The growth of church law
Kenneth Pennington
For more than five centuries, Christian communities lived without a comprehensive body of written law. Thus, in the early church, canon law as system norms that governed church or large number communities, was not present. Early texts share several characteristics. Their authority derived from their apostolic origins, ecclesiastical institutions. Although fathers, especially John Chrysostom, did justify conciliar assemblies on basis Acts 15, modern scholars have concluded assembly described 15 at Jerusalem cannot be council synod. During course fourth century, two sources authoritative emerged church: writings fathers and letters bishops, particularly bishops Rome. Scholasticus' Synagoge 50 titles is first important collection East. All later Greek canonical collections were based it.
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