The Westminster handbook to patristic theology / John Anthony McGuckin.

Includes bibliographical references.

Acts of the Martyrs -- Adoptionism -- Aetius -- Agape -- Alexandria -- Allegory -- Almsgiving -- Ambrose -- Ambrosiaster -- Anagogy -- Anaphora -- Anathema -- Andrew of Crete -- Angels -- Anthropology -- Antioch -- Antony the Great -- Apatheia -- Aphrahat -- Apocalyptic -- Apokatastasis -- Apollinaris of Laodicea -- Apologists -- Apophaticism -- Apostolic Church Order -- Apostolic Constitutions -- Apostolic Fathers -- Apostolicity -- Apostolic Succession -- Apostolic Tradition -- Architecture -- Arianism -- Aristides -- Aristotelianism -- Armenia -- Art -- Asceticism -- Athanasius of Alexandria -- Athenagoras -- Atonement -- Augustine of Hippo -- Baptism -- Bardesanes -- Barsanuphius and John -- Basilides -- Basil of Ancyra -- Basil of Caesarea -- Benedict of Nursia -- Boethius -- Burial.

Callistus of Rome -- Canon of Scripture -- Canons -- Cappadocian Fathers -- Cassia -- Catacombs -- Catechumen -- Catholic -- Celibacy -- Celsus -- Chiliasm -- Chorepiskopoi -- Chrism -- Christology -- Church -- Clement of Alexandria -- Clement of Rome -- Clergy -- Communion of Properties -- Communion of the Saints -- Confession -- Confessor -- Constantine the Great -- Constantinople -- Councils -- Conciliarism -- Council of Chalcedon -- Council of Constantinople I -- Council of Constantinople II -- Council of Constantinople III -- Council of Ephesus I -- Council of Ephesus II -- Council of Nicea I -- Council of Nicea II -- Creeds -- Cross -- Cyprian of Carthage -- Cyril of Alexandria -- Cyril of Jerusalem -- Cyril of Scythopolis.

Damasus of Rome -- Deacons -- Death -- Deification -- Desert -- Diadochus of Photike -- Didache -- Didascalia Apostolorum -- Didymus the Blind -- Diodore of Tarsus -- Diognetus, Letter to -- Dionysius of Alexandria -- Dionysius of Rome -- Dionysius the Areopagite -- Dioscorus of Alexandria -- Docetism -- Donatism -- Dreams.

Ebionites -- Economic Trinity -- Economy -- Ecstasy -- Education -- Egeria -- Encratism -- Encratite -- Enhypostasia -- Ephrem the Syrian -- Epiclesis -- Epiphanius of Salamis -- Episcopate -- Eschatology -- Ethiopia -- Eucharist -- Eunomius of Cyzicus -- Eusebius of Caesar -- Eusebius of Nicomedia -- Eusebius of Samosata -- Eustathius of Antioch -- Eustathius of Sebaste -- Eutyches of Constantinople -- Eutychianism -- Evagrius of Pontus -- Evagrius Scholasticus -- Excommunication -- Exegesis -- Exorcism.

Facundus of Hermiane -- Fall -- Family -- Fasting -- Filioque -- Flavian of Constantinople -- Fulgentius of Ruspe -- Gelasius I -- Gnosticism -- Grace -- Gregory of Nazianzus -- Gregory of Nyssa -- Gregory of Tours -- Gregory Thaumaturgos -- Gregory the Great -- Hagiography -- Healing -- Heaven -- Hegesippus -- Hell -- Heracleon -- Hermas -- Hilary of Poitiers -- Hippolytus of Rome -- Holy Spirit -- Homoians -- Homoiousianism -- Homoousion -- Hosius (Ossius) of Cordoba -- Hymns -- Hypostasis -- Hypostatic union -- Ibas of Edessa -- Iconoclasm -- Ignatius of Antioch -- Image of God -- Incarnation -- Incense -- India -- Ireland -- Irenaeus of Lyons -- Isaac of Nineveh.

