The fruit of over twenty years of scholarship from a team of historians, theologians, an art historian, and an archaeologist, Christianity in Roman North Africa is now without a doubt the definitive one-volume work on early African Christianity in the Patristic period. While individual monographs exist on particular African church fathers as well as theological and social issues, the only other one-volume introduction with a similar scope is Francois Decret's Early Christianity in North Africa (trans. Edward L. Smither [Eugene, Oreg.: Cascade, 2009]). However, Decret's 220-page work functions at a much more basic level compared to Burns and Jensen's new book.
The first four chapters offer some historical background, working chronologically from the advent of African Christianity to the early fourth century (chapter 1), through the fifth-century Vandal conquest (chapter 2), as well as through the fifth-century conflicts between Arians, Nicenes, Pagans, and Donatists (chapter 3). Chapter four is unique in that it provides a thorough survey of archaeological evidence from the period. Chapters five to thirteen explore major practical and theological themes of the African church, including baptism (chapter 5); preaching and the Eucharist (chapter 6); the unique African story of dealing with the lapsed (chapter 7); the clergy (chapter 8); marriage, virginity, and widowhood (chapter 9); Christian burials (chapter 10); the cult of the martyrs (chapter 11); Christian spiritual disciplines (chapter 12); and the church (chapter 13).
Among the book's strengths is the rich interaction with primary literary sources from the African fathers. The reader is invited to explore Tertullian's treatises, Cyprian's treatises and letters, as well as Augustine's works, sermons, and letters. This presentation of and interaction with the literature ought to provide a great basis for many years of study for students and also serve as a catalyst for new research from scholars.
What sets this book apart is the authors’ methodology of reviewing standard literary sources, combined with analyzing visual and archaeological evidence. Robin Jensen's training as both a church and art historian is greatly leveraged here. Similarly, the contributions and analysis of Susan Stevens, a leading archaeologist who has spent the last few decades digging in North Africa, also strengthen the work. Engaging these literary and visual texts allows the African church story to be told with greater clarity and color.
The authors also do an excellent job of capturing African Christianity in its contexts, particularly as the church struggled to grow and live in a largely pagan milieu. Similarly, the African fathers are not explored in a vacuum, but are situated well within their social contexts. For instance, in the discussion of Augustine's works, the Donatist church and its leaders are given a fair hearing as African Christians in their own right.
Aside from these affirmations, I have two minor quibbles. First, although the book captures well the contexts of early African Christianity, the literary and theological study is limited to the big three—Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine. More space could have been given to the writings of Arnobius, Lactantius, and even Tyconius, to offer broader shape to early African Christian thought. Second, throughout the book, there was a great deal of repetition in the material and claims presented. While true of the book as a whole, it was especially a weakness in the otherwise excellent chapter on archaeology (chapter 4). Although the book is strengthened by its thoroughness and the contributions of multiple authors from a variety of disciplines, some macro-editing would have saved the work from unnecessary repetition and offered the reader a more abridged and concise study.
Apart from these critiques, Christianity in Roman Africa is an excellent resource. In addition to the thorough scholarship that will surely be valued by students of the period and region, I think that today's pastors and church leaders will also benefit from the practical aspects of chapter twelve on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and they will have much to ponder and apply from Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine's thoughts and practices on these spiritual disciplines.
