Early Years of Christianity: The Apostolic Era.

While the German movement towards higher criticism of the Bible brought modern scholarship to the field of scriptural interpretation, it also led many theologians to reject some of orthodox Christianity’s foundational beliefs. It became quite fashionable for scholars to reject the existence of miracles or the divinity of Jesus, for example. De Pressensé considered such views an affront to Christianity. Along with books and essays directly rebutting various liberal theologians, de Pressensé published The Early Years of Christianity—a history of Christianity that did not immediately discard orthodox teachings. Through providing this alternative, de Pressensé sought to revive a less skeptical strain of biblical scholarship and interpretation.

Kathleen O’Bannon
CCEL Staff