wunder · Library
A Source Book for Ancient Church History cover

A Source Book for Ancient Church History

by Joseph Cullen Ayer

By Joseph Cullen Ayer · Religion & Spirituality · Public domain

Start reading free → Jump to chapter 1

About this book

A Source Book for Ancient Church History is a public-domain classic of religion and spirituality by Joseph Cullen Ayer.

The complete text is on this page and the chapter pages below — all 33 chapters, about 250,455 words (~21 hours of reading), free to read online with no signup. Chapters include “Chapter Iv. the Period of Peace for the Church: a. D. 260 to a. D.”, “Chapter V. the Last Great Persecution”, “Chapter I. the Church and Empire Under Constantine”, and more.

A Source Book for Ancient Church History at a glance

Author
Joseph Cullen Ayer
Length
250,455 words · about 21 hours to read
Chapters
33
Price
Free — public domain

Learn more about religion and spirituality

Short, fact-checked Wunder courses related to A Source Book for Ancient Church History — free to read, no signup. Or browse every course.

Greek Gods and MythsMeet Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, and the other gods of Mount Olympus, hear the hero tale of Theseus and the Minotaur, and find out why the ancient Greeks…20 min courseHistory of Philosophy: Ancient to ModernNot a parade of opinions — a chain of wreckage. Each thinker inherits a specific unsolved problem from the last and is forced into their position.…90 min courseWorld MythologyHow ancient cultures explained creation, fate, and the gods, and why the myths echo.15 min courseThe City of God, Volume IRead Augustine's first thirteen books through Rome's crisis, the limits of empire, the problem of evil, and the two cities' journey through history.30 min courseKing Arthur: Legend vs HistoryThe honest story behind Camelot — the thin historical sources, the medieval writers who invented most of it, and what archaeology and scholars…20 min courseThe Geography of World ReligionsUnderstand how the major religions map onto the planet and why. You'll learn where each tradition arose and how it travelled along trade routes and…45 min course

Read A Source Book for Ancient Church History online — full text

Chapter Iv. the Period of Peace for the Church: a. D. 260 to a. D.

303 § 47. The Chiliastic Controversy § 48. Theology of the Second Half of the Third Century under the Influence of Origen § 49. The Development of the Cultus § 50. The Episcopate in the Church § 51. The Unity of the Church and the See of Rome § 52. Controversy over Baptism by Heretics § 53. The Beginnings of Monasticism § 54. Manichæanism

Chapter V. the Last Great Persecution

§ 55. The Reorganization of the Empire by Diocletian § 56. The Diocletian Persecution § 57. Rise of Schisms in Consequence of the Diocletian Persecution The Second Division Of Ancient Christianity: The Church Under The Christian Empire: From 312 To Circa 750 Period I: The Imperial State Church Of The Undivided Empire, Or Until The Death Of Theodosius The Great, 395

Chapter I. the Church and Empire Under Constantine

§ 58. The Empire under Constantine and His Sons § 59. Favor Shown the Church by Constantine § 60. The Repression of Heathenism under Constantine § 61. The Donatist Schism under Constantine § 62. Constantine’s Endeavors to Bring about the Unity of the Church by Means of General Synods: The Councils of Arles and Nicæa

Chapter Ii. the Arian Controversy Until the Extinction of the

Dynasty Of Constantine § 63. The Outbreak of the Arian Controversy and the Council of Nicæa, A. D. 325 § 64. The Beginnings of the Eusebian Reaction under Constantine § 65. The Victory of the Anti-Nicene Party in the East § 66. Collapse of the Anti-Nicene Middle Party; the Renewal of Arianism; the Rise of the Homoousian Party § 67. The Policy of the Sons of Constantine Toward Heathenism and Donatism § 68. Julian the Apostate

Chapter Iii. the Triumph of the New Nicene Orthodoxy Over Heterodoxy

And Heathenism § 69. The Emperors from Jovian to Theodosius and Their Policy toward Heathenism and Arianism § 70. The Dogmatic Parties and Their Mutual Relations § 71. The Emperor Theodosius and the Triumph of the New Nicene Orthodoxy at the Council of Constantinople, A. D. 381

