The First Christian Hymnal
The Songs of the Ancient Jerusalem Church. Parallel Georgian-English Texts
Editor / Translator:
This book offers the first English translation of the earliest Christian hymnal, a little-known and overlooked text that preserves the sacred songs of Jerusalemâs Christian communities during the late fourth or early fifth century.
This hymnal, known as the Jerusalem Georgian Chantbook, preserves the hymnography of the Jerusalem churches from a crucial moment in early Christian history, when Christianity was transitioning from a small minority faith into the faith of an empire. This book presents the hymns that were used for regular Sunday worship. These hymns not only are the oldest part of the collection, but they also would have had the most influence in forming the faith of Jerusalemâs congregations.
This hymnal, known as the Jerusalem Georgian Chantbook, preserves the hymnography of the Jerusalem churches from a crucial moment in early Christian history, when Christianity was transitioning from a small minority faith into the faith of an empire. This book presents the hymns that were used for regular Sunday worship. These hymns not only are the oldest part of the collection, but they also would have had the most influence in forming the faith of Jerusalemâs congregations.
Prices from (excl. shipping):
Stephen J. Shoemaker (PhD, 1997, Duke University) is a specialist on the history of Christianity and the beginnings of Islam. His most recent book is A Prophet Has Appeared: The Rise of Islam through Christian and Jewish Eyes (Univ. of California Press, 2021)
All interested in Early Christianity, Eastern Christian texts, hymnography.