Jennifer Ebbeler

Cultural Christians in the Early Church

History & Biography

“Christians a nuanced retelling of the complex early centuries of ancient Christianity, with particular attention to different types of behavior that modern evangelical Christians would consider sinful (e.g., ignoring the poor). Williams is a talented writer who tells a story that is engaging, witty, and instructive while also being accessible to nonspecialists with no previous knowledge of early Christian history. Ultimately, her goal is pedagogical: in explicating these stories of “cultural Christians,” Williams aims to encourage her readers to reflect on their own lives, their own behaviors, and take steps to embrace a practice of “countercultural Christianity” that is grounded in serving one’s community and fellow humans while declining to accommodate itself to the social norms of the secular world.”

Dr.