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| The Fathers | 
 enlarge | Author: Pope Benedict Xvi
Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (6 reviews)
Sales Rank: 5167
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 201
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.4 x 0.9
ISBN: 1592764401
Dewey Decimal Number: 282
EAN: 9781592764402
ASIN: 1592764401
Publication Date: August 18, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Let us now devote our attention to the Apostolic Fathers, that is, to the first and second generations in the Church subsequent to the Apostles. And thus, we can see where the Church's journey begins in history. Pope Benedict XVI
The Fathers of the Church exhorted believers in the face of persecution while fighting heresies and misunderstandings. They were theologians and philosophers, orators and pastors, leaders and problem solvers, martyrs and heroes.
Pope Benedict carefully explains the stories of their rich history and the vital role each one played in not only preserving the Church at the time, but anchoring the Church of today as well as the future.
Bring your faith to life with the spark of history as told by the Pope himself. Gain a fuller understanding of what the Church teaches and why through the critical efforts and experiences of our early Church fathers.
Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome . . . Saint Ignatius of Antioch . . . Origen of Alexandria . . . Saint John Chrysostom . . .Saint Basil...Saint Gregory Nazianzus...St. Maximus of Turin...and more.
These illustrious Church Fathers are the first and second generations of the Church following the Apostles. It is upon their backs that the Church's journey through history is established and solidified.
By defending the newborn Christianity to the point of death and explaining the content of the Faith in a language understandable to the masses, the Apostolic Fathers created a timeless anchor of faith that extends through the challenges of today.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
The Holy Father and the Fathers November 21, 2008
In "The Fathers," Pope Benedict XVI continues walking through, to use his charming phrase, "the portrait gallery" of the founders of the Church that he began in "The Apostles." Once again, Our Sunday Visitor assembled a collection of the Holy Father's weekly addresses. On the book jacket, OSV says that the book focuses on the generation or two after the Apostles but the vast majority of the theologians, bishops, monks and holy men that Benedict mediates on come from the tumultuous fourth century. While more historically grounded than his sketches in "The Apostles," Benedict continues to reflect on spiritual lessons that can be learned from the thoughts as well as the lives of these key figures. While the Holy Father's thoughts on a number of the more obscure figures offers light on a number of neglected thinkers, one has to concede that Benedict's meditations on Jerome and, especially, Augustine are the highpoint of the book. Benedict had focused on Augustine during his grad school days and he returns to that great doctor of the Church now, over five decades after he first encountered Agustine's books. These sketches provide a welcome introductory mediation on a number of the key figures who developed the Church.
What could be more needed now than to reflect on the fathers November 2, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
In our time, with Europe and the west slowly falling into the sinkhole which is secularism, it is wonderful to have this new resource by Pope Benedict. It's a reminder of just how deep Christianity's roots go into the western world, and how many people have been martyred for the church.
The collection starts with Clement and ends with Augustine, covering all of the the fathers with a brief biography as well as an overview of what they wrote about.
Ignatius of Antioch (in about 105 AD) was the first to use the word 'Catholic' to describe the church. Although Ignatius, and all others, plead for unity, by "the second century the Church was threatened by...Gnostics (who) claimed to" (p 25) have secret knowledge that could save a few. Irenaeus responded that "truth and salvation are available to all" (p 27). The Catholic church, said Irenaeus, was "dispersed throughout the world...having received this faith from the apostles...For the churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe anything...different, nor do those in Spain...." p 28) but holds to the same Catholic teachings everywhere.
It is interesting to find the pope calling Origen 'crucial" (p 35) because he defended allegorism in scripture.
No matter how well acquainted you are with the fathers, you will find gems to ponder. For example, Eusebius of Vercelli is not well known. As with so many of the other early Christians, he was "condemned to exile, as were so many other bishops of the East and West: such as Athanasius, Hillary of Poitiers...and Hosius of Cordoba.
Everyone will be touched by Pope Benedict's frequent personal statements. At one point he says, "to dialogue with God, with his Word, is in a certain sense a presence of heaven, a presence of God. To draw near to the biblical texts, above all to the New Testament, is essential for the believer" (p 145).
Pope Benedict's "The Fathers." October 9, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I believe that this book is a brilliant, thoughtful account of the early Fathers of the Church. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand and appreciate Christian faith. Richard R. Roach, S.J.
