A Comprehensive Guide to the Early Church Fathers: Their Theology, Leadership, Biblical Teaching, and Influence on the Christian Church

Before the great Christian traditions of later centuries took their familiar form, there were men who carried the apostolic message into a changing and often hostile world. Who were they? What did they teach? And how did their writings influence Christian doctrine, worship, leadership, and biblical interpretation?

A Comprehensive Guide to the Early Church Fathers brings the major voices of early Christianity together in one substantial historical and theological study.

Beginning with the Roman Empire, Jewish Christianity, Greco Roman culture, and the Apostolic Church, this book follows the development of Christian thought from the Apostolic Age through the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD.

Inside these pages, readers will encounter:

• Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, and Polycarp

• The Apostolic Fathers and the earliest post apostolic Christian writings

• Justin Martyr and the defense of Christianity

• Early Christian apologetics and the response to pagan criticism

• Major heresies and the defense of orthodox Christian teaching

• Irenaeus and the unity of Scripture

• Tertullian, Cyprian, and the Latin Christian tradition

• Origen and the Alexandrian theological tradition

• The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD

• The great Trinitarian controversy

• The Christological debates of the fourth and fifth centuries

• Augustine and the development of Western Christian theology

• Christian worship, baptism, Eucharist, leadership, charity, and monasticism

• The continuing influence of the Fathers upon Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christianity

The book also places Christian thought within its historical setting. Readers encounter the Roman Empire, Greek philosophy, Jewish religious traditions, persecution, martyrdom, political pressure, theological controversy, and the internal questions that confronted the early Church.

The dates tell an important story.

Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians is commonly placed around 95 to 96 AD.

Irenaeus served as bishop of Lyon during the late second century, with his ministry commonly dated from approximately 177 to 202 AD.

Tertullian's Apology dates to approximately 197 AD.

Origen lived approximately 185 to 254 AD.

The Council of Nicaea met in 325 AD.

The Council of Chalcedon met in 451 AD.

Augustine lived from 354 to 430 AD.

Behind every date stands a theological question that demanded an answer.

Who is Jesus Christ?

How should Christians understand the Trinity?

What authority does Scripture possess?

How should the Church respond to false teaching?

What does faithful Christian leadership look like?

How should worship express Christian belief?

How did early Christians understand salvation, baptism, the Eucharist, prayer, discipline, charity, and life within the Church?

For pastors, clergy, worship leaders, Bible teachers, theology students, seminary students, Christian educators, and serious readers of Church history, this volume provides a substantial foundation for understanding the people and controversies that helped establish historic Christian doctrine.

Read the writings.

Study the controversies.

Follow the councils.

Examine the theological arguments.

Then consider how the faith of the early Christian Church can speak to pastors, worshippers, teachers, and believers in the present age.

If you want a serious introduction to the theology, leadership, biblical teaching, worship, controversies, and lasting influence of the Early Church Fathers, this volume belongs in your Christian library.