The contributors to this volume address the key institutions of the first and second Church, considering the development of rituals and sacraments, and the development of Church leadership, and of the Church itself.

The first part of the book looks at the offices of the Church - the Apostolate and the development of other religious authorities - as well as the notion of Apostolic Tradition. The second part looks at the sacraments, with in-depth consideration of the Eucharist, and of Baptismal texts from the early Church. The essays are of interest to scholars researching the development of the early Church and of Church rituals and practices.

List of Abbreviations

1. Introduction: Sven-Olav Back, Abo Akademi University, Finland

Part I: Models of the Church

2. The Body of Christ, René Kieffer, Uppsala University, Sweden
3. The People of God, Tord Fornberg, Swedish Theological Institute, Israel

Part II: Offices

4. The Apostolate in the Early Church, Samuel Byrskog, University of Lund, Sweden
5. "Hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us": The Notion of a Common Apostolic Tradition in the Pauline letters, Reidar Hvalvik, Norwegian School of Theology, Norway
6. The religious authorities in the Corpus Paulinum, Erkki Koskenniemi, Abo Akademi University, Finland

Part III: Sacraments

7. The Eucharist in Paul and in Hebrews, Jostein Ådna, School of Mission and Theology, Norway
8. The Eucharist in the letters of Ignatius of Antioch, Sven-Olav Back, Abo Akademi University, Finland
9. A new life to live: Baptismal texts from the second and third generation church, Lars Hartman, Prof Em., University of Uppsala, Sweden

Bibliography
Index