<p><p>thomas C. Oden Surveys The Decisive Role Of African Christians And Theologians In Shaping The Doctrines And Practices Of The Church Of The First Five Centuries, And Makes An Impassioned Plea For The Rediscovery Of That Heritage. Christians Throughout The World Will Benefit From This Reclaiming Of An Important Heritage.</p> <h3>publishers Weekly</h3> <p><p>where Is The Cradle Of Christianity-europe Or Africa? After Teaching Historical And Systematic Theology, Oden Is Surprisingly Just Discovering What Other Scholars Have Argued For Some Time: That The Earliest Contours Of Christianity Can Be Easily Traced To Africa. After All, Origen, Clement Of Alexandria, Tertullian, Plotinus And Augustine-to Name Only A Few Early Christian Thinkers-were Africans. In This Tiresome And Repetitious Book, Oden Belabors The Already Well-established Notion That Christianity's Roots Can Be Found In Africa. He Does Draw Helpfully On His Work On The Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture Series To Demonstrate That The Intellectual Contours Of Christianity-academics, Exegesis, Dogmatics, Ecumenics, Monasticism, Philosophy, And Dialectics-developed In Africa. However, Peter Brown (<i>augustine Of Hippo</i>) And Other Writers Have Clearly Recognized This Contribution, And Oden's Na&iuml;ve And Hyperbolic Book Is More Embarrassing Than Enlightening. Oden's Study Is Most Suited To Those Who Are Entirely New To The Debate And Who Will Benefit From Resources Such As A Time Line Of Early African Christianity And A Reading List For Further Investigation Of The Subject. <i>(jan.)</i></p>copyright 2007 Reed Business Information</p>

Includes bibliographical references (p. [198]-204).