A Brief History of Sunday: From the New Testament to the New Creation

by Justo L. González

Overview

In this accessible historical overview of Sunday, noted scholar Justo González tells the story of how and why Christians have worshiped on Sunday from the earliest days of the church to the present.

After discussing the views and practices relating to Sunday in the ancient church, González turns to Constantine and how his policies affected Sunday observances. He then recounts the long process, beginning in the Middle Ages and culminating with Puritanism, whereby Christians came to think of and strictly observe Sunday as the Sabbath. Finally, González looks at the current state of things, exploring especially how the explosive growth of the church in the Majority World has affected the observance of Sunday worldwide.

Readers of this book will rediscover the joy and excitement of Sunday as early Christians celebrated it and will find fresh, inspiring perspectives on Sunday amid our current culture of indifference and even hostility to Christianity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467446938
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	05/23/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	176
File size:	265 KB

About the Author

Justo L. González is a retired professor of historical theology and United Methodist minister. His more than one hundred books, published in ten languages, include the acclaimed three-volume History of Christian Thoughtand The Story Luke Tells.

Table of Contents

Abbreviations vii

Introduction viii

1 The Background: Pre-Christian Calendars 1

Part 1 Before Constantine 7

2 Naming the Days 9

3 When to Meet 18

4 The Significance of the First Day of the Week 24

5 Christian Practices on the First Day of the Week 32

Part 2 From Constantine to the End of Antiquity 41

6 Constantine and the New Imperial Policy 43

7 Changes in Christian Worship 48

8 Laws Regarding the Lord's Day 53

9 Christian Views on the Sabbath 57

Part 3 The Middle Ages 67

10 A New Sunday Piety: From Feast to Funeral 70

11 A Day to Pray and to Play 83

12 Aquinas on Sunday and Sabbath 92

Part 4 The Reformation and Beyond 97

13 The Reformation 99

14 British Puritanism and the Sabbath 115

15 Seventh-Day Sabbatarianism 128

16 The Continuation of Puritan Sabbatarianism 133

17 Secularization and Renewal 139

Epilogue 153

Notes 154

For Further Reading 161

Index 163

Editorial Reviews

Mark Noll
-- author of Jesus Christ and the Life of the Mind
"As he has in many other books, Justo González here puts to excellent use his singular combination of biblical, historical, theological, ecumenical, and cultural wisdom to explore a subject at the heart of individual Christian life, corporate Christian community, and public Christian witness. As it tracks variations, shifts, and controversies in 'Sabbath' observance from pre-Christian days to the present, this learned but wonderfully accessible book explains why corporate worship on 'the Lord's day' should still be as encouraging as it has been so consistently for so many in the past."

Randall Balmer
-- Dartmouth College
"In his Brief History of Sunday Justo L. González demonstrates both an impressive command of history and a dexterous handling of sources. He concludes, provocatively, that Christian observance of Sunday in the twenty-first century might actually benefit from a reversion to the pre-Constantinian model, when Christianity was not the favored faith. This is a very good, informative, and lively book."

Kimberly Bracken Long
-- Columbia Theological Seminary
"With the extensive knowledge of an accomplished historian and the graceful skill of a storyteller, Justo González traverses the long and complex history of Sunday clearly and accessibly. Not only does he deepen our understanding of how we came to do the things we do, but he also offers a vision of the church's future where Protestants and Catholics alike rediscover the ancient meaning of Sunday--a day of joy when we celebrate Christ's resurrection, eagerly and actively anticipating the coming of the new creation."

From the Publisher

06/01/2017
One might think that a history of Sunday could fit into a single paragraph. However, González (A History of Christian Thought) shows that the story is not so straightforward. His narrative traces the linear development of Sunday observances from the early church to medieval times to the English Reformation. From there, he centers on the reformation and how the practices during that time became almost universally adopted—even where Christians represented a distinct minority. Within this history an interplay of different themes rise, fall, and resurface. Employing theological, civil, and linguistic resources, González presents Sunday as a celebration of Jesus's resurrection with the mystery of the Eucharist within a marginalized community. The author then follows the evolution of Sunday through several iterations as that community expanded into the larger world. González ends by noting that Christianity again is starting to be divided; some believers are reconnecting to the sacredness of the Eucharist while others are rediscovering a day of celebration. VERDICT An enjoyable, approachable, and impeccably evenhanded work that is more than a mere outline of its subject.—JW

Library Journal