Best Church Fathers Collection?
Hi all.
So, I'm just wondering if someone could enlighten me as to the difference between the ECF 37 volume collection, the ANF / NPNF collections, and the Fathers of the Early Church collection (and any others I'm missing). I'd Imagine that there is a lot of overlap between these (For instance, I'd assume you'll find the writings of Clement, Justin, Irenaeus, Ignatius etc. in all three…?). Its just, the prices vary so widely so something must be different.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on which of these is best and why, and—for those who have multiple collections—what the most notable differences may be.
Thanks for your time!
Comments
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ANF / NPNF collections - old and biased translations, some condensed without in text markings e.g. Augustine's Psalms.
Fathers of the Church - modern, excellent translations; more titles than most series
Library of the Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church - decent older translations; limited coverage
Popular Patristics Series - well-chosen works in very readable translations - a great starting point
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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That's very helpful! And what about this "Early Church Fathers" collection? Its 37 volumes and is currently $60?
(https://www.logos.com/product/5771/early-church-fathers-protestant-edition)0 -
You might get them much cheaper.
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I'm pretty sure MJ didn't mean to omit the word "biased" off of the last 3 collections. 😊
I'm also pretty sure an unbiased collection isn't offered by Logos… or anyone else.
(Sorry. Just some gentle — I hope — teasing.)
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I wouldn't disagree - its a matter of how much bias one can tolerate before complaining. I have no patience for Schaff as the translation is old and unreadable even if your biases match. I prefer translations that make you want to read more church fathers.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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Just opining, I think it really depends on what use of the Fathers is proposed. And also how the sets are tagged. Just to illustrate, I was in Smith's Monotheism volume, which was discussing various deities referenced in Hab 3:5. A CitedBy of the Fathers sets quite often speaks to the problem at hand (I also included Quinta's apparatus below, to demonstrate the 'working together' in Logos.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
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I completely agree. With translations of the fathers a single word choice or omission of the translator can change sentiment greatly. My recommendation is anything translated by Michael Holmes. He isn't a Catholic like me, but his translation is as unbiased as I believe is possible.
His work is available on Logos:
The Apostolic Fathers: Greek Texts and English Translations, 3rd ed.0 -
I have no patience for Schaff as the translation is old and unreadable
My first experience reading church history was the textbook by Bruce Shelley.
I forced myself to read it cover to cover, but it was the most dry and boring book I have ever read.
It was full of dates, names and facts. And was very lifeless and uninspiring.
When I discovered Schaff's History it was a breath of fresh air.
He did not just give you dry facts of history, but he explained the how and the why of what took place.
I do not find the language to be a problem. Its a lot more modern than the KJV Bible I began with.
If I were to study church fathers today, I might want to look at the best modern translation.
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Fortunately, there is no reason to come to an agreement - my brother loves 19th century British novels; I love 20th century European novels. By the time I entered college we were quite sure our reading would rarely overlap.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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MJ , how useful would you say Schaff is as a whole? I know there are lots of problems with it, but it's very affordable and accessible in comparison to other sets. My general practice has been to glance at it for casual reading or to get the general idea of a passage but to look elsewhere if I need greater precision. The problem is that I, like I'm sure most people, don't have ready/full access to the more modern translations, so it's a making do with what's available.
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I had purchased dead tree Schaff years ago because it was what I could afford - but reading him was never a pleasure. I passed them on to a friend who couldn't afford it. It is definitely better than nothing for the average user but I would never quote it in an academic paper if I had a choice.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
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