Church Fathers' theology

Milkman

Does FL have an up to date resource(s) that lays out the theology of the Church Fathers?

mm.

Find more posts tagged with

Desktop App

Comments

Mark Barnes

The Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity has theological entries. The Ancient Christian Doctrine Series is great for primary sources.

More cheaply, you have Learning Theology with the Church Fathers, along with other volumes in that series.

Milkman

The Ancient Christian Doctrine Series looks good. May have to sell more milk to pick that one up. Put it in my wish list. I do have all the vols in the Learning theo...

Thanks.

David Wanat

Interesting. Looks like if I get the XL Church Fathers library, I can get the Ancient Christian Doctrine series for only a quarter of the price that it costs on its own. Thanks for the tip 👍

The Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity has theological entries. The Ancient Christian Doctrine Series is great for primary sources.

More cheaply, you have Learning Theology with the Church Fathers, along with other volumes in that series.

MJ. Smith

In my experience, there is no single theology of the Church Fathers, rather it is a constellation of views with some weird outliers that were ultimately rejected. The common way to research them is through indices such as:

Willis, John R., ed. The Teachings of the Church Fathers. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2002.
Bercot, David W., ed. A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs: A Reference Guide to More than 700 Topics Discussed by the Early Church Fathers. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998.
Jurgens, W. A., trans. The Faith of the Early Fathers. Vol. 1–3. Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1970–1979.

Milkman

But don't you think that at the end of the Fathers' era there WAS a coherent stream of thought in doctrines? How far apart could they have been as to warrant a: "gee the Fathers weren't all together in their beliefs so a 'single theology' couldn't be gleaned from their writings?'

Are their writings that far off from each other to give the impression that to study them closely there ARE NO solid bands of agreements or can we read them diligently, thoughtfully and astutely as to see in fact that the constellation of views are really not that far separated? Could it possibly be that those constellations are much closer than we think. Instead of far outreached nebulae maybe their thoughts are not so clouded.

When we say there is 'no single theology' of the CF are we saying that some viewed the deity of Christ in a non-deified way? ETC? OR, Can we read them within an 'evangelical' paradigm? I'm taking it for granted that evangelical means what the Church Fathers were in fact the forerunners of our current evangelical paradigms.

anyway supper is ready - got to go...

mm.

DMB

Milkman, need more milk sales. There's never been a theology. They literally killed each other (periodically) over their differences.

But suppers are always good.

MJ. Smith

I'm taking it for granted that evangelical means what the Church Fathers were in fact the forerunners of our current evangelical paradigms.

I won't grant you that assumption not even that there is an evangelical paradigm given their diversity. However, the description I have always relied on when speaking of the theology of the church fathers (and contemporary Catholic and Orthodox) is that of a phonograph record if you happen to remember what those are.

the hole represents that which is simply "mystery"
the red label represents what everyone agrees on although they may use differing terminology
the smooth black around the label is where everyone agrees on what they are trying to answer (think state of infants who die before baptism, state of the dead who have unconfessed sins, state of holy non-Christians . . .) but have wildly different hypotheses representing similar values
the grooved area ... a wide variety of divergent views that are nearer or further from the truth ... too many of them in the same area and the record tilts precipitously.
the outer edge ... enough divergence to throw one in to schism
slide off and you are a heretic

What I'm saying is what the Church Fathers, using Scripture and Tradition, defined well is the hole and the label. But they discussed many other possibilities up to and including falling off the edge.

Richard Villanueva

Does FL have an up to date resource(s) that lays out the theology of the Church Fathers?

mm.

Perhaps this may help? I must admit, I have not read these titles in particular (though they are on my list) but have read the authors and have enjoyed their work.

Justo Gonzalez... History of Christian Thought - V1

https://www.logos.com/product/145178/a-history-of-christian-thought-volume-i-from-the-beginnings-to-the-council-of-chalcedon

Alister McGrath's Historical Theology (not in Logos.) His Christian Theology Introduction charted the historical development of theological themes, emphases, and doctrines.

https://www.amazon.com/Historical-Theology-Introduction-History-Christian/dp/0470672862

Milkman

Thanks Richard,

I forgot I had all three volumes in soft cover. I'll have to skim (not the milk) over them and see if I can understand a bit more of my op.

thanks again,

Does FL have an up to date resource(s) that lays out the theology of the Church Fathers?

mm.

Perhaps this may help? I must admit, I have not read these titles in particular (though they are on my list) but have read the authors and have enjoyed their work.

Justo Gonzalez... History of Christian Thought - V1

https://www.logos.com/product/145178/a-history-of-christian-thought-volume-i-from-the-beginnings-to-the-council-of-chalcedon

Or

Alister McGrath's Historical Theology (not in Logos.) His Christian Theology Introduction charted the historical development of theological themes, emphases, and doctrines.

https://www.amazon.com/Historical-Theology-Introduction-History-Christian/dp/0470672862

MJ. Smith

Too good an answer so I resurrect the thread . . .