Early Church and Christian History

by Winningedge101

Hey friends I just ordered Eusebius's church history. Can someone tell me what the other earliest church histories are that are still preserved and I can buy? Thanks! :D

talondearg

Do you mean other early church historians like Eusebius? Sozomen Ecclesiastical History, Socrates, Ecclesiastical History, Theodoret Ecclesiastical History. Actually, they are all pretty much called that. Anyway, those are some of the main writers of historical or chronological type texts for early church history.

cerapus

Get through Eusebius first! There's a lot going on in his writings alone, and if I were you I would consider some secondary reading for context as well, a good one is the collection Eusebius of Caesarea: Tradition and Innovations edited by Aaron Johnson.

That said, Socrates Scholasticus is fairly early (mid-fifth century), as well as Evagrius (late-fourth century). Both of these should be available, and once released, a professor I had for a summer course was writing a translation of both compiled in one volume.

For a different slant, Philostorgius, preserved in an epitome by Photius, was an Anomoean Church Historian. There are also the broader sources of Church Fathers and Christian writers that are widely available, but not histories. Athanasius and Origen of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Irenaeus are personal favourites, but the literature is out there, and widely translated.