Early Christian Fathers

This selection of writings from early church leaders includes work by Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, Irenaeus, Athenagoras, and Justin Martyr.Long recognized for the quality of its translations, introductions, explanatory notes, and indexes, the Library of Christian Classics provides scholars and students with modern English translations of some of the most significant Christian theological texts in history. Through these works--each written prior to the end of the sixteenth century--contemporary readers are able to engage the ideas that have shaped Christian theology and the church through the centuries.

The writings in this volume cast a glimmer of light upon the emerging traditions and organization of the infant church, during an otherwise little-known period of its development. A selection of letters and small-scale theological treatises from a group known as the Apostolic Fathers, several of whom were probably disciples of the Apostles, they provide a first-hand account of the early Church and outline a form of early Christianity still drawing on the theology and traditions of its parent religion, Judaism. Included here are the first Epistle of Bishop Clement of Rome, an impassioned plea for harmony; The Epistle of Polycarp; The Epistle of Barnabas; The Didache; and the Seven Epistles written by Ignatius of Antioch - among them his moving appeal to the Romans that they grant him a martyr's death.

If the word trinity isn’t in Scripture, why is it such an important part of our faith? And if the Bible can be interpreted in many ways, how do we know what to make of it? And who decided what should be in the Bible anyway? The Church Fathers provide the answers. These brilliant, embattled, and sometimes eccentric men defined the biblical canon, hammered out the Creed, and gave us our understanding of sacraments and salvation. It is they who preserved for us the rich legacy of the early Church. D’Ambrosio dusts off the dry theology and brings you the exciting stories and great heroes such as Ambrose, Augustine, Basil, Athanasius, Chrysostom, and Jerome. This page-turner will inspire and challenge you with the lives and insights of these seminal teachers from when the Church was young.

For centuries, Christians have been challenged and inspired by the writings of the early church fathers. Their exhortations, thoughts, and meditations have been a beacon of light and hope to church leaders, laity, and theologians including Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Wesley. Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers presents selections of these writings in a format that makes them readily accessible for daily meditation. Its 366 sections include powerful Bible passages and devotional readings taken from the 38-volume series The Early Church Fathers, first published in 1885. While the language of each devotion has been updated for readability, the original meaning has been preserved. Short biographical summaries lend insight into the lives of the early church fathers. Also the book's subject index helps readers to easily locate selections on specific topics.

What Did Early Christians Really Believe? The Answer Will Surprise and Amaze You! The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church is a unique resource that introduces you to the teachings of the first Christians in a way no other work can. It is specially designed to make it easy for you to find the information you want and need. Amazing features in this fact-packed book include: More than 900 quotations from the writings of the early Church Fathers, as well as from rare and important documents dating back to the dawn of Christian history. Mini-biographies of nearly 100 Fathers, as well as descriptions of dozens of key early councils and writings. A concise history of the dramatic spread of Christianity after Jesus told his disciples to evangelize all nations. Special maps showing you where the Fathers lived, including many little-known and long-vanished locations. A guide to nearly 30 ancient heresies, many of which have returned to haunt the modern world. The Fathers' teaching on nearly 50 topics, including modern hot-button issues like abortion, homosexuality, and divorce. This groundbreaking work presents the teachings of the early Christians in a way unlike any other book. It flings open the doors of the crucial but little-known age covering the birth of Christianity and the triumphant march of the gospel throughout the ancient world.

A Trusted Introduction to the Church Fathers This concise introduction to the church fathers connects evangelical students and readers to twelve key figures from the early church. Bryan Litfin engages readers with actual people, not just abstract doctrines or impersonal events, to help them understand the fathers as spiritual ancestors in the faith. The first edition has been well received and widely used. This updated and revised edition adds chapters on Ephrem of Syria and Patrick of Ireland. The book requires no previous knowledge of the patristic period and includes original, easy-to-read translations that give a brief taste of each writer's thought.

Excerpt from The Ante-Nicene Fathers: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers Down to A. D. 325; Biographical Synopsis; General Index TO provide the student of the ante-nicene Literature with a copious General Index was necessary to the work which, in eight volumes, comprises the original twenty four and not a little additional material. But the General Editor felt, at every step of his own undertaking, the need of a systematized Bibliography, to which scholars intolerant of merely superficial attainment might be referred for the entire mastery of any particular subject. It is not unlikely that our countrymen are about to enter on such studies as require the' aid of the ante-nicene Fathers, in the spirit of honest and very earnest research, and it is cheering to observe that patient industry and unwearied continuous effort in the investigation of great questions is no longer to be considered impossible in our hurried and hasty American modes of life. He, then, who means to understand these volumes thoroughly, and to use them for the benefit of others, must have the keys of knowledge at hand. To supply such keys is of itself the task of none other than a specialist and an expert. The introductory notice of the Rev. Dr. Riddle will inform the reader that I am indebted to him for committing to Professor Richardson the labour of compiling the Bibliography which I had proposed, and which, in my opinion, has been so admirably performed. His work, though it falls below his own standard of all that could be desired, is practically exhaustive, and I rejoice to present it to American scholars as honourable to our literature, and especially to its author. It is most creditable to the Theological Seminary at Hartford that such a work has been completed within its walls, and largely by the aid of its library, which must be especially rich in a collection of rare works, indispensable to a performance of this description. May I venture to say, in behalf of the Commonwealth of Letters and the interests of Learning in America, that I have reason to believe that for this wealth of resources we are all debtors to the enlightened munificence of newton case, Esq., of Hartford. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Reading the corpus of texts written by the Fathers of the Church has always been a core area in Christian theology. However, scholars and academics are by no means united in the question how these important but difficult authors should be read and interpreted. Many of them are divided by implicit (but often unquestioned) assumptions about the best way to approach the texts or by underlying hermeneutical questions about the norms, limits and opportunities of reading Ancient Christian writers. This book will raise profound hermeneutical questions surrounding the reading of the Fathers with greater clarity than it has been done before. The contributors to this volume are theologians and historians who have used contemporary post-modern approaches to illuminate the Ancien corpus of texts. The chapters discuss issues such as What makes a 'good' reading of a church Father? What constitutes a 'responsible' reading? Is the reading of the Fathers limited to a specialist audience? What can modern thinkers contribute to our reading of the Fathers?