ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the services and rituals of the early Christian communities, including the prayers and other practices that helped solidify the community life. It also discusses the rituals of baptism and the celebration of the Last Supper. Many texts were concerned about the growing diversity of the congregations’ ideas and talk about the hazards of false prophets, and the beginnings of the church organization to try to regulate the congregations. Finally, this chapter discusses the spurious rumors that circulated about Christians and the growth of the Christian apologists who wrote to reassure Romans that Christians were innocuous good citizens.