Incredible History of the Church Fathers October 6, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
A couple of years ago, I picked up a book on the Church Fathers, those leaders of the early Church who came within the first few generations after the Apostles. It was a heavy tome with small print; it seemed very intimidating and I never did get around to reading it. That is why I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of "The Fathers" by Pope Benedict XVI (Our Sunday Visitor, 2008). The material in this book is a slightly edited record of the weekly general audiences Pope Benedict gave on this topic from March 7, 2007 to February 27, 2008. It is incredibly readable and very interesting.
The Church Fathers are fascinating to learn about. Many were converts to the faith and arrived at the Church through a variety of spiritual journeys. They were highly educated and several worked to integrate Greek philosophy with the Christian faith. They also struggled with many of the theological questions that now form the foundation of our faith: Christ as both God and man; the Trinity, and what it means to be a baptized Christian.
Pope Benedict began his treatment of this subject with St. Clement, the third successor of St. Peter who led the Church in the last years of the first century. He intervened in the Church of Corinth in what was the first exercise of Roman Primacy after St. Peter's death. In his letter to Corinth, "he clearly explains the doctrine of Apostolic Succession. . .The Father sent Jesus Christ, who in turn sent the Apostles. They then sent the first heads of communities and established that they would be succeeded by other worthy men. . . .The Church is above all a gift of God and not something we ourselves created."
Pope Benedict then devotes his attention to St. Ignatius of Antioch who was "the first person in Christian literature to attribute to the Church the adjective 'catholic' or 'universal'." St. Justin did his best to both defend the faith and explain it. He believed that both the Old Testament and Greek philosophy were two paths that led to Christ. St. Irenaeus of Lyons wrote the first catechism of the Catholic Church. Origen of Alexandria preached a message of love, as he was convinced that "the best way to become acquainted with God is through love." Tertullian would eventually join the Montanist sect but he gave the Church the terms "one substance" and "three persons" for help in explaining the mystery of the Trinity. Cyprian reflected on the communal message of the "Our Father": "Our prayer is public and common; and when we pray, we pray not for one, but for the whole people, because we, the whole people, are one."
Other Church Fathers Pope Benedict invites us to spend time with include St. Cyril of Jerusalem who emphasized the Christian's rebirth through baptism. St. Basil was one of the Fathers of the Church's social doctrine and encouraged interaction with the culture at large. St. Gregory of Nyssa reflected on the beauty of man as being created in the image of God. St. Hilary of Poitiers defended the divinity of Christ by quoting from both the Old and New Testament. St. Jerome translated the Bible into the Latin vernacular. St. Paulinus of Nola wrote beautiful poetry and made use of religious art to instruct pilgrims. Lastly, Pope Benedict focuses on St. Augustine of Hippo, perhaps the most famous Father of them all, who maintained that "faith and reason . . . must always go hand in hand."
Pope Benedict is a gifted teacher, speaker, and writer, and "The Fathers" is more evidence of this. He is able to take a complicated history and make it accessible to all. "The Fathers" provides a great introduction into the lives and works of many of the great men who helped to form the early Church. It is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about Church history.
A Great Introduction to Twenty-Six Remarkable Lives September 16, 2008
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
Pope Benedict's "The Fathers" is a collection of the texts from his Wednesday audiences, delivered between March of 2007 and February of 2008. During these weekly audiences, the Pope introduces us to the lives and works of twenty-six different Fathers of the Church, from the Apostolic Fathers to Saint Augustine. The audiences were orgionally given in Italian, while this edition is the official Vatican publication of the English translation.
In "The Fathers" Pope Benedict introduces us to what is most noble, holy and edifying in the lives and works of these Fathers of the Church. He begins with the early Apostolic Fathers, such as Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome and Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who lived soon after the apostles. He devoted two audiences to several third, fourth and fifth century Fathers, including Origen of Alexandria, Saint Basil, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Jerome. He also introduces two Syriac Fathers, Aphraates the Sage and Saint Ephrem the Syrian. Finally, he finishes with five seperate audiences on the life and works of Saint Augustine. These are not intended to be critical biographies but rather edifying and interest sparking introductions, each one lasting several pages.
Other fathers included in this book are St. Justin Martyr, St. Irenaeus, St. Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, St. Cyrian, Eusebius, St. Athanasius, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Hilary of Poitiers, St. Eusebius of Vercelli, St. Ambrose, St. Maximus of Turin, St. Chromatius, and St. Paulinus.
If you are inerested in church history, the lives of saints or just are curious to learn more, I highly recommend this book.
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