Music in Early Christian Literature

A collection of 400 passages on music from early Christian literature.

James W. McKinnon (Edited by)

9780521376242, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 7 September 1989

192 pages
23 x 15.3 x 1.7 cm, 0.325 kg

'James McKinnon's book is a valuable secondary source, and it deserves to be read by all who have a serious interest in early Christian music and liturgy.' Music and Letters

This book provides a collection of some 400 passages on music from early Christian literature - New Testament to c. 450 AD - newly translated from the original Greek, Latin, and Syriac. As there are no musical sources of the period, music historians must rely upon remarks about music in literary sources to gain some knowledge of early Christian liturgical music. This volume makes a large and representative collection of the material conveniently available. The passages are arranged chronologically and regionally in eleven chapters with brief commentary. An introduction sets out the major subjects and themes of the original source material.

Preface
Introduction
1. The New Testament
2. The Christian literature of the first and second centuries
3. The Greek authors of the third century
4. The western authors of the third and early fourth centuries
5. Fourth-century Alexandria and desert monasticism
6. Fourth-century Asia Minor: the Cappadocians
7. Palestine, Antioch and Syria
8. The Greek historians
9. The Apostolic Constitutions, Egeria, and the eastern councils
10. Western authors of the fourth and early fifth centuries
11. Augustine and minor western authors
Epilogue
Bibliography
Index of musical and liturgical terms and concepts.

Subject Areas: Early music [up to c 1000 CE AVGC1]