Chapter Iv. the Empire and the Imperial State Church

§ 72. The Constitution of the State Church (A) The Ecumenical Council (B) The Hierarchical Organization § 73. Sole Authority of the State Church § 74. The Position of the State Church in the Social Order of the Empire § 75. Social Significance of the State Church § 76. Popular Piety and the Reception of Heathenism in the Church § 77. The Extension of Monasticism Throughout the Empire § 78. Celibacy of the Clergy and the Regulation of Clerical Marriage Period II. The Church From The Permanent Division Of The Empire Until The Collapse Of The Western Empire And The First Schism Between The East And The West, Or Until About A. D. 500

Chapter I. the Church At the Beginning of the Permanent Separation

Of The Two Parts Of The Roman Empire § 79. The Empire of the Dynasty of Theodosius. § 80. The Extension of the Church about the Beginning of the Fifth Century

Chapter Ii. the Church of the Western Empire in the Fifth Century

§ 81. The Western Church Toward the End of the Fourth Century § 82. Augustine’s Life and Place in the Western Church § 83. Augustine and the Donatist Schism § 84. The Pelagian Controversy § 85. Semi-Pelagian Controversy § 86. The Roman Church as the Centre of the Catholic Roman Element of the West

Chapter Iii. the Church in the Eastern Empire.

§ 87. The First Origenistic Controversy and the Triumph of Traditionalism § 88. The Christological Problem and the Theological Tendencies § 89. The Nestorian Controversy; the Council of Ephesus A. D. 431. § 90. The Eutychian Controversy and the Council of Chalcedon A. D. 451 § 91. Results of the Decision of Chalcedon: the Rise of Schisms from the Monophysite Controversy § 92. The Church of Italy under the Ostrogoths and during the first Schism between Rome and the Eastern Church Period III. The Dissolution Of The Imperial State Church And The Transition To The Middle Ages: From The Beginning Of The Sixth Century To The Latter Part Of The Eighth

Chapter I. the Church in the Eastern Empire

§ 93. The Age of Justinian § 94. The Byzantine State Church under Justinian § 95. The Definitive Type of Religion in the East: Dionysius the Areopagite

Chapter Ii. the Transition to the Middle Ages. the Foundation of the

Germanic National Churches § 96. The Celtic Church in the British Isles § 97. The Conversion of the Franks. The Establishment of Catholicism in the Germanic Kingdoms § 98. The State Church in the Germanic Kingdoms § 99. Gregory the Great and the Roman Church in the Second Half of the Sixth Century § 100. The Foundation of the Anglo-Saxon Church

Chapter Iii. the Foundation of the Ecclesiastical Institutions of

The Middle Ages § 101. Foundation of the Mediæval Diocesan and Parochial Constitution § 102. Western Piety and Thought in the Period of the Conversion of the Barbarians § 103. The Foundation of the Mediæval Penitential System § 104. The New Monasticism and the Rule of Benedict of Nursia § 105. Foundation of Mediæval Culture and Schools

Chapter Iv. the Revolution in the Ecclesiastical and Political

Situation Due To The Rise Of Islam And The Doctrinal Disputes In The Eastern Church § 106. The Rise and Extension of Islam § 107. The Monothelete Controversy and the Sixth General Council, Constantinople A. D. 681 § 108. Rome, Constantinople, and the Lombard State Church in the Seventh Century § 109. Rome, Constantinople, and the Lombards in the Period of the First Iconoclastic Controversy; the Seventh General Council, Nicæa, A. D. 787 Index Footnotes

ERRATA.

Page 55, line 26. Lucian, of Samosata, does, etc.: omit commas.

Page 65, lines 20, 21, 25, 27, 31, 34, 35, 36. For, Ptolomæus: read, Ptolemæus.

Page 77, line 27. For, Ptolomæus: read, Ptolemæus.

Page 77, line 28. Panarion, Italics. [Panarion is the title of the book.]

Page 93, line 34. For, Ptolomæus: read, Ptolemæus.

Page 95, lines 9, 11. For, Ptolomæus: read, Ptolemæus.

