Getting started with the fathers of the Church?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Cimachol
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Cimachol

Guest
Any recommendations on where to start reading writings of the fathers of the Church? Is there a list of recommended writings?
 
Thanks. Any recommendations of printed works? I get headaches if I try to read too much electronically.
 
I actually agree with you, I know Jimmy Akin wrote a book about them, perhaps someone can share a link
 
Cimachol said:
Thanks. Any recommendations of printed works? I get headaches if I try to read too much electronically.
Click to expand...
The challenge is always in knowing which ones to read, since there were so very many preeminent Fathers. I’m an advocate of reading the sources though—as in original writings of the fathers themselves. Two biggies that you must read are Sts Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa. Augustine’s works are in print all the time, easily accessible. Most folks would say that his Confessions, City of God and On Christian Doctrine are essentials. Aeterna Press has a collection of 7 books by St Gregory. I own it. Highly recommended, along with his Life of Moses. Two other biggies for me would be Sts Athanasius and Maximus the Confessor. For Athanasius, his On the Incarnation is great and in print, as well as his Life of Saint Anthony of Egypt. And Maximus’ On the Cosmic Mystery of Jesus Christ is readily available.

But honestly? The list is a mile long of amazing church fathers that you could consume over a lifetime. I didn’t even mention the father of the Fathers (Origen). And then there’s Pseudo-Dionysius, Ambrose, Jerome, John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Cassian, Gregory the Great, etc, etc, etc.
 
Last edited:
If you actually want to read them here are some good navigable cites:

https://www.ccel.org/fathers.html
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/churchfathers.html

This is a decent phone app which i also use:
play.google.com

Lost Books of the Bible w Forgotten Books of Eden​

1dc4371df24bc35c881ff72d71ba35451c94016d.png

Lost Books of the Bible and Forgotten Books of Eden by Rutherford H. Plat...
Free
The phone app however only has some of the fathers, Clement, Ignatius, Shepherd of Hermas, Barnabas and Polycarp…the rest are just interesting reading, some pseudograph, others just stories like the protovangelion, infancy gospels etc.

Peace and God Bless
Nicene
 
Great Christian Thinkers is Benedict XVI’s descriptions of great Christian thinkers. They were originally Wednesday audience speeches, giving a sense of who each person was and the importance of their work.
 
@adamhovey1988 Thanks for sharing that website. I love how its presented
 
After seeing the depressing number of American Catholics that don’t believe in the real presence of the Eucharist, I decided I was going to write a book, and that’s where I went to get information.
 
Cimachol said:
Any recommendations on where to start reading writings of the fathers of the Church? Is there a list of recommended writings?
Click to expand...
Start with the New Testament, first, and work outward. I would go to the Didache, Clement, Polycarp, and Ignatius next. Then work your way to Justin Martyr, Ireneaus, Hippolytus. Then Tertullian, Novatian. That should give you plenty to work on through the first two hundred years of the Church. Some of the apologists of the Second Century are really cool too. I really appreciate the Epistle to Diognetus.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top