Eusebius of Caesarea

Eusebius of Caesarea is known as the “father of church history.” He was the first to write a comprehensive history of the early church. He was most likely born in or around Caesarea Maritima, but nothing is known about his parents. He was baptized and instructed in the city, and lived in Syria Palaestina in 296, when Diocletian's army passed through the region.

Eusebius was made presbyter by Agapius of Caesarea. He came under the influence of Pamphilus, who was a student of Origen. Pamphilus had amassed a large library of Origen’s writings, copies of Scripture, and commentaries, forming one of the great ancient Christian libraries. Eusebius fled the persecution of Christians in Palestine and made his way to Egypt where he witnessed Christian martyrdom firsthand. After being imprisoned for a short time, Eusebius was made bishop of Caesarea in 313 or 314.

Although Eusebius was somewhat sympathetic to the Arian position, he did not fully embrace it himself. He was present at the Council of Nicaea and signed the Nicene Creed (perhaps being pressured to do so by Emperor Constantine), but he was never in full support of it, feeling that the condemnation of Arius was too strong.

Eusebius of Caesarea wrote several major works. In Preparation for the Gospel, he refutes paganism. Demonstration of the Gospel examines how Christ fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, and in his most famous work, Ecclesiastical History, Eusebius provided a history of the church from apostolic times through the death of Constantine.

Ecclesiastical History is important for a number of reasons. It uses extensive quotations from primary sources that would be lost to us otherwise. It records the succession of bishops and teachers in major sees from apostolic times, and highlights the battles against heresy and the internal struggle to understand and formulate a biblical doctrine of the Trinity. The work also gives details on persecutions and martyrdoms, preserves traditions about the New Testament writers and gives details regarding the canon.

By Eusebius' time, most of the current New Testament was accepted as canonical. (Only James, Hebrews, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, and Revelation were not fully accepted.) Importantly, Eusebius provided an account of the conversion of Constantine, the details of which he received from Constantine himself when the two became close friends.

Eusebius is not considered a critical historian as he seemed to take his historical sources at face value. He also seems to have been somewhat blinded in admiration for Constantine. However, this appreciation for a Christian emperor may be understandable coming from one who had personally witnessed persecution and martyrdom.