Early Church Fathers book

[ma2000]

Hello and God bless!

I have a friend who was Orthodox. After a terrible illness he became very religious, but somehow he went to a Protestant high school and now he goes to a Protestant Theology College.
We never really talked about which is the right Church, but last year he gave me a book as a gift... something like Health Recipes from the Bible or something. So for Christmas I gave him Becoming Orthodox and a book about the life of Saint Simeon of Edessa the Fool for Christ written by Hieromonk Savatie Bastovoi that I enjoyed a lot.
He reads a lot of books and he said he found the books I gave him very interesting.
So I'm thinking of giving him some new books this Christmas. And I'm thinking about the Early Church Fathers. To my shame, I didn't read anything by them.
So maybe you can help. I'm looking for something that might imply that Orthodoxy is the true Church and also would be an easy reading.
Thank you!

 

[Michael G]

This book of Apostolic Fathers is a good collection to start with. This is the book that got me reading the Apostolic Fathers and questioning the position of the Roman Church.

Amazon.com: Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers (Penguin Classics) (9780140444759): Various, Andrew Louth, Maxwell Staniforth: Books

 

[Mytheodos]

Hi Ma2000!
Get this book
His homilies are easy to understand and simply outstanding.
Its expensive but worth it.


Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies, edited and translated from the original Greek, with an introduction and notes by Christopher Veniamin
The first edition of all sixty-three extant sermons by St. Gregory to appear in English translation, presented together with an Introduction to the Homilies, over 1,000 notes and scholia, an index of Scriptural References, an index of Names and Subjects, and an index of Greek Words – designed to transform this remarkable treasury of Patristic wisdom into an invaluable reference resource for the student of theology.

"Saint Gregory gave to the Church what is surely the most complete synthesis and perfect formulation of the Apostolic tradition of all generations. His theology, in a charismatic and ‘existential’ way, recapitulates, in its entirety, the spiritual experience of the saints of the Old and New Testaments . . . The sermons of Saint Gregory Palamas, in spirited and uncomplicated idiom, render his entire life’s work accessible to the people of God. In fact, they form the most complete introduction not only to his theology, but to the theology of all the great Fathers of the Church."

Amazon.com: Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (9780977498345): Saint Gregory Palamas, Christopher Veniamin: Books

MOUNT THABOR PUBLISHING - Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies

 

[Damaris]

SVS Press publishes the Popular Patristics series which makes readable translations of the Fathers with commentary. They have St. Cyprian of Carthage, among others. I've seen the St. Cyprian collections come in a bundled package, but if you have to choose, get Treatises. In terms of ecclesiology, St. Cyprian is the kung fu master.

If nothing there flips your goat, I'd try a compilation of Church Fathers like Lightfoot's The Apostolic Fathers or Richardson's Early Christian Fathers.

 

[Michael G]

Ma2000,
Start with St. Justin Martyr, St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch. They all lived within 1 lifetime of Christ and will give a very clear and concise view of the early, early church.

 

[Coralie]

This is a wonderful thoughtful thing you're doing. God bless you. Prayers for your friend that he would be let gently and joyfully back to the Church.

 

[MariaRegina]

Hi Ma2000!
Get this book
His homilies are easy to understand and simply outstanding.
Its expensive but worth it.


Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies, edited and translated from the original Greek, with an introduction and notes by Christopher Veniamin
The first edition of all sixty-three extant sermons by St. Gregory to appear in English translation, presented together with an Introduction to the Homilies, over 1,000 notes and scholia, an index of Scriptural References, an index of Names and Subjects, and an index of Greek Words – designed to transform this remarkable treasury of Patristic wisdom into an invaluable reference resource for the student of theology.

"Saint Gregory gave to the Church what is surely the most complete synthesis and perfect formulation of the Apostolic tradition of all generations. His theology, in a charismatic and ‘existential’ way, recapitulates, in its entirety, the spiritual experience of the saints of the Old and New Testaments . . . The sermons of Saint Gregory Palamas, in spirited and uncomplicated idiom, render his entire life’s work accessible to the people of God. In fact, they form the most complete introduction not only to his theology, but to the theology of all the great Fathers of the Church."

