THL303: Introduction to Church History: Fathers of the Church

The writings in this volume shed a glimmer of light, in an otherwise dark period, on the emerging traditions and organizations of the infant Church. They are a selection from a group known as the Apostolic Fathers, so-called because several of the authors were most likely disciples of the Apostles themselves. Like much of the New Testament, their writings take the form of letters, and for the most part deal with practical problems of the life of the early Church, as it struggled in the face of persecution to establish itself in the Roman world. They give us a picture of Christianity still drawing on the theology and traditions of its parent religion, Judaism.

Contents: Revealed religion -- The church -- Sacred scipture and tradition -- One God -- The triune God -- Creation -- Sin -- Actual grace -- Habitual grace -- The incarnate word -- Mary, mother of God and virgin -- The sacraments -- The last things

A series of translations of the Ancient Christian writers' works.

A series of translations of some of the Fathers' works,

Collection of writings from Greek fathers

Collection of writings from Latin Fathers

"The Fathers of the Church: A Comprehensive Introduction" presents the most important authors and works of the early history of Christian literature. Spanning the first seven hundred years of Christianity, Hubertus R. Drobner introduces writers such as Philo, Origen, Eusebius, Jerome, and Augustine, among many others. All of the authors are presented in their respective political, social, ecclesiastical, and cultural contexts, and are organized in terms of bibliographies, editions, English translations, ancillary sources, and relevant literature.

"Simply a great read, " said Archbishop Chaput. It's a unique compilation of the writings of the most famous Church Fathers, accompanied by the entertaining and frequently inspiring stories of their lives.

Includes information on: Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome -- Saint Ignatius of Antioch -- Saint Justin, philosopher and martyr -- Saint Irenaeus of Lyons -- Clement of Alexandria -- Origen of Alexandria -- Tertullian -- Saint Cyprian -- Eusebius of Caesarea -- Saint Athanasius of Alexandria -- Saint Cyril of Jerusalem -- Saint Basil -- Saint Gregory Nazianzus -- Saint Gregory of Nyssa -- Saint John Chrysostom -- Saint Cyril of Alexandria -- Saint Hilary of Poitiers -- Saint Eusebius of Vercelli -- Saint Ambrose of Milan -- Saint Maximus of Turin -- Saint Jerome -- Aphraates, "the sage" -- Saint Ephrem -- Saint Chromatius of Aquileia -- Saint Paulinus of Nola -- Saint Augustine of Hippo

This one-volume reference work provides the first encyclopedic treatment of the life, thought, and influence of Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354-430), one of the greatest figures in the history of the Christian church. The product of more than 140 leading scholars throughout the world, this comprehensive encyclopedia contains over 400 articles that cover every aspect of Augustines life and writings and trace his profound influence on the church and the development of Western thought through the past two millennia. Major articles examine in detail all of Augustines nearly 120 extant writings, from his brief tractates to his prodigious theological works. For many readers, this volume is the only source for commentary on the numerous works by Augustine not available in English.

Pope Benedict carefully explains the stories of the church fathers' rich history and the vital role each one played in not only preserving the Church at the time, but anchoring the Church of today as well as the future.