Augustine through the Ages by
Fitzgerald (patristics, Augustinian Patristic Institute, Rome, and editor of Augustinian Studies for Villanova U.) presents an encyclopedic treatment of the life, thought, and influence of arguably the most influential Western Christian thinker after the apostles, Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430). In
Beginning to Read the Fathers by 
Christian Women in the Patristic World by
From facing wild beasts in the arena to governing the Roman Empire, Christian women--as preachers and philosophers, martyrs and empresses, virgins and mothers--influenced the shape of the church in its formative centuries. This book provides in a single volume a nearly complete compendium of extant evidence about Christian women in the second through fifth centuries. It highlights the social and theological contributions they made to shaping early Christian beliefs and practices, integrating their influence into the history of the patristic church and showing how their achievements can be edifying for contemporary Christians.
Christ in Christian Tradition by
A monumental work in scope and content, Aloys Grillmeier's "Chirst in the Christian Tradition" offers students and scholars a comprehensive exposition of Western writing on the history of doctrine. Volume Two covers the Council of Chalcedon (451) to Gregory the Great (590-604), with Part Two focusing on the Church of Constantinople in the sixth century.
The Church Fathers by
Following his best selling book, Jesus of Nazareth, and his talks published in Jesus, the Apostles, and the Early Church, Pope Benedict's Church Fathers presents these important figures of early Christianity in all their evangelical vitality, spiritual pr
The Church of the Fathers by
Part I : The church of the fathers -- Trials of Basil -- Labours of Basil -- Basil and Gregory -- Rise and fall of Gregory -- Antony in conflict -- Antony in calm -- Augustine and the Vandals -- Conversion of Augustine -- Demetrias -- Martin and Maximus -- Part 2 : Primitive Christianity -- What does St. Ambrose say about it? -- What says Vincent of Lerins -- What says the history of Apolinaris -- What say Jovinian and his companions -- What say the apostolical canons?
Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell by
Catholic University of America Press is proud to present the second volume in its new Sayings of the Fathers of the Church Series. Featuring a wide range of scholars compiling material from our acclaimed Fathers of the Church volumes, each title will be devoted to a few specific areas of theology. The inaugural volume covered The Seven Deadly Sins, and future volumes are planned to focus on Angels and Demons, the Mass, and Mary. Nothing has the power to inspire, or terrify us like the unknown. Life after death is the perhaps the greatest unknown that confronts mankind. But the wisdom of the Church, especially in the teachings of the Church Fathers, reminds us that we know a great deal about what awaits us at the end of life. What the Church knows about the four last things--death judgment, heaven, and hell--is essential for helping on the way of the pilgrimage of life. The teachings of the Fathers, far from sating our curiosity, serve to increase the power of heaven to inspire us, and of hell to terrify. In this volume, canon lawyer and writer Edward Condon compiles a book full of wisdom and compelling insights. More than anything, the Fathers warn us that our life is short, and the reckoning for how we have lived it eternal. The urgency of the Church's message, brought to life in the sayings of the Fathers, comes to remind us of our true calling and inheritance in baptism, and of the richness of the heavenly reward, which is not so much the fruit of our efforts on Earth but the fulfillment of God's promise of love to us. The terror of hell is not the threat of the dictator, but a dire warning of the true scope of our freedom as children of God. This book, rich with the traditional teachings of the church, will guide and inspire readers as they continue their life journeys, which have a beginning but no end.
Early Church, Pelican History of the Church by
From Jerusalem to Rome -- Faith and order -- Expansion and growth -- Justin and Irenaeus -- Easter, the monarchian controversy, and Tertullian -- Clement of Alexandria and Origen -- Church, state and society in the third century -- Constantine and the Council of Nicaea -- The Arian controversy after the council of Nicaea -- The conflict of paganism and Christianity in the fourth century -- Church, state and society from Julian to Theodosius -- The ascetic movement -- The controversy about Origen and the tragedy of John Chrysostom -- The problem of the person of Christ -- The development of Latin Christian thought -- The papacy -- The church and the barbarians -- Worship and art.
