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 Theology from A Bunch of Dead Guys™  The Church Fathers "Be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises" (Hebrews 6:12).
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he Church Fathers are a wonderful source of rich and rewarding material. But they cannot be read uncritically. It is obvious from the New Testament that doctrinal confusion, legalism, sacerdotalism, and gnostic error were beginning to find their way into the church even before the canon was closed. The writings of the Church Fathers are not free from such influences. Moreover, the next three centuries were a long chronicle of doctrinal conflict, and these men whom we call Church Fathers did not always agree with one another.
It is therefore a mistake to view the Church Fathers' writings as if they had some sort of canonical authority. These men were not apostles. They were not infallible. |
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The Christian Catacombs of Rome
Information and history about the ancient underground cemeteries used by Christian and Jewish communities as burial sites from the second century through the fifth. Did you know Christians never actually sought refuge from persecution by taking up residence in the catacombs? That's a popular fiction. But they did sometimes worship there to escape their tormentors. Read all about it in this well-designed Web site.
Pseudepigrapha, Apocrypha and Sacred Writings
"Holy" writings of questionable pedigree. Note: The Book of Mormon is heavily promoted on the Web site at this link. Mormonism is a type of latter-day gnosticism—and in that sense the Mormon apocrypha fits well on this page. Most scholars, however, would probably regard the inclusion of Mormon works on this page (The Book of Mormon, The Pearl of Great Price, and The Doctrine and Covenants) as malapropos.
Eusebius of Caesarea: Church History
This is the only surviving account of the church from the first 300 years of the Christian era. It is a crucial work, written by the Bishop of Caesaria, from the time of Constantine the Great. (Eusebius wasn't the most discerning fellow, though. he was known to have sympathies with Arius at the beginning of the Arian Controversy.)
The following documents are links to The Christian Classics Ethereal Library. These documents are the fruit of much labor from The Electronic Bible Society, and are one of the most valuable resources on the World Wide Web. Thanks to Harry Plantinga and CCEL for making them available.
The Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325
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Didache (date unknown; possibly as early as A.D. 60. But some scholars argue for a date as late as 150)
"The Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles by the Twelve Apostles." This is a very early manual on doctrine and morals. It contrasts the two ways—the Way of Life and the Way of Death.
First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians (ca. A.D. 96)
A rare first-century document. This epistle gives instructions to the churches. Peter and Paul are both mentioned here as martyrs.
The Epistle of Barnabas (ca. A.D. 130)
It is unlikely that the author of this epistle was the Barnabas of Acts. Nonetheless, the first part of this epistle echoes the aposte Paul's warnings against the legalistic errors of the Judaizers in the early Church. The second part reads much like Didache (below), contrasting the two ways of knowledge and doctrine—the way of darkness and the way of light.
Second Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians (ca. A.D. 150)
The actual author is unknown.
The Shepherd of Hermas (ca. A.D. 150)
The identity of Hermas is a matter of some debate. According to the Muratorian Canon, he was a brother of Pius, Bishop of Rome. According to the opening section of his work, Hermas was a Christian slave set free in Rome by a benevolent woman named Rhoda. The work is a series of visions Hermas claimed to have, and its title comes from an angel he says appeared in one of his visions as a shepherd.
The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians (ca. A.D. 130?)
Polycarp's exhortations to the church at Philippi.
The Works of Tertullian:
Athanasius: On the Incarnation.
The classic defense of the deity of Christ and the Trinity. Complete with C. S. Lewis's preface to the modern English edition.
The Writings of Augustine:
- Confessions (translated by Albert C. Outler)
- Confessions (translated by E.B.Pusey)
- The City of God
- Enchiridion (translated by Albert C. Outler)
- Dialectica (trans. J.Marchand)
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