There are many periods of history to which people look as pivotal in defining future generations. This book recognizes in summary form the theological, cultural, and political forces working within and without Christianity in the second century. The sociological make-up described in the first chapter sets the stage for the time period. Tensions introduced in the New Testament (NT) canon continued, and even increased, in the following decades. Apostolic decrees and instructions were effective in quelling concerns and disagreements within the Church as disparate groups learned to worship and fellowship as one. In addition, the collapse of social strata within the community allowed the slave and woman to worship as equals before God in this community of grace, as opposed to the cultural social structures of either Judaic or Greco-Roman society. These, alongside outside tensions brought on by the animosity of Judaism, suspicion of the Romans, and derision by pagans, would call for a more concerted defense of the faith, rather than mere proclamation—the subject of chapter two.
Chapters three through five are given over to matters of Church doctrine beginning with worship. Kruger begins with the apostolic practice, then walks through the applications that developed in leadership, structure, and practice. Two aspects of worship are brought out that may surprise modern readers: liturgy and exclusivity. As such, everything about the time and space reflected the utmost reverence. The former was a carryover from Jewish synagogue practice, but it served well as a pattern for moving forward: gatherings were not informal or haphazard. The latter is particularly striking in light of the modern mindset to gear worship meetings to be as inclusive as possible. Early believers held fast to the understanding that this was a gathering time for a holy people in the presence of a holy God: there was to be nothing common or profane. Additionally, during this century, alternate teachings arose that threatened the core of the faith. Chapter four delves into the movements and leaders that ran contrary to Scripture. Kruger spends some time addressing the thesis of 20th-century theologian Walter Bauer that multiple Christianities arose vying for prominence. While it is true that several several groups (Ebionites, Marcionites, and Gnostics to name a few) arose espousing varying religious philosophies, the first apologists arose to reaffirm and maintain orthodoxy via what would become commonly known as the regula fidei (rule of faith), a summation of doctrine similar in use to the Apostle’s Creed.
Chapters six and seven round out the work by looking at the evidence of a Christian written culture and the textual transmission of the NT canon. Many scholars have attempted to claim that the early Christians were mostly illiterate culture with an oral transmission process that is inherently suspect and open to exaggeration or embellishment of the apostolic teaching. Kruger debunks this first from the NT documents themselves, but then noting the amount of second-century documents (apologetic and sermonic) that were written and copied for distribution. This is important for canonical considerations, since there is referenced a largely consistent body of work amongst the orthodox groups that was considered authoritative. Comparison could readily be made against apocryphal and pseudepigraphal writings, and thus help further solidify what would later be considered the New Testament canon at the Council of Nicaea.
For the modern reader, this book does a good job of presenting the issues for second-century Christians and the leadership responses given to move the Church forward biblically. There is much to be gained. First, this helps to fill in what most Christians are missing between the NT and the Council of Nicaea; and second, the topics are still relevant, as the Church continues to deal and respond to the same issues, though packaged differently. While I would have liked more depth and breadth to each subject, this book is a broad summary of relevant information written at a popular level. Kruger does well to present the material in a readable, accessible format.
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