The Early Church and Christianity began as a Jewish sect within Second Temple Judaism in the 1st century CE, spreading throughout the Roman Empire from its origins in the Levant. This nascent religion grew in a deeply Hellenized world, a context illuminated by the writings of two pivotal Jewish figures: Philo of Alexandria and Flavius Josephus. Philo (c. 20 BCE–c. 50 CE), a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, was a contemporary of Jesus who lived in Alexandria. His major contribution lay in pioneering the use of allegory to harmonize the Hebrew Scriptures (the Torah) with Greek philosophy (especially Platonism), thereby establishing a framework of theological language that profoundly influenced later Christian thinkers and Church Fathers like Origen, helping to bridge the gap between biblical faith and Greek intellectual culture. Josephus (c. 37–c. 100 CE), a Jewish priest, general, and historian, wrote his extensive works, The Jewish War and Antiquities of the Jews, primarily to interpret and defend Judaism to the Greco-Roman world. For Church history, Josephus's works are invaluable as the single most comprehensive extrabiblical source for the social, political, and religious backdrop of 1st-century Judaea, including detailed descriptions of Jewish sects like the Pharisees and Essenes. Crucially, Josephus's writings contain brief, though debated, references to Jesus and a more certain mention of John the Baptist and James, the brother of Jesus, providing vital historical attestation to the existence of these figures outside of the New Testament. The preservation of both Philo's and Josephus's works, especially Josephus's, was largely due to the early Church, which recognized their importance for contextualizing and affirming their own beginnings.
All of the book titles that are included in this DVD are listed as follows:
The Works of Flavius Josephus To which are Added, Three Dissertations by William Whiston 1895 (several files to make up for possible missing pages)
The Works of Philo Judæus: The Contemporary of Josephus by Charles Duke Yonge 1894
The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius: The First Book and Selections by Eusebius, William Baxter Owen 1874
Philo's contribution to Religion by HAA Kennedy 1919
The Biblical Antiquities of Philo by MR James 1917
The Platonism of Philo by Thomas Billings 1919
Philo-Judæus of Alexandria by Norman Bentwich 1910
The Message of Philo by K Guthrie 1909
Philo Judaeus or, The Jewish-Alexandrian philosophy in its development and completion by James Drummond Volume 1 1888
Philo Judaeus or, The Jewish-Alexandrian philosophy in its development and completion by James Drummond Volume 2 1888
Philo and the New Testament by John Watson 1899
An Investigation of the Trinity of Plato and of Philo by M Caeser 1853
Philo and Holy Scripture or, The quotations of Philo from the Books of the Old Testament by HE Ryle 1895
The sentiments of Philo Judeus concerning the Logos or Word of God by Jacob Bryant 1797
A Manual of Church History Volume 1 by FX Funk 1910
A Manual of Church History Volume 2 by FX Funk 1910
Christianity and History by Adolf von Harnack 1896
The History of Christianity Volume 1 by EU Bouzique 1896
The History of Christianity Volume 2 by EU Bouzique 1896
A Short History of Christianity by JM Robertson 1913
Primitive Christianity and its Corruptions by Adin Ballou 1900
The History of Romanism by John Dowling 1845
Church History, Volume 1 by JH Kurtz 1888
Church History, Volume 2 by JH Kurtz 1888
Church History, Volume 3 by JH Kurtz 1888
The Ancient Catholic Church by Robert Rainey 1902
The Early Days of Christianity by FW Farrar 1885
The Judgment of the Ancient Jewish Church Against the Unitarians by Pierre Allix 1821
The Ancient Church: its History, Doctrine, Worship, and Constitution for the 1st 300 Years by WD Killen 1883
The Free Church of Ancient Christendom and its Subjugation under Constantine by Basil Cooper 1855
Christendom; Ecclesiastical and Political, from Constantine to the Reformation by JH Egar 1887
Selections from early writers illustrative of Church History to the time of Constantine by Henry Gwatkin 1893
Constantine the Great; the Reorganisation of the Empire and the Triumph of the Church by JB Firth 1905
History of the Christian Church, from the Birth of Christ to Constantine by Phillip Schaff Volume 1, 1870
History of the Christian Church, from Constantine to Gregory the Great by Phillip Schaff Volume 2, 1870
