Early Church and Today

"The Early Church and Today is a fitting monument to Everett Ferguson's distinguished career. Ferguson is one of his generation's premier patristics scholars, and this book shows why-unrivalled knowledge of early Christian writings; judicious interpretation; orderly presentation....In this book Ferguson's classic essays mingle with illuminating lesser-known materials. All have Ferguson's uncommon capacity to use scholarship, with great integrity and gentleness of spirit, for the sake of Christ's church."-Alan Kreider, professor of Church History and Mission (retired), Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana

"This is a fine collection of integrated essays produced by an internationally distinguished scholar in the field of early Christian studies, who here reveals his academic work across a period of more than fifty years. His reflections on Christian living in a post-Christian world, the books of Acts, biblical interpretation, the Restoration Movement, and religious liberty will appeal to a wide readership. All of these topics are anchored in Professor Ferguson's belief that early Christianity is relevant for every era, and in the mature conviction that all hermeneutical inquiry must refer to historical and doctrinal contexts to be authentically Christian."-Pauline Allen, professor at Australian Catholic University and University of Pretoria

"The academic world knows Everett Ferguson as one of the finest patristic scholars of our time. Everett's friends and community of faith know him as a deeply devoted churchman. The Early Church and Today testifies to the author's labors over many years to keep those worlds linked together."-Jeff Childers, Carmichael-Walling Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, Graduate School of Theology, Abilene Christian University

Everett Ferguson is Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Abilene Christian University, where he taught Bible, church history, and Greek from 1962-1998. He earned his STB and PhD from Harvard University. His honors include the Distinguished Service Award from the North American Patristics Society (2008), and the Vestiga Award for Excellence in Early Christian Studies and Service to the Church from the Wheaton Center for Early Christian Studies (2010).