Faith in Formulae by
Creeds, such as the Apostolic and Nicene creeds, have shaped the core of the Christian faith. It is therefore surprising that for over a century there has been no comprehensive collection of the early Christian creeds in their original languages. However, the study of their history has made excellent progress. In the general introduction to this four-volume set, Wolfram Kinzig summarizes the present state of research. This is followed by a collection of all creeds and credal formulae of the early Church in Greek and Latin, covering the whole period from the writings of the New Testament down to the early Middle Ages. The source texts are taken from the most up-to-date critical editions available and newly found texts have been added. They are accompanied by English translations and where applicable introduced individually by brief remarks on their authorship, date, and provenance. The volumes feature useful notes and cross-references.
The Fathers of the Church by
This new and extensively updated edition is the definitive resource for anyone interested in learning about the Church Fathers and their legacy. Ideal for RCIA, catechists, clergy, as well as lay Catholics who want to learn more about the great teachers of early Christianity.
The Fathers of the Church by
Good, solid, contemporary introductions to patristic authors and writings are difficult to find in the English-speaking world, and European volumes are expensive. This volume, which is Siegfried Schatzmann's translation of Lehrbuch der Patrologie, offers English-speaking readers easy access to Hubertus R. Drobner's traditional introduction to early Christian thought. Hubertus R. Drobner brings patristics scholarship up to date in this traditional introduction. His work is sufficiently broad to be a useful summary of early Christian history and the expansive strokes of doctrinal debate and development and provides a clear presentation of early Christian thought. Drobner introduces new materials throughout this updated edition of his handbook. A general map and several timetables add to the clarity of the volume. The Fathers of the Church is valuable in its presentation of contemporary studies and views. Patristics students will benefit from this dependable overview of early Christian texts, and scholars and libraries will appreciate the extensive bibliography, indexes, and other resources.
Great Christian Thinkers by
In brief portraits, Pope Benedict XVI offers engaging, perceptive, and edifying sketches of some of the great thinkers and writers of Christianity. Pope Benedict discusses notable theologians from East and West but also many figures whose primary witness was as ascetics, poets, mystics, and missionaries. His pieces are not only illuminating historical sketches but also often surprisingly personal reflective meditations on the perennial changes of theology, spirituality, devotion, and corporate religious life—in short, of thinking about and wrestling daily with the mysteries that envelop all our lives and struggles. Always with an eye to their deepest religious convictions and struggles, the Holy Father presents these great thinkers' importance for the church and for Christian life today. Great Christian Thinkers is an open–minded look at the tradition and is written for Catholics and Protestants alike.
History of Theology by
In this, the first of a four-volume series, Father Studer offers a detailed study of how theology was done" in the socio-cultural scene of the Christian community in the Constantinian and Theodosian eras (known as the age of "the Church of the Empire" or the "Imperial Church"). It defines the conditions in which pastors sought to help the faithful understand their religion and develops the thought through which the writers of the post-Nicene Church set out to actualize the Word of God as found in the sacred writings. Rather than narrowly focusing on major figures and their works, this historical investigation defines the context in which patristic theological inquiries were formed, since what is termed "theology" today only gradually took shape in the early centuries of Christian living. Terminology, literary genres, the Bible, philosophy, heresy, art and architecture, theological currents, and sociopolitical circumstances in addition to people and events are some of the categories this volume explores to integrate in a holistic manner the developing theological methods of the Church. Translated from Italian, this scholarly work is carefully organized and annotated. Text and chronological tales are included along with a list of abbreviations and a topical index. Chapters in Part One are: "The Beginnings of Christian Theology," "The Greco-Roman World: Challenge and Response," "Defense of Truth and Attack on Heresy," "The School of Alexandria and Its Fortunes," "A Theology Without Learning," "The East After Origen," "The Beginnings of Theological Reflection in the West," and "The Christian Apocrypha and Their Significance." Chapters in Part Two are: "The Situation of the Church," "Instituta Veterum," "Concluding Thoughts," "Eruditio Veterum," "Sapientia Veterum," "The Characteristics of Theological Work," "The Bible as Read in the Church," "Synodal Orthodoxy," "The Fathers of the Church," "The Beginnings of the Doctrinal Authority," "A Rational Knowledge of the Bible," "A Search for a Synthesis of Biblical Thought," "Summaries of Christian Doctrine," "The Role of Heresies," and "Reflection on Theological Systematization." Basil Studer, OSB, a monk of Engelberg Abbey in Switzerland, is professor of history of ancient Christianity and patrology at the Collegio di San Anselmo and the Instituto Patristico Augustinianum in Rome. He is also the author of Trinity and Incarnation, also published by The Liturgical Press. "
Patrology by
This monumental series places at the disposal of the English reading public a solid introduction to early Christian literature. It is the first work of its kind written originally in English. The first volume appeared in 1950. Reviewers were unanimous in heaping praise upon the publication and looking upon it as a break-through in studying the Fathers of the Church. To arouse interest in the works of the Fathers, the author provides numerous excerpts in English. These are thought of as samples that, by giving readers a taste of the beauty and sublimity of the Patristic writings, may tempt them to take in hand the original and get their own impression of it, or, if that is too much for them, at least to read it in good translation. Only this, if achieved, will put readers close to Patristic literature, because only then do they sense the atmosphere of Christian antiquity and begin to penetrate its world. The author's experiences as a university professor prompted him to adopt this device. The selections are designed to also show the development of theology in the early centuries and to illustrate the approach of the Fathers to the deposit of faith.
