The Society for the Study of Early Christianity is a professional association of

ancient historians Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cove ...

and

biblical scholars Biblical studies is the academic application of a set of diverse disciplines to the study of the Bible (the Old Testament and New Testament).''Introduction to Biblical Studies, Second Edition'' by Steve Moyise (Oct 27, 2004) pages 11–12 For ...

, established within the Ancient Cultures Research Centre (ACRC) at Macquarie University. This assists SSEC in "fulfilling its aims through the study of the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

in its times, including its Jewish context, and the development of

Early Christianity Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewis ...

History and purpose

The Society was established by the Vice-Chancellor on 8 May 1987, and a Constitution for the Society was approved by the Council of Macquarie University in December 1987. The society has no ecclesiastical ties, however it collaborates on academic occasions with Christian and Jewish theology colleges and communities. The current president is

Alanna Nobbs Professor Alanna Nobbs is the President of the Society for the Study of Early Christianity. She earned a BA Hons1 and PhD in Latin at the University of Sydney. She taught at Macquarie University and was Head of School. Her specialization b ...

. The society circulates three newsletters a year outlining their activities. The society lists its aims as: * To encourage the study of the

in its times and related topics. * To build up resources for this study (for example, books, papyri, coins). * To organise conferences, public lectures, seminars and other activities to which the Society's members are invited. * To circulate three newsletters a year outlining forthcoming activities.

Projects

The Society supports a number of associated projects including: # New Documents Illustrating early Christianity - a project publishing Greek papyri and inscriptions related to the rise of Christianity within the multi-volume ''New Documents Illustrating Early Christianity.'' # Papyri from the Rise of Christianity in Egypt (formerly known as ''Corpus Papyrorum Christianarum'' or Corpus of Christian Papyri) - a project aiming to "collect all the papyri (including ostraca, parchment, and tablets) which document the rise of Christianity in Egypt down to the victory of Constantine over Licinius in 324." # Corpus Fontium Manichaeorum - a project sponsored by a number of international organisations including

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

and the Union of International Academies which aims to produce over 60 volumes of Manichaean texts from Egypt and Central Asia. # May Conference - an annual conference hosting international speakers on issues of the New Testament and early Christianity.SSEC Conference

References

External links

Society for the Study of Early Christianity HomepageSociety for the Study of Early Christianity Conference PageAncient Cultures Research Centre (ACRC)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Society For The Study Of Early Christianity Ancient Christianity studies Biblical studies organizations Early Christianity Macquarie University Organizations established in 1987 Professional associations based in Australia

History and purpose

Projects

See also

References

External links