Page 110, line 11. Insert after V, 24: (given below, § 38).

Page 128, line 12. For, and to use it: read, and use it.

Page 245, line 16. Transpose so as to read: Were the sacraments they administered to be regarded, then,

Page 267, line 20. For, are: read, art.

Page 273, line 1. For, is: read, are.

Page 282, line 29. For, exemptions from the clergy: read, exemptions of the clergy.

Page 283, line 24. For, V. supra, 58 f.: read, V. supra § 58, f.

Page 299, line 18. For, Constantinople: read, Alexandria.

Page 306, line 14. Add: And in the Holy Ghost. [This should stand as a sentence by itself, although there is no complete sentence.]

Page 316, line 6. For, desensus: read, descensus.

Page 337, line 6. For, 368: read, 378.

Page 361, note. Omit all after: Council of Chalcedon in 451; changing comma to period.

Page 402, line 19. For, Milcoe: read, Mileve.

Page 579, line 24. Insert comma after: common faith.

Page 594, line 22. For, will: read, wilt.

Page 603, line 31. For, rivalries: read, rivalry.

Page 627, line 28. For, days: read, days’.

Page 697, line 1. For, ἀσπασμον: read ἀσπασμὸν.

Page 705, col. 2, lines 29, 30. For, Ptolomæus: read, Ptolemæus.

PREFACE.

The value of the source-book has long been recognized in the teaching of general history. In ecclesiastical history quite as much use can be made of the same aid in instruction. It is hoped that the present book may supply a want increasingly felt by teachers employing modern methods in teaching ecclesiastical history. It has grown out of classroom work, and is addressed primarily to those who are teaching and studying the history of the Christian Church in universities and seminaries. But it is hoped that it may serve the constantly increasing number interested in the early history of Christianity.

In the arrangement of the selected illustrative material, a chronological analysis and grouping of topics has been followed, according to the lines of treatment employed by K. Müller, F. Loofs, Von Schubert in his edition of Moeller’s text-book, and by Hergenröther to some extent. The whole history of ancient Christianity has accordingly been divided into comparatively brief periods and subdivided into chapters and sections. These divisions are connected and introduced by brief analyses and characterizations, with some indications of additional source material available in English.

A bibliography originally prepared for each chapter and section has been omitted. When the practical question arose of either reducing the amount of source material to admit a bibliography, or of making the book too expensive for general use by students, the main purpose of the book determined the only way of avoiding two unsatisfactory solutions of the problem, and the bibliography has been omitted. In this there may be less loss than at first appears. The student of ecclesiastical history is fortunately provided with ample bibliographical material for the ancient Church in the universally available theological and other encyclopædias which have very recently appeared or are in course of publication, and in the recent works on patristics. Possibly the time has come when, in place of duplicating bibliographies, reliance in such matters upon the work of others may not be regarded as mortal sin against the ethics of scholarship. A list of works has been given in the General Bibliographical Note, which the student is expected to consult and to which the instructor should encourage him to go for further information and bibliographical material.

The book presupposes the use of a text-book of Church history, such as those by Cheetham, Kurtz, Moeller, Funk, or Duchesne, and a history of doctrine, such as those of Seeberg, Bethune-Baker, Fisher, or Tixeront. Readings in more elaborate treatises, special monographs, and secular history may well be left to the direction of the instructor.

Continue reading A Source Book for Ancient Church History free in the Wunder reader →

Contents — all 33 chapters

More free classics to read

To My Younger BrethrenH. C. G. (Handley Carr Glyn) MouleThe Fulfilment of a Dream of Pastor Hsi'sMildred CableHeart TalksCharles Wesley NaylorHoly in ChristAndrew MurrayMemories of BethanyJohn R. (John Ross) MacduffScottish Cathedrals and AbbeysDugald ButlerColleges in AmericaJohn Marshall BarkerThe Superstitions of WitchcraftHoward Williams

The Wunder Library · Learn anything · Home — complete public-domain books, free to read, with narration and illustrations. A Source Book for Ancient Church History is in the public domain.

© 2026 Wunder Learning LLC · Terms & Privacy