Trinity and Incarnation by
A fresh examination of the history of early Christian doctrine, by one of the world's leading authorities, which sets its development in the political and cultural context of the Roman Empire.
Who were the Church Fathers?: from Clement of Rome to Gregory the Great by
Who were the Church Fathers? What did they achieve? And why are their lives and writings considered so important? D'Ambrosio dusts off the dry theology and brings you the exciting stories about great thinkers such as Ambrose, Augustine, Basil, Athanasius, Chrysostom, and Jerome. This page-turner will inspire and challenge you with surprising insights into the brilliant, embattled, and sometimes eccentric men who defined the biblical canon, hammered out the Creed, and gave us our understanding of sacraments and salvation. Written by a popular theologian and world-renowned commentator on religious affairs Insightful accounts of pioneer thinkers such as Irenaeus, Origen, Athanasius and Augustine A lively, engaging presentation for the non-specialist
Women in the Earliest Churches by
This book examines the roles and functions that women assumed in the early Christian communities from AD 33 to the Council of Nicaea. It surveys, too, the views about women held by various New Testament authors including Paul and the Evangelists. In a careful and judicious study, Ben Witherington shows that early Christianity was neither unreservedly patriarchal nor adamantly feminist in its view of women and their roles, but rather charted a middle course which combined a reforming of the predominantly patriarchal framework of society with an affirmation of new religious roles for women. Now available in paperback, this is the first book to survey such a large amount of material exegetically, and make use, at the same time, of original languages and texts.
The Word in the Desert by
The growing scholarly attention in recent years to the religious world of late antiquity has focused new attention on the quest for holiness by the strange, compelling, often obscure early Christian monks known as the desert fathers. Yet until now, little attention has been given to one of the most vital dimensions of their spirituality: their astute, penetrating interpretation of Scripture. Rooted in solitude, cultivated in an atmosphere of silence, oriented toward the practical appropriation of the sacred texts, the desert fathers' hermeneutic profoundly shaped every aspect of their lives and became a significant part of their legacy. This book explores the setting within which the early monastic movement emerged, the interpretive process at the center of the desert fathers' quest for holiness, and the intricate patterns of meaning woven into their words and their lives.
The Holy Mass by
The Catholic University of America Press is proud to present the third volume in its Sayings of the Fathers of the Church series. Featuring esteemed scholars and writers compiling material from our acclaimed Fathers of the Church volumes, each title is devoted to select areas of theology. The inaugural volumes covered the Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things, and now we turn to The Holy Mass. The documents of early Christianity are rich in mentions of the Mass and its component parts. Sometimes they're detailed descriptions, sometimes quick allusions. In this volume Mike Aquilina, a popular author on early Christianity, takes readers step by step through the Mass, from the Sign of the Cross through the Dismissal, illuminating the way with the words of the Fathers. Along the way readers encounter familiar rites, words, and gestures, but also familiar complaints -- about long homilies, bad singing, liturgical abuses, and distracted congregations. The Holy Mass is divided into chapters based on the parts of the Mass known to modern Catholics of the Roman Rite. The Mass did not follow this sequence through the entirety of the era of the Fathers. Gregory the Great moved the position of the Lord's Prayer. There were geographic variants for the placement of the Sign of Peace. Some ancient liturgies lacked a specific penitential rite -- though all the liturgies had a penitential dimension to their prayers. Mike Aquilina's introduction provides historical context and describes the rich development of the liturgy through the Church's first few centuries. A foreword by Thomas Weinandy, OFM, Cap., a member of the Vatican's International Theological Commission, speaks of the relevance of this material for worshipers today.
