The contributors to this volume address the key institutions of the first and second Church, considering the development of rituals and sacraments, and the development of Church leadership, and of the Church itself.

The first part of the book looks at the offices of the Church - the Apostolate and the development of other religious authorities - as well as the notion of Apostolic Tradition. The second part looks at the sacraments, with in-depth consideration of the Eucharist, and of Baptismal texts from the early Church. The essays are of interest to scholars researching the development of the early Church and of Church rituals and practices.

Sven Olav-Back is Lecturer in Biblical Languages and Exegesis at Abo Akademi University, Finland.

Erkki Koskenniemi is Adjunct Professor of New Testament Exegesis at Abo Akademi University in Finland, University of Helsinki, Finland and University of Eastern Finland.