Jacob Baradeus -- Jacob of Serugh -- Jerome -- Jerusalem -- John Cassian -- John Chrysostom -- John Climacus -- John Malalas -- John Moschus -- John of Damascus -- Jovinian -- Judaism, the church and -- Judgment -- Julian of Eclanum -- Justinian -- Justin Martyr -- Kenosis -- Kerygma -- Lactantius -- Leo the great -- Leontius of Byzantium -- Liturgy -- Logos theology -- Lord's prayer -- Lucian of Antioch -- Macarius of Alexandria -- Macarius the great I -- Macarius the great II (pseudo-Macarius) -- Macrina -- Magic -- Manicheism -- Marcellus of Ancyra -- Marcion -- Marriage -- Maximus the confessor -- Melania the elder -- Melania the younger -- Meletius of Antioch -- Meletian schism -- Melitius of Lycopolis -- Melito of Sardis -- Minucius Felix -- Miracle -- Monarchianism -- Monoenergism -- Monophysitism -- Montanism -- Mystery.

Nature -- Neo-Arianism -- Neo-Nicenes -- Nestorianism -- Nestorius of Constantinople -- Nitria -- North Africa -- Novantianism -- Nubia -- Olympias -- Ordination -- Origen of Alexandria -- Orthodoxy -- Ousia -- Pachomius -- Palladius -- Papacy -- Papias of Hierapolis -- Parousia -- Patrick -- Patristics -- Patrology -- Paulinus of Nola -- Paul of Samosata -- Pelagius: Pelagianism -- Penance -- Perichoresis -- Perpetua and felicity -- Persecutions -- Person -- Peter the fuller -- Philo of Alexandria -- Philocalia -- Philosophy, the church and -- Philostrorgius -- Philoxenus of Mabbug -- Photinianism -- Photius -- Pilgrimage -- Platonism -- Plotinus -- Pneumatomochianism -- Polycarp -- Prayer -- Priesthood -- Priscillian of Avila -- Proclus -- Prosper of Aquitaine -- Prudentius -- Psilanthropism -- Purgatory -- Pythagoreanism -- Quartodecimans controversy -- Quinisext council -- Recapitulation -- Reincarnation -- Relics -- Resurrection -- Revelation -- Romanos the melodist -- Rome.

Sacrament -- Saints -- Scete -- Schism -- Severus of Antioch -- Sexual ethics -- Shenoudi of Atripe -- Sin -- Sinai -- Slavery -- Socrates scholasticus -- Soteriology -- Soul -- Sozomen -- Stoicism -- Subordinationism -- Symeon Stylites -- Synaxarion -- Synaxis -- Syncletica -- Syria -- Tall brothers -- Tatian -- Tertullian -- Theodore of Mopsuestia -- Theodoret of Cyrrhus -- Theodosius the great -- Theophilus of Antioch -- Theotokos -- Three chapters controversy -- Timoth Aelurus -- Trade routes -- Tradition -- Trinity -- Tyconius -- Valentinus -- Venantius Fortunatus -- Vestments -- Vincent of Lerins -- Virgin Mary -- Virgins -- Virtue -- Visions -- War -- Wealth -- Widows -- Will -- Women, early Christian.

The early centuries of the Christian era were marked by a variety of theological ideas in differing stages of development. Numerous theologians emerged with proposals about what the Christian church should believe and how theological ideas related to each other. Some of these theologians gained more prominent status and their ideas became sources on which others built. Patristic theology is thus a formative period, a yeasty time in which theological doctrines took on many stages of complexity. This outstanding handbook by a leading specialist in Patristic Theology provides students and scholars with easy access to key terms, figures, socio-cultural developments, and controversies of this period, extending to the ninth-century. McGuckin's introductory essay outlines the main intellectual issues in the early church. His concluding Bibliographic Guide Essay and General Bibliography also features a Website Resources Guide to assist readers with additional ways to study this period. The entries are written to help those with no previous theological knowledge understand the major dimensions of each topic. The result is an eminently useful, reliable, and unique resource.