Commentaries on the affairs of the Christians before the time of Constantine, Volume 1 by JL Mosheim 1813
Greek Ecclesiastical Historians of the First Six Centuries of the Christian Era Volume 1 1843
Greek Ecclesiastical Historians of the First Six Centuries of the Christian Era Volume 2 1843
Greek Ecclesiastical Historians of the First Six Centuries of the Christian Era Volume 3 1843
Greek Ecclesiastical Historians of the First Six Centuries of the Christian Era Volume 4 1843
Greek Ecclesiastical Historians of the First Six Centuries of the Christian Era Volume 5 1843
Greek Ecclesiastical Historians of the First Six Centuries of the Christian Era Volume 6 1843
The Establishment of Christianity and the Proscription of Paganism by MA Huttman 1914
Bible Myths and their Parallels in other Religions by Thomas William Doane
The Origins of Christianity by Charles Biggs 1909
The Evolution of the idea of God: an inquiry into the origins of religion By Grant Allen 1897
Studies in the history of religions (has a section on "Buddhist and Christian parallels") by DG Lyon 1912
Christianity, its evidences, its origin, its morality, its history By Annie Wood Besant 1893
The Ethnic Trinities and their relations to the Christian Trinity by Levi Leonard Paine 1901
Pagan Origin of Partialist Doctrines by John Pitrat 1857
The Origin of the doctrine of the Trinity in theb Christian Church, article in The Morning Light 1883
The Nature and Origin of the Pagan Doctrine of the Trinity or Triads. article in the Southern Presbyterian review 1855
The mistake of Christendom or, Jesus and His Gospel before Paul and Christianity by George Stearns 1857
Dark Scenes of History Volume 1 by GPR James 1850
Dark Scenes of History Volume 2 by GPR James 1850
The history of the Knights Templars, the Temple Church and the Temple by CG Addison 1842
The Military Religious Orders of the Middle Ages by FC Woodhouse 1879
History of the Thirty Years' War Volume 2 by A Gindely 1882
Fragments of Church History to the Foundation of the Holy Roman Empire by Joseph Henry Allen 1880
Christian History in its three Great Periods, Volume 1 by Joseph Henry Allen 1883
Christian History in its three Great Periods, Volume 2 by Joseph Henry Allen 1883
Christian History in its three Great Periods, Volume 3 by Joseph Henry Allen 1883
History of the Christian Church by George Park Fisher 1891
A Dictionary of Christian Biography by Henry Wace 1911
A Dictionary of English Church History by SL Ollard 1912
Dictionary of Sects, heresies, ecclesiastical parties, and schools of religious thought by John H Blunt 1874
A Theological Dictionary, containing definitions of all Religious terms by Charles Buck Volume 1 - 1802
A Theological Dictionary, containing definitions of all Religious terms by Charles Buck Volume 2 - 1802
The Life and Labours of Saint Thomas of Aquin by RB Vaughan 1875
The History of the Popes by Archibald Bower Volume 1 - 1845
The History of the Popes by Archibald Bower Volume 2 - 1845
The History of the Popes by Archibald Bower Volume 3 - 1845
Landmarks in Christian History by Henry Rowe 1911
The Rise of Christendom by Edwin Johnson 1890
History of ethics within organized Christianity by Thomas Hall 1910
Philo- an Evangeliad by S Judd 1850
Ecclesiastical Researches: or Philo and Josephus proved to be historians and apologists of Christ By John Jones 1812 (often hard to read)
A History of the Inquisition of the Middle Ages by Henry Charles Lea 1887 (Volume 2)
The Canons of the First Four General Councils of Nicaea, Constantinople by William Bright 1892
History of the First Council of Nice: A World's Christian Convention, A.D 325 by Dean Dudley 1880
The Reformation by George Park Fisher 1901
A Source Book for Ancient Church History by Joseph Cullen Ayer 1913
The Rise of the Mediaeval Church and Its Influence on the Civilisation of Western Europe from the 1st to the 13th Century
by by Alexander Clarence Flick 1909
Dictionary of the Apostolic Church in Two Volumes
by James Hastings, John Alexander Selbie, John Chisholm Lambert 1915
History of Christianity from the Birth of Christ to the Abolition of Paganism in the roman Empire
by Henry Hart Milman 1866 Volume 3
The Early Days of Christianity by Frederic William Farrar 1882
Outlines of Church History by Rudolf Sohm 1895
The Beginnings of Christianity with a View of the State of the Roman World at the Birth of Christ
by George Park Fisher 1877
The Early Persecutions of the Christians by Leon Hardy Canfield 1913
Monuments of the Early Church by Walter Lowrie 1901