The Oxford Handbook of Origen by
This interrogation of Origen's legacy for the 21st Century returns to old questions built upon each other over eighteen centuries of Origen scholarship-problems of translation and transmission, positioning Origen in the histories of philosophy, theology, and orthodoxy, and defining his philological and exegetical programmes. The essays probe the more reliable sources for Origen's thought by those who received his legacy and built on it. They focus on understanding how Origen's legacy was adopted, transformed and transmitted looking at key figures from the fourth century through the Reformation. A section on modern contributions to the understanding of Origen embraces the foundational contributions of Huet, the twentieth century movement to rehabilitate Origen from his status as a heterodox teacher, and finally, the identification in 2012 of twenty-nine anonymous homilies on the Psalms in a codex in Munich as homilies of Origen. Equally important has been the investigation of Origen's historical, cultural, and intellectual context. These studies track the processes of appropriation, assimilation and transformation in the formation and transmission of Origen's legacy. Origen worked at interpreting Scripture throughout his life. There are essays addressing general issues of hermeneutics and his treatment of groups of books from the Biblical canon in commentaries and homilies. Key points of his theology are also addressed in essays that give attention to the fluid environment in which Origen developed his theology. These essays open important paths for students of Origen in the 21st century.
The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon by
The Council of Chalcedon in 451 was a defining moment in the Christological controversies that tore apart the churches of the Eastern Roman Empire in the fifth and sixth centuries. Theological division, political rivalry and sectarian violence combined to produce what ultimately became separate Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian churches, a schism that persists to this day. Whether seen as a milestone in the development of orthodox doctrine or as a divisive and misguided cause of schism, Chalcedon is chiefly remembered for its Definition of Faith, a classic expression of Christian belief in Christ as both God and man. The council also dealt with other contentious issues relating to individuals and to the rights of various sees; its famous Canon 28 was crucial in the development of the patriarchate of Constantinople. Little attention, however, has been devoted to the process by which these results were reached, the day-by-day deliberations of the council as revealed in its Acts. These are particularly illuminating for the politics of the late antique church and its relations with the civil power, and contain moments of high drama. This edition, based on both the Greek and Latin versions of the Acts, is the first translation in a modern western language, and the first annotated edition. In addition to the minutes, it includes a selection of the attendant documentation, relating to imperial policy and the stance of the papacy.
The Acts of the Council of Constantinople Of 553 by
The Council of Constantinople of 553 (often called Constantinople II or the Fifth Ecumenical Council) has been described as "by far the most problematic of all the councils", because it condemned two of the greatest biblical scholars and commentators of the patristic era - Origen and Theodoreof Mopsuestia - and because the pope of the day, Vigilius, first condemned the council and then confirmed its decisions only under duress.The present edition makes accessible to the modern reader the acts of the council, session by session, and the most important related documents, particularly those that reveal the shifting stance of Pope Vigilius, veering between heroic resistance and abject compliance. The accompanying commentaryand substantial introduction provide a background narrative of developments since Chalcedon, a full analysis of the policy of the emperor Justinian (who summoned and dominated the council) and of the issues in the debate, and information on the complex history of both the text and the council'sreception. The editor argues that the work of the council deserves a more sympathetic evaluation that it has generally received in western Christendom, since it arguably clarified rather than distorted the message of Chalcedon and influenced the whole subsequent tradition of eastern Orthodoxy. Ininterpreting Chalcedon the conciliar acts provide a fascinating example of how a society - in this case the imperial Church of Byzantium - determines its identity by how it understands its past.
