I obtained this book on the cheap via Amazon's Kindle, as early church history intrigues me. However, I have only managed to make my way half way through and I have to say I am disappointed. I hoped for a book that could offer guaranteed evidence that these are indeed the houses once used as gatherings for the Roman Christians in the 1st century. Sad to say this is not quite what I have found.
The author takes us round a variety of Roman churches, many dating back centuries, but there is little real evidence to be found that this church actually stands on a home once used by the early Christians. It is certainly possible that the churches were, some 300 or so years later, built on houses said to have been used this way, folk memory can indeed be strong. However, I am dubious about many of the claims made for the origins. I am certain Peter did not 'say mass' in one of the houses, he may have 'broken bread' or taken part in an 'agape' meal, but here was no 'mass,' taking place, the author is limited on scripture, trusting only to the RC church teachings.
The impression given is many tales may have had some origin in the past, however, these have been developed by many 'old wives tales,' and these are difficult to accept for those who read the scriptures. Indeed, when you remember that for many years Rome refused to allow individuals to read the bible for themselves, and some Popes burnt bibles to stop this happening, you can begin to understand where many of the tales came from in past times. Bible ignorance leaves room for fairy stories.
Too much of the book is an adoration of RC architecture, detailing altars, statues and chapels. The US author appears in awe of the RC surroundings, the very surroundings that leave me dead inside.
It is possible some of the information in this guide book is correct, however, I would need to look at a better more historical tome to discover if it is possible to know for sure whether individual houses were indeed made use of by early Christians. For some this book may be worth a look, for me it is too limited in approach and with too little historical evidence on offer.
