Extracted from Arthur Penrhyn Stanley’s Lectures on the History of the Eastern Church, this introduction to ecclesiastical history is a tribute to the insight of a former professor of ecclesiastical history at Oxford. Meticulous in scope, Stanley begins his consideration of the church in first-century Palestine. The focus shifts to the developments during the expansion of the church under the Roman Empire, dividing the history into broad stages. This exploration is accompanied by a helpful chronological table. Stanley next turns his attention to the study of ecclesiastical history, which he attempts to reclaim from connotations of dryness. Considering the great events and great people of the story of the church, he sets out the techniques and opportunities for such study. His introduction concludes with a look at the advantages of ecclesiastical history, demonstrating the profit of such a study for church members in his own day.

Arthur Penrhyn Stanley (1815-1881) was educated at Oxford and became a clergyman in the Church of England. He was a tutor then Regius Professor at Oxford and went on to become the Dean of Westminster. He wrote several books during his career.