The Dark Ages: A Series of Essays by Samuel Roffey Maitland 1853
Primitive Christianity: Its Writings and Teachings in Their Historical Connections by Otto Pfleiderer 1911 (Volume 4)
The Ruin of the Ancient Civilization and the Triumph of Christianity by Guglielmo Ferrero 1921
The Problem of Religious Progress by Daniel Dorchester 1881
Primitive Christianity, its Writings and Teachings in their Historical Connections, Volume 1 by Otto Pfeiderer 1906
Primitive Christianity, its Writings and Teachings in their Historical Connections, Volume 2 by Otto Pfeiderer 1906
Primitive Christianity, its Writings and Teachings in their Historical Connections, Volume 3 by Otto Pfeiderer 1906
Primitive Christianity, its Writings and Teachings in their Historical Connections, Volume 4 by Otto Pfeiderer 1906
Socialism and Christianity by William Stang 1905
Socialism and Christianity by AJF Behrends 1886
The Gnostics and their remains by CW King 1887
The Gnostic Heresies of the First and Second Centuries by Henry Longueville Mansel 1875
Christian Origins by Otto Pfeiderer 1906
Lectures on the Influence of the Apostle Paul on the Development of Christianity by Otto Pfeiderer 1885
The Philosophy of Religion on the basis of its History, Volume 1 by Otto Pfeiderer 1886
The Philosophy of Religion on the basis of its History, Volume 2 by Otto Pfeiderer 1886
The Ecclesiastical Cyclopaedia - Dictionary of Christian antiquities and sects by John Eadie 1862
The Public and Private History of the Popes of Rome, from the earliest period to the present time, including the history of saints, martyrs, fathers of the church, religious orders, cardinals, inquisitions, schisms, and the great reformers, Volume 1 by Louis-Marie de Lahaye Cormenin, 1847 *
The Public and Private History of the Popes of Rome, from the earliest period to the present time, including the history of saints, martyrs, fathers of the church, religious orders, cardinals, inquisitions, schisms, and the great reformers, Volume 2 by Louis-Marie de Lahaye Cormenin, 1847
History of Religious Orders by Charles Warren Currier 1898
A Short History of Monks and Monasteries by Alfred W Wishart 1900
Monasticism - its Ideals and History by Adolf von Harnack 1900
The Military Religious Orders of the Middle Ages - the Hospitallers, the Templars, the Teutonic knights by FC Woodhouse 1879
An Ecclesiastical History, Ancient and Modern, Volume 1 by Johann L Mosheim 1842
An Ecclesiastical History, Ancient and Modern, Volume 2 by Johann L Mosheim 1842
The Great Schism of the West by Louis Salembier 1907
A History of the Papacy from the Great Schism to the Sack of Rome, Volume 1 by M Creighton 1919
A History of the Papacy from the Great Schism to the Sack of Rome, Volume 2 by M Creighton 1919
A History of the Papacy from the Great Schism to the Sack of Rome, Volume 3 by M Creighton 1919
A History of the Papacy from the Great Schism to the Sack of Rome, Volume 4 by M Creighton 1919
A History of the Papacy from the Great Schism to the Sack of Rome, Volume 5 by M Creighton 1919
A History of the Papacy from the Great Schism to the Sack of Rome, Volume 6 by M Creighton 1919
An Ecclesiastical History from the Thirteenth to the Nineteenth Century by CM Butler 1872
A Religious Encyclopaedia or dictionary of Biblical, historical, doctrinal, and practical theology by JJ Herzog, Volume 1 1891
A Religious Encyclopaedia or dictionary of Biblical, historical, doctrinal, and practical theology by JJ Herzog, Volume 2 1891
A Religious Encyclopaedia or dictionary of Biblical, historical, doctrinal, and practical theology by JJ Herzog, Volume 3 1891
A Religious Encyclopaedia or dictionary of Biblical, historical, doctrinal, and practical theology by JJ Herzog, Volume 4 1891 (light scan, often hard to read)
Historical Commentaries on the State of Christianity during the first 325 years, Volume 1, by JL Mosheim 1852
Historical Commentaries on the State of Christianity during the first 325 years, Volume 2, by JL Mosheim 1852
A Manual of the History of Dogmas, Volume 1 by BJ Otten 1917
A Manual of the History of Dogmas, Volume 2 by BJ Otten 1917 (Gnosticism, Modalism etc)
Dissertations on the Apostolic Age by JB Lightfoot 1892
The Manners and Trials of the Primitive Christians by Robert Jamieson 1841
The History of Persecution, from the patriarchial age to the reign of George II by Samuel Chandler 1813
Heroes and Martyrs of Christianity - a thrilling story of the struggles, persecutions, wars, and victories of Christians of all times by Frederick M Bird 1897
