Part I. The Beginnings: The New Testament to Irenaeus: 1. Introduction: Christian literary genres and their second-century development Frances Young

2. Apostolic and subapostolic writings: the New Testament and the Apostolic fathers R. A. Norris

3. Gnostic literature R. A. Norris

4. Apocryphal material: acts of the martyrs R. A. Norris

5. Apologetic material: Melito and the Peri Pascha R. A. Norris

6. Irenaeus R. A. Norris

7. Social and historical setting John Behr

8. Articulating identity R. A. Norris

9. Christian teaching Frances Young

10. Towards a hermeneutic of second-century texts Frances Young

Part II. The Third Century: 11. The Alexandrians Ronald E. Heine

12. The beginnings of Latin Christian literature Ronald E. Heine

13. Hippolytus, pseudo-Hippolytus and the early canons Ronald E. Heine

14. Cyprian and Novatian Ronald E. Heine

15. Syriac literature Sebastian Brock

16. Concluding review: the literary culture of the third Century Frances Young

17. Social and historical setting: Christianity as culture critique Karen Jo Torjesen

18. Articulating identity Ronald E. Heine

19. Christian teaching David Dawson

20. The significance of third-century Christian literature Frances Young

Part III. Foundations of a New Culture: From Diocletian to Cyril: 21. Classical genres in Christian guise: Christian genres in classical guise Frances Young

22. Arnobius and Lactantius Oliver Nicholson

23. Eusebius and the birth of church history Andrew Louth

24. Fourth-century Alexandrians: Athanasius and Didymus Andrew Louth

25. Palastine: Cyril of Jerusalem and Epiphanius Andrew Louth

26. The Cappadocians Andrew Louth

27. Fourth-century Latin writers: Hilary, Victorinus, Ambrose, Ambrosiaster David G. Hunter

28. Jerome and Rufinus Mark Vessey

29. Augustine Henry Chadwick

30. John Chrysostom and the antiochene school to Theodoret of Cyrrhus Andrew Louth

31. Cyril of Alexandria Andrew Louth

32. Hagiography Andrew Louth

33. Ephrem and the Syriac tradition Sebastian Brock

34. The literature of the monastic movement Andrew Louth

35. Women and words: texts by and about women Susan Ashbrook Harvey

36. Conciliar records and canons Andrew Louth

37. Social and historical setting R. A. Markus

38. Articulating identity Lewis Ayres

39. Christian teaching Frances Young

40. Retrospect: interpretation and appropriation Frances Young.