These essays, as well as many others in the volume, provide the reader with a helpful orientation to the figure or issue under consideration, and all of the essays evidence a fairness and balance in presentation; where an issue is unsettled or controverted, the author signals such to the reader and indicates where she should turn to pursue the question.
Michael Heintz, Religious Studies Review
This is not simply another multi-author volume on the first Christian centuries. It addresses itself to the task of bringing together a review of the approaches, assumptions and results of recent research in a growing range of interdisciplinary areas. It is for the most part technical and exact without being inaccessible to the interested beginner. This is an invaluable work of reference and full of meat.
G.R. Evans, Theology.
Without doubt, this will become a major reference tool and a number of the chapters will find their way onto reading lists for classes studying early Christianity.
Paul Foster, Expository Times
...this book is a treasure trove. The editors have assembled an impressive bench of contributors and they tackle a staggering array of subjects...This hefty and wonderful volume reminds us just how preposterous an unnecessarily adamantine view of Christianity is and ever war.
Jonathan Wright, Catholic Herald
This is a volume that goes far beyond the descriptive survey and contains much of interest for both the beginner and the old hand ... it should indeed stimulate further research
F. Lucy Grig, Journal of Theological Studies
In many ways the appearance of this volume is timelf ... It seems in general to reflect the wide-ranging and many-sided characters of its subject ...and does so with clarity and learning. Any student intent upon engaging in research on an aspect of the field of early Christian studies would do well to start here ... in the company of distinguished scholars in thoughtful mode.
James Carleton Paget, Journal of Ecclesiastical History
The Oxford Handbook of Early Christian Studies stems from the rich scholarly tradition of Oxford and features within a handbook series devoted to a plenitude of scientific topics and in which various domains of history, theology and religious sciences are already covered ... impressive volume ... a must for all beginners and a quick reference for specialists in the field.
A. Dupont, Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses