Books On The Church Father's

[The_Wizard]

I have heard several stories of people converting the Catholicism after reading the Church Fathers. So, when a protestant friend said he wanted to study the Church Fathers I half jokingly said be careful you might turn into a Catholic. “The church fathers ARE NOT catholic” would sum up the conversation that followed in one statement. I see this friend only going to “approved” protestant sources to do his study. I would like to give him some book recommendations that would give the Catholic view. I am not sure he would act on the recommendations but I would have done my part to get the truth out. So, what books should I recommend?

 

[po18guy]

The Fathers, Illustrated Edition, by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. Technically precise in the manner of Benedict XVI, detailed but not strictly academic and easily read. Beautifully illustrated. They are on clearance at Our Sunday Visitor. Deal of the year.

Volume 1

Volume 2

 

[Michael57]

“Four WItnesses” by Rod Bennett. Ignatius Press.

Outstanding book.

 

[amsjj]

Three-volume set “The Faith of the Early Fathers: A Source-book of Theological and Historical Passages from the Christian Writings of the Post-Nicene and Constantinopolitan Eras through St. Jerome” – selected and translated by W.A. Jurgens.

Volume 1. From the Christian writings of the Pre-Nicene and Nicene eras.
Volume 2. From the Christian writings of the Post-Nicene and Constantinopolitan eras through St. Jerome.
Volume 3. From the writings of Saint Augustine to the end of the Patristic Age.

hope this helps!
amsjj

+++
Jesus, God and man,
imprisoned by love in Thy most holy Sacrament,
have mercy upon us.

• Blessed John Henry Newman, December 22, 1851

Tú y yo sabemos por la fe que oculto en las especies sacramentales está Cristo,
ese Cristo con su Cuerpo, con su Sangre, con su Alma, y con su Divinidad,
prisonero de amor.

• San Josemaría Escrivá, 1 junio 1974

… Our Lord Himself frequently said; and it is recorded as an Apostolic tradition from Him
by St. Justin the Martyr. He says ‘Jesus often said, “They who are near Me are near a
fire”’.

• Abp. W. B. Ullathorne, August 1st 1886

 

[Matt_Guitar_Man]

Three-volume set “The Faith of the Early Fathers: A Source-book of Theological and Historical Passages from the Christian Writings of the Post-Nicene and Constantinopolitan Eras through St. Jerome” – selected and translated by W.A. Jurgens.

Volume 1. From the Christian writings of the Pre-Nicene and Nicene eras.
Volume 2. From the Christian writings of the Post-Nicene and Constantinopolitan eras through St. Jerome.
Volume 3. From the writings of Saint Augustine to the end of the Patristic Age.

hope this helps!
amsjj

+++
Jesus, God and man,
imprisoned by love in Thy most holy Sacrament,
have mercy upon us.

• Blessed John Henry Newman, December 22, 1851

Tú y yo sabemos por la fe que oculto en las especies sacramentales está Cristo,
ese Cristo con su Cuerpo, con su Sangre, con su Alma, y con su Divinidad,
prisonero de amor.

• San Josemaría Escrivá, 1 junio 1974

… Our Lord Himself frequently said; and it is recorded as an Apostolic tradition from Him
by St. Justin the Martyr. He says ‘Jesus often said, “They who are near Me are near a
fire”’.

• Abp. W. B. Ullathorne, August 1st 1886

I have this set and can highly recommend it.

 

[sousley]

“The Fathers know best” by Jimmy Akin is fairly inexpensive and comprehensive.

 

[Nita]

Why not suggest he read some of the actual writings of the early Church fathers; they can be accessed online. newadvent.org/fathers/
Have him start with the earliest ones:
Barnabas, Ignatius, Clement, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr.

 

[Matt_Guitar_Man]

Why not suggest he read some of the actual writings of the early Church fathers; they can be accessed online. newadvent.org/fathers/
Have him start with the earliest ones:
Barnabas, Ignatius, Clement, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr.

That is what these books are, a good one for original writings with no commentary is the Penguin Early Christian Writings

 

[Ambien89]

I would recommend that he read the actual writings.

 

[Nita]

That is what these books are, a good one for original writings with no commentary is the Penguin Early Christian Writings

I have Jurgen’s 3 volume set and it’s great if you want quotes from the ECF’s on specific topics – but it’s not the complete writing/s.

 

[zz912]

“The Fathers know best” by Jimmy Akin is fairly inexpensive and comprehensive.

+1

I would highly recommend you get two copies, one for yourself and one for your friend.

And I would point out to him that even if he disagrees with the theological doctrines the Fathers hold in the selections in the book, he must be able to show some explanation for them. And you can point out to him that he is free to go to the cited source of the quote and pull the full context if he wants to try and argue against them

The Church Fathers were THOROUGHLY Catholic, it’s just laughable that people try to argue they aren’t.

 

[Contarini]

I have heard several stories of people converting the Catholicism after reading the Church Fathers. So, when a protestant friend said he wanted to study the Church Fathers I half jokingly said be careful you might turn into a Catholic. “The church fathers ARE NOT catholic” would sum up the conversation that followed in one statement. I see this friend only going to “approved” protestant sources to do his study. I would like to give him some book recommendations that would give the Catholic view. I am not sure he would act on the recommendations but I would have done my part to get the truth out. So, what books should I recommend?

Is he reading the Fathers themselves or just secondary literature? What Protestant works on the Fathers is he reading? The Fathers are pretty clearly not Protestant (they may not be what he means by “Catholic” either, depending on what he thinks that means). I figured that out from reading the Fathers myself. Quite likely he will too.

An excellent work on the Fathers from a Catholic perspective is The Spirit of Early Christian Thought by Robert Louis Wilken. Wilken is a very well-respected scholar across the spectrum (i.e., Catholics, Protestants, nonbelievers) and a convert from Lutheranism.

Edwin