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Rating: 
Summary: "Through a glass darkly...."
Review: As a non-scholar with a keen interest in the evolution of the Christian religion, I found this to be an exceptionally informative as well as well-written study of the earliest Christians in the years immediately following the crucifixion of Jesus. Of course, most of what most of us know about those years has been learned from reading the New Testament or perhaps from films which claim to be "faithful" to that era. Snyder carefully examines the works of Christian writers, of course, but also those of Jewish and Roman writers as well. He attempts to answer questions such as these:1. Why were the post-crucifixion years (the so-called "Apostolic Age") perhaps "the most turbulent and terrifying period in all history"? 2. Nonetheless, why does it remain "such a murky period to even the most avid of history readers"? 3. According to the most reliable historical material available, who wrote what? For example, "the 21 epostles of the new Testament are arranged in scant regard to chronology, and scholars still debate when many of them were written." 4. By which strategies and tactics did the so many of the early Christians survive amidst the "madness" of Roman rule throughout its empire and especially in Judea? Also, to what extent were the early Christians also subject to persecution by those who previously felt so threatened by a carpenter from Nazareth? 5. Which assumptions about the century following the crucifixion are now in doubt, if not invalidated by subsequent scholarship? These and countless other questions are addressed throughout Snyder's well-written and insightful narrative. Not all of them are answered and perhaps some of those can never be. To suggest that in no way diminishes the nature and extent of what Snyder achieves in this volume. Rather, my purpose is to acknowledge the challenges he faced and thereby to indicate the substantial value of what he has accomplished.
Rating:
Summary: Piercing the Veil of Early Christianity
Review: At Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, VA, I vividly recall being taught that to more fully understand the meaning of Scripture, one would also need to investigate the "sitz-en-laben," the German phrase for "the setting or situation in life." For example, to fully understand the words of Jesus on paying taxes to the existing authorities, it was essential that one understand the background which brought about both the Jewish and Roman - often inflexible - positions on the matter. The Faith and the Power, as it chronologically traces the three-fold perspective of Christian, Jewish and Roman histories, enables the reader to have a far clearer understanding of the intertwining of the who, what, when, where and how of these turbulent forty years of history than any source known to me. However, the book is also easy to read. Its use of taking all events in a chronological style of reporting assists the reader in maintaining a mental awareness of the sequence of events. By combining the three histories, the book offers new and enlightening information for anyone except, perhaps, for those scholars who have immersed themselves in this period of history.
Rating:
Summary: A readable, enjoyable, chronology and essay.
Review: I really can't add anything to the reviews that have been written. This is an informative work that reinforces what many of us have learned about the early Christian church by reading the New Testament. However, the biblical account/history is placed against the backdrop of the Roman empire and enhanced by citing secular historians from the era who commented on the earliest Christians. Mr. Snyder intermixes some commentary throughout the book. This seems necessary since many questions about this era remain unanswered. The commentary gives the book an essay quality that in no way detracts from the history provided. Thank you, Mr. Snyder, for an enjoyable, scholarly read.
Rating:
Summary: A scholarly, chronological documentary
Review: Researched and written by writer, journalist, and Presbyterian elder James D. Snyder, The Faith And The Power is an informed and informative history of the early Christians who struggled to survive a series of bitter and lethal persecutions in Rome during the first century A.D. Highly recommended reading for both scholars and non-specialist general readers, The Faith And The Power integrates Biblical text with historical accounts by early Jewish, Roman, and Christian writers forming the basis of a scholarly, chronological documentary that accessibly explores the fascinating era of nascent Christianity.
Rating:
Summary: The Way It Was
Review: The reader is given a chronological time table of events (somthing I appreciated) that puts the world of the early Christians in perspective as they deal with the turbulent politics of the first century. I came away from this very readable account with a more personal understanding of, and a deeper appreciation of the men and women who survived and kept the faith. It will have a permanent place in my bookshelf.
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