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Among the striking features that distinguish this comprehensive two-volume work, now complete in its second edition, from other books of similar titles are its wide historical scope, is its treatment of early Christian literature in chronological sequence, and the inclusion of over 60 non-canonical Christian documents. This second volume, after considering problems related to the interpretation of early Christian writings (transmission, canon, text, form criticism, literary criticism, and narrative and rhetorical criticism), unfolds the story of the early Christian communities and their literature from John the Baptist and Jesus to Justin Martyr, Valentinus, and Polycarp. Along with 27 writings of the New Testament, the apocryphal Gospels, writings from the Nag Hammadi Library (fully published in the two decades since the first edition), the Apostolic Fathers, and early Apo-logists, as well as exact, detailed information about authors, dates, places, and issues, take their places of relative importance. The narrative of the developments in early Christianity and its backgrounds has been written in a readable, nontechnical style, and supplemented by current bibliographies for each selection that include listings of the best editions of original texts as well as the most accessible English translations; many charts and maps; numerous halftones; and a glossary. The detailed index to the combined two volumes, only possible with the release of the current volume, allows the set to be used as a general reference work.
