Contents -- Preface -- Abbreviations -- Introduction -- 1. A new approach to the study of the early Christian gathering -- 2. A brief survey of previous research -- 3. The present study -- Chapter One The Origin of the Weekly Gathering in the Early Church -- Introduction -- 1. The early Christian gatherings in the context of Graeco-Roman culture -- a. Gatherings of voluntary associations -- b. Gatherings of pagan cult associations -- c. Gatherings of Jewish associations -- d. Gatherings of Christian communities -- 2. Time and place of the gatherings of the early Church -- a. The Sunday as the day for Christian community gatherings -- b. The meeting places of the early Christians -- 3. Content and order of the community gatherings in the early Church -- a. The suppers of early Christian communities -- b. Christian symposia -- c. The order of the Christian gathering -- 4. The leaders of the gatherings in the early Church -- Conclusions -- Chapter Two The Gatherings of Christians in the Morning -- Introduction -- 1. The origin of the Christian gathering in the morning -- 2. The morning gatherings in the second and third centuries -- Conclusions -- Chapter Three The Lord's Supper in the Early Church -- Introduction -- 1. The earliest history of the Lord's Supper -- a. The shape and function of the Lord's Supper -- b. The Lord's Supper and the Eucharist in Paul and the Didache -- 2. The Last Supper of Jesus and the Lord's Supper -- a. The origin and function of the Last Supper tradition -- b. The Lord's Supper in the Gospel tradition -- 3. The Eucharist in the second and third centuries -- a. The Eucharist in the second century -- b. The Eucharist in the third century -- Conclusions -- Chapter Four The Reading of Scripture in the Gathering of the Early Church -- Introduction -- 1. The origin of Scripture reading in the Christian gathering.

a. Public reading at the Graeco-Roman banquet -- b. Reading of Scripture in Jewish communal gatherings -- c. Public reading in Christian communities -- 2. Development of the public reading of Scripture in the Christian communities -- a. Public reading of Scripture in the early Church in the first century -- b. Public reading of Scripture in the second century -- c. Public reading of Scripture in the third century -- 3. The office of reader -- Conclusions -- Chapter Five Preaching in the Gathering of the Early Church -- Introduction -- 1. The origin of preaching in the Christian gathering -- 2. The development of preaching in the gatherings of the early Church -- a. Preaching in the Christian gathering in the first century -- b. Preaching in the Christian gathering in the second century -- c. Preaching in the Christian gathering in the third century -- 3. Preachers in the gatherings of the early Church -- Conclusions -- Chapter Six Singing and Prayer in the Gathering of the Early Church -- Introduction -- 1. Singing in the gathering of the early Church -- a. The origin and locus of singing in the gathering of the early Church -- b. Singing and music in the Christian gathering during the first three centuries -- 2. Prayer in the gathering of the early Church -- a. The origin of prayer in the gatherings of the early Church -- b. The evolution of the eucharistic prayers during the first three centuries -- c. Non-Eucharistic prayers in the Christian gatherings during the first three centuries -- Conclusions -- Chapter Seven Other Ritual Actions in the Gatherings of the Early Church -- Introduction -- 1. The holy kiss -- 2. The laying on of hands and ordination -- 3. Ritual footwashing and oil anointing -- 4. Collections, almsgiving and offerings -- 5. Healing and exorcism -- 6. Liturgical acclamations and doxologies -- Conclusions -- General Conclusions.

Appendices -- 1. The earliest history of the Christian gathering -- 2. The order of the proceedings in the Christian gathering -- 3. The frequency of the Christian gatherings and their distribution over the morning and the evening during the first three centuries -- 4. An Ancient Religious Community Meeting at Sunrise -- 5. Plans of two third-century Christian gathering places -- Bibliography -- Index of Ancient Sources -- Subject Index.