Medieval Heresy and the Inquisition by AS Turberville 1920
Church history in brief by James Moffatt 1885
Studies in early church history by Edward Henry Hall 1891
Ten lectures on orthodoxy & heresy in the Christian church by Edward Henry Hall 1891
Church history from Nero to Constantine by Charles P Clarke 1920
Turning points of English Church history by Edward L Cutts 1884
A Goodly Heritage, a Simple Church History by Georgiana M Forde 1903
A Short history of the Catholic Church by FG Walpole 1900
A short history of The Book of Common Prayer by William Reed Huntington 1893
Saint Chrysostom and Saint Augustin by Philip Schaff 1891
A Candid History of the Jesuits by Joseph McCabe 1913
Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisition by Rafael Sabatini 1913
The Spanish Protestants and their persecution by Adolfo de Castro 1851
Records of the Spanish Inquisition by Andrew Dickinson White 1828
A History of Religious Persecutions from the Apostolic age to the present time, and of the inquisition of Spain, Portugal, and Goa by Francis B Wright 1816
A History of the Inquisition of Spain by Henry Charles Lea, Volume 1, 1906
A History of the Inquisition of Spain by Henry Charles Lea, Volume 2, 1906
A History of the Inquisition of Spain by Henry Charles Lea, Volume 3, 1906
A History of the Inquisition of Spain by Henry Charles Lea, Volume 4, 1906
The Inquisition Unmasked, Volume 1 by Antonio Puigblanch 1816
The Inquisition Unmasked, Volume 2 by Antonio Puigblanch 1816
Crimes of Christianity by GW Foote 1887
Plus you get the following books that were important to the Church:
The Apology of the Augsburg Confession by Philip Melanchthon 1531 (searchable PDF)
The Augsburg Confession (searchable PDF)
The Westminster Confession of Faith: with Introduction and Notes 1881
The Creeds of Christendom: with a History and Critical Notes Volume 1 [1878] by Philip Schaff
The Creeds of Christendom: with a History and Critical Notes Volume 2 by Philip Schaff
The Creeds of Christendom: with a History and Critical Notes Volume 3 by Philip Schaff
Creeds or no creeds? A Critical Examination of the Basis of Modernism by Charles Harris 1922
The credal statements of St. Patrick as contained in the fourth chapter of his Confession
Notes on the Canons of the First Four General Councils by William Bright
The Ecumenical Councils (1900) by William DuBose
The Large Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther (searchable PDF)
The Small Catechism of Martin Luther
The Articles of the Synod of Dort (1856) by Thomas Scott
Some account of the Council of Nicea, in connexion with the life of Athanasius by John Kaye 1853
The Nicene Creed by A. E. Burn 1909
A Short Explanation of the Nicene Creed, for the use of Persons Beginning the Study of Theology by A.P. Forbes 1852
The Nicene and Apostles' Creeds: their Literary History: together with an account of the growth and reception of the sermon on the faith, commonly called "The Creed of St. Athanasius" by C.A. Swainson 1875
The Heidelberg catechism, specially arranged and adapted for use in Sunday schools and catechetical classes 1889
Expository lectures on the Heidelberg catechism (1864) Volume 1
Expository lectures on the Heidelberg catechism (1864) Volume 2
A full catechism of the Catholic Religion (1889) by Joseph DeHarbe
Baltimore Catechisms (searchable PDF's)
Fundamentals of the Christian Religion by Samuel Follett Halfyard 1911
History of the French Protestant Refugees, from the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes to our own Days 1854 by Charles Weiss Volume 1
History of the French Protestant Refugees, from the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes to our own Days 1854 by Charles Weiss Volume 2
Congregational Creeds and Covenants 1917 by William Barton
Pagan and Christian Creeds - Their Origin and Meaning by Edward Carpenter 1921
The Devotions of Saint Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury 1903
Free: The Rule of Saint Benedict- a Commentary
Mennonite Articles of Faith as set forth in Public Confession of the Church 1904
Documents relating to the settlement of the Church of England by the Act of Uniformity of 1662 (1862)
Eutaxia - The Presbyterian Liturgies 1855
The Chalcedonian Decree; or, Historical Christianity, misrepresented by modern theology, confirmed by modern science, and untouched by modern criticism by John Fulton 1892
The Articles of Faith: A Series of Lectures on the Principle Doctrines of the Church of Latter Day Saints by by James Edward Talmage 1899