, I will continue to add to this list. Please send me a note if you find any glaring mistakes or sources missing from the following list.

General Survey’s for Early Christianity

Cambridge History of Christianity, 9 vols. [esp. vols 1–2]

The Oxford History of the Christian Church, ed. Henry and Owen Chadwick

The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity, ed. John McManners (Oxford University Press, 1990)

Bowerstock, G. W., Brown, P., and Grabar, O. (eds), Late Antiquity: A Guide to the Postclassical World (Harvard University Press, 1999)

Chadwick, Henry, The Early Church (Penguin, 1967)

Chadwick, Henry, The Church in Ancient Society: From Galilee to Gregory the Great (Oxford University Press, 2001)

Dowley, Tim, ed. The Introduction to the History of Christianity, 3rd ed (Fortress Press, 2018)

Grant, Robert, Augustus to Constantine: The Rise and Triumph of Christianity in the Roman World (Harper & Row, 1970)

Rousseau, Philip, The Early Christian Centuries (Longman, 2002)

General Reference Works or Guides for Early Christianity

Ashbrook, Susan, and David G. Hunter, eds., The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Studies (Oxford University Press, 2008)

Buchberger, M. et al. (eds.), Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, 3rd ed (Herder, 1993–)

Cross, F. L., and Livingstone, C. (eds.) The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd ed. (Oxford University Press, 2005)

Di Berardino, Angelo (ed.), Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity (IVP Academic, 2014)

Di Berardino, Angelo (ed.), Encyclopedia of the Early Church(Oxford University Press, 1992)

Drobner, Hubertus, The Fathers of the Church: A Comprehensive Introduction(Hendrickson, 2007)

Ferguson, Everett, Encyclopedia of Early Christianity(Routledge, 1990)

Kannengiesser, Charles, Handbook of Patristic Exegesis: The Bible in Ancient Christianity, 2 vols. (Leiden: Brill, 2004)

Helmer, Christine, et al., eds. The Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (de Gruyter, 2009–)

McGuckin, John, The Westminster Handbook to Patristic Theology(John Knox Press, 2004)

Pollmann, Karla, and Willemien Otten, eds., The Oxford Guide to the Historical Reception of Augustine(Oxford University Press, 2013

Young, Frances, Lewis Ayres, and Andrew Louth, eds., The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature (Cambridge University Press, 2004)

Young, Frances M., From Nicaea to Chalcedon: A Guide ot the Literature and Its Background, 2nd ed. (Baker Academic, 2010)

General Reference works for the Classical World 

Cancik, H., and Schneider, H. (eds.), Brill’s New Paul: Encyclopaedia of the Ancient World (Brill, 2002)

Grant, M., The Roman Emperors: A Biographical Guide to the Rules of the Imperial Rome 31 BC–AD 476(Scribner’s, 1985)

Critical Editions or Primary Source Material for Early Christian Literature 

Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos (Madrid)

Biblioteca Patristica (Balogna)

Clavis Patrum Graecorum(Brepols)

Clavis Patrum Latinorum (Brepols)

Corpus Christianorum, Series Apocryphorum (Brepols)

Corpus Christianorum, Series Graeca (Brepols)

Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina (Brepols)

Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium (Louvain)

Die griechishen christlichen Schriftsteller der ersten drei Jahrhunderte (Leipzig: Hinrich, 1897–1941): https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/die-griechischen-christlichen-schriftsteller-gcs-volumes-available-online/

Migne, J.-P. (ed.), Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Graeca, 162 vols. (Paris: Garnier, 1857–67): https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/patrologia-graeca-pg-pdfs/. Also see footnote.[1]

Migne, J.-P. (ed.), Patrologiae Cursus Completus Series Latina, 224 vols. (Paris: Garnier, 1844–64): https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/patrologia-latina-pl-volumes-available-online/

Graffin, R., Nau, F., et al.(eds.), Patrologia Orientalis (Paris: Firmin-Didot, 1903–66; Turnhout: Brepols, 1968): https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/patrologia-orientalis-po-pdfs/

Oxford Early Christian Texts (Oxford University Press)

Patristische Texte und Studien (Berlin: de Gruyter)

Sources Chrétiennes (Paris: Éditions du Cerf, 1942)

Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur (vols 1–133, Leipzig: J. C. Hinrich, 1882–1943; vols. 134–, de Gruyter, 1984)

Traditio Christiana: Texte und Kommentare zur patristischen Theologie (Peter Lang, 1969)

Traditio Exegetica Graeca (Peeters)

English Translation Series

Ancient Christian Texts

Ancient Christian Writers (ACW)

The Apostolic Fathers: A New Translation and Commentary, 6 vols. (Thomas Nelson)

Biliotheca Armeniaca (Casa Editrice Armena)

Cistercian Studies Series (Cistercian Publications) 

Clark, G. (ed.), Translated Texts for Historians

Classics of Western Spirituality (Paulist Press)

Early Church Fathers (Routledge)

Fathers of the Church (Catholic University of America Press)

Library of Christian Classics (London: SCM Press; Philadelphia: Westminster Press)

Loeb Classical Library (Harvard University Press)

Oxford Early Christian Texts (Oxford University Press)

Popular Patristics Series (St Vladimir’s Seminary Press)

The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers, down to A.D. 325 (T&T Clark)

The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (T&T Clark)

Sources of Early Christian Thought (Fortress Press)

Texts and Studies: Contributions to Biblical and Patristic Literature (Cambridge University Press)

Texts from Christian Late Antiquity (Gorgias Press)

Writings from the Greco-Roman World (Atlanta: SBL Press; Leiden: Brill)

Monograph Series for Early Christianity

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (InterVarsity Press)

Ancient Judaism in Early Christianity (Brill)

Arbeiten zur Kirchengeschichte (de Gruyter)

The Bible in Ancient Christianity (Brill)

Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity Series (University of Notre Dame Press)

The Church’s Bible (Eerdmans)

Church History (Oxford University Press)

Die griechischen christlichen Schrifteller der ersten Jahrhunderte (de Gruyter)

Early Christian Studies (Centre for Early Christian Studies)

Eastern Christian Studies Series, and Texts and Studies Series (Gorgias Press)

Gregorii Nysseni Opera (Brill)

Key Themes in Ancient History (Cambridge University Press)

Novum Testamentum Patristicum

Oxford Apostolic Fathers (Oxford University Press)

Oxford Early Christian Studies (Oxford University Press)

Oxford Studies in Historical Theology (Oxford University Press)

Patristische Texte und Studien (de Gruyter)

Patristic Monograph Series, North American Patristic Society (Catholic University of America Press)

Patristic Studies (Peter Lang)

Religion in the First Christian Centuries (Routledge)

Religions in the Graeco-Roman World (Brill)

Routledge Early Christian Monographs (Routledge)

Studien und Text zu Antike und Christentum (Siebeck)

Studies of the Bible and Its Reception (de Gruyter)

Studies in Early Christian History (Garland Press)

Studies in Early Christianity (Catholic University of America Press)

Supplements to Vigiliae Christiane (Brill)

Texts and Studies in Eastern Christianity

Peer-Reviewed Journals for Early Christianity

Augustinian Studies

Augustinianum

Bilische Zeitschrift

Church History (Journal of the American Society of Church History)

Classical World

Coptic Church Review

Dumarton Oaks Papers

Eastern Christian Art(Peeters)

Early Christianity

Journal of Ancient Christianity

Journal of Coptic Studies

Journal of Early Christian Studies (JECS: Journal of the North American Patristic Society)

Journal of Ecclesiastical History

Journal of Theological Studies(JTS; Oxford)

Revue de l’orient chrétin

Revue d’histoire ecclésiastique

Revue des études augustiniennes

Studia Liturgica

Studia Monastica

Studia Patristica

St Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly

Theological Studies

Vigiliae Christianae 

Zeitschrift für Antike und Christentum

Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte 

Electronic Databases and Search Engines

Monachos.net “Patristic Source Master List”: http://www.monachos.net/content/patristics/texts

Perseus Project: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/

Societies, Annual Conferences, Misc. 

The Canadian Society of Patristic Studies

Center for Ancient Christian Studies 

International Conference on Patristic Studies (Oxford)

North American Patristic Society (NAPS)

Southwestern Center for Early Christian Studies

Wheaton Center for Early Christian Studies

[1]http://rosetta.reltech.org/PG-list.html