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This page contains links to a text as well as information about the Early Church Texts Website. The text link will be changed every few days so that over a period a selection of interesting patristic texts and themes can be shared. On the subscription version of the website there is an archive of these links (under Home etc./Archive of sample texts).
Theodotus of Ancyra - Homily 1 on Christmas
The Greek text is from Migne PG vol. LXXVII. col. 1360 @ Google Books.
The English translation is from the liturgy.slu.edu website (archived version).
Original language with translation alongside
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Further information about the Early Church Texts Website
The Early Church Texts Website is one of the most extensive resources on the internet for the study of early Christianity.
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ACCESS TO A HUGE RANGE OF COMPLETE EARLY CHRISTIAN TEXTS The site gives easy access to complete Greek and Latin texts which are in the public domain and translations (where found available) from the first five centuries. There are carefully indexed links to authors and their works, including an index of links to commentaries, homilies etc. by biblical book. Nearly all of the Greek and Latin texts from this period contained in the Migne Patrologia series are covered, along with a number of texts from other sources. The texts used are the scanned versions available at Google Books and elsewhere. A distinctive feature of the Early Church Texts website is that where translations have been found available online they can easily be read immediately alongside the original Greek and Latin. |
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EARLY CHURCH HISTORY The site is also like an encyclopedia whose menu system gives swift access to a wealth of relevant background information. Around 800 different people and themes are covered. There are also links to information (and texts) for a very large number of the Church Councils (over 230) held from the 3rd to the 5th century. These are indexed both alphabetically according to location and also by date. |
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EARLY CHURCH HISTORY READER The site also has its own carefully prepared texts (220+) covering major themes and controversies in the life of the Church in the first five centuries. These texts are mainly extracts, but there are also some complete works - e.g. The Passion of Perpetua (Latin and Greek text) and Basil's Address to Young Men on the Right Use of Greek Literature. The texts have dictionary look-up links, a brief introduction and notes (textual and background) associated with the text. They are indexed alphabetically by author and also by theme. An English translation is placed alongside and there is normally a link to a complete scanned version of the text e.g. at Google Books. |
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THE BIBLE THROUGH THE EYES OF EARLY CHRISTIAN WRITERS On the subscription version of the website there are separate pages for each book of the Bible giving a list of commentaries and homilies on the book by Christian writers from the first five centuries. Links to the complete original language texts are given (scanned versions of the texts, e.g. from the Migne Patrologia series, at sites like archive.org or Google Books). Links are given to online English translations of these texts, where available, and to information about published translations. Links are also given to the Bible text: the Hebrew, Septuagint Greek, Latin Vulgate and English translation for Hebrew Scripture/Old Testament books, and the Greek, Latin Vulgate and English translation for New Testament books. This makes the website a great place to explore the Scriptures from the perspective of early Christian writers. |
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CHURCH COUNCILS AND CREEDS The site contains the original language text (with dictionary lookup links) of the canons of the ecumenical councils of the first five centuries. On the subscription version of the site English translations of these texts are placed alongside. The canons of a number of other Councils are presented in this way. In a similar way the site has the text and translation of several early creeds. On the subscription version of the website the menu system also has easily navigable links to scanned versions of a) the documents of Church Councils from the first five centuries contained in the Mansi "Sacrorum Conciliorum Nova et Amplissima Collectio" volumes and b) the information about Councils in the Hefele "History of the Councils of the Church" Volumes. This makes the website a great place to study Church Councils of the first five centuries. |
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