Chalcedon in Context by
This collection of essays has its origin in a conference held at Oxford in 2006 to mark the publication of the first English edition of the Acts of Chalcedon. Its aim is to place Chalcedon in a broader context, and bring out the importance of the acts of the early general councils from thefifth to the seventh century, documents that because of their bulk and relative inaccessibility have received only limited attention till recently. This volume is evidence that this situation is now rapidly changing, as historians of late antiquity as well as specialists in the history of theChristian Church discover the richness of this material for the exploration of common concerns and tensions across the provinces of the Later Roman Empire, language use, networks of influence and cultural exchange, and political manipulation at many different levels of society. The extent to whichthe acts were instruments of propaganda and should not be read as a pure verbatim record of proceedings is brought out in a number of the essays, which illustrate the fascinating literary problems raised by these texts.
A church history to the Council of Nicaea, A.D. 325 by
Open Access
The First Seven Ecumenical Councils by
This unique work - no other work yet available in English treats this subject - illustrates the contribution of these Councils in the development and formulation of Christian beliefs. It then shows how their legacies lingered throughout the centuries to inspire - or haunt - every generation.
The Idea of Nicaea in the Early Church Councils, AD 431-451 by
The Idea of Nicaea in the Early Church Councils examines the role that appeals to Nicaea (both the council and its creed) played in the major councils of the mid-fifth century. It argues that the conflict between rival construals of Nicaea, and the struggle convincingly to arbitrate between them, represented a key dynamic driving--and unsettling--the conciliar activity of these decades. Mark S. Smith identifies a set of inherited assumptions concerning the role that Nicaea was expected to play in orthodox discourse--namely, that it possessed unique authority as a conciliar event, and sole sufficiency as a credal statement. The fundamental dilemma was thus how such shibboleths could be persuasively reaffirmed in the context of a dispute over Christological doctrine that the resources of the Nicene Creed were inadequate to address, and how the convening of new oecumenical councils could avoid fatally undermining Nicaea's special status. Smith examines the articulation of these contested ideas of 'Nicaea' at the councils of Ephesus I (431), Constantinople (448), Ephesus II (449), and Chalcedon (451). Particular attention is paid to the role of conciliar acta in providing carefully-shaped written contexts within which the Nicene Creed could be read and interpreted. This study proposes that the capacity of the idea of 'Nicaea' for flexible re-expression was a source of opportunity as well as a cause of strife, allowing continuity with the past to be asserted precisely through adaptation and modification, and opening up significant new paths for the articulation of credal and conciliar authority. The work thus combines a detailed historical analysis of the reception of Nicaea in the proceedings of the fifth-century councils, with an examination of the complex delineation of theological 'orthodoxy' in this period. It also reflects more widely on questions of doctrinal development and ecclesial reception in the early church.
Word on Fire Vatican II Collection by
The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), a gathering of Catholic bishops from around the world, was one of the most significant cultural and ecclesiastical events of the twentieth century. Though practically everyone acknowledges its importance, Catholics have been debating its precise meaning and application for the past sixty years. On the one hand are "radical traditionalists" who claim that Vatican II has betrayed authentic Catholicism and produced disastrous consequences in the life of the Church; on the other, "progressives" who saw the council documents as a first step in the direction of a more radical reform of the Church, perpetuating the "spirit" of Vatican II. But even as many voices have argued about the council since the documents appeared in the mid-1960s, the documents of Vatican II are still widely unread, and if they are read, often misunderstood. This groundbreaking new book from Word on Fire is designed to address that problem. The Word on Fire Vatican II Collection features the four central documents that most fully articulate the vision of the council--Dei Verbum, Lumen Gentium, Sacrosanctum Concilium, and Gaudium et Spes--with illuminating commentary from the postconciliar popes and Bishop Robert Barron interspersed throughout, along with beautifully carved linocut art. The collection also includes the opening address of Pope St. John XXIII, the closing address of Pope St. Paul VI, a foreword from Bishop Barron, an afterword from theologian Matthew Levering, and helpful appendices listing key terms and figures and answering frequently asked questions. The Word on Fire Vatican II Collection is a robust but readable journey into the true history and purpose of the Second Vatican Council, and a compelling call for an enthusiastic return to its texts today.
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