Amazon.com: Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (9780977498345): Saint Gregory Palamas, Christopher Veniamin: Books

MOUNT THABOR PUBLISHING - Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies

Most excellent book.

 

[Macarius]

This book of Apostolic Fathers is a good collection to start with. This is the book that got me reading the Apostolic Fathers and questioning the position of the Roman Church.

Amazon.com: Early Christian Writings: The Apostolic Fathers (Penguin Classics) (9780140444759): Various, Andrew Louth, Maxwell Staniforth: Books

I'll second this one. An EXCELLENT source of the earliest post-NT Christian writings. A great recommendation, and the texts are translated in a way that is highly accessible.

The Paschal Homily of Melito of Sardis (available through St. Vladimir's Seminary Press "Popular Patristics" series) is also excellent, as it (from the same publisher) St. Irenaeus's "On the Apostolic Preaching."

For an overview of the early church, nothing beats Eusebius's "History of the Church" written in the early 4th c. and also available from Penguin.

Hope that helps,
Macarius

 

[ArmyMatt]

there is also a series called The Church Fathers Say About by Fr Gregory Grube (I think that's his name)

and Fr Mark Hodges wrote an awesome inquirer's book (I forget the title) that breaks down Church theology using the Fathers, contemporaries, and Scripture to back Orthodoxy.

 

[Sphinx777]

.​

Which ECF is your favorite?​

​

.​

 

[Michael G]

St. Ignatius of Antioch!

 

[Michael G]

IF I could figure out how to post pictures on here, since it has changed since I last posted them, I would post a picture of my icon of St. Ignatius of Antioch.

 

[ma2000]

Hi Ma2000!
Get this book
His homilies are easy to understand and simply outstanding.
Its expensive but worth it.


Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies, edited and translated from the original Greek, with an introduction and notes by Christopher Veniamin
The first edition of all sixty-three extant sermons by St. Gregory to appear in English translation, presented together with an Introduction to the Homilies, over 1,000 notes and scholia, an index of Scriptural References, an index of Names and Subjects, and an index of Greek Words – designed to transform this remarkable treasury of Patristic wisdom into an invaluable reference resource for the student of theology.

"Saint Gregory gave to the Church what is surely the most complete synthesis and perfect formulation of the Apostolic tradition of all generations. His theology, in a charismatic and ‘existential’ way, recapitulates, in its entirety, the spiritual experience of the saints of the Old and New Testaments . . . The sermons of Saint Gregory Palamas, in spirited and uncomplicated idiom, render his entire life’s work accessible to the people of God. In fact, they form the most complete introduction not only to his theology, but to the theology of all the great Fathers of the Church."

Amazon.com: Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies (9780977498345): Saint Gregory Palamas, Christopher Veniamin: Books

MOUNT THABOR PUBLISHING - Saint Gregory Palamas: The Homilies

Hey! I am actually listening to the Homily at the second Sunday by Saint Gregory Palamas! And I go to the Saint Gregory Palamas Church in Bucharest!

 

[ma2000]

IF I could figure out how to post pictures on here, since it has changed since I last posted them, I would post a picture of my icon of St. Ignatius of Antioch.

There are 2 ways: you either host them on a different site and the give the link in here or attach them to the post the in Reply to Thread page scroll down to Attach Files section and click on Manage Attachments.

 

[Michael G]

There are 2 ways: you either host them on a different site and the give the link in here or attach them to the post the in Reply to Thread page scroll down to Attach Files section and click on Manage Attachments.

I tried doing the second and it did not work.

 

[ma2000]

Thank you all for your replies! Considering money and the fact that his English language skill level might make it hard for him to read the books in English, I'd prefer giving him something written in Romanian.
I'll write down your suggestions and I'll ask my spiritual father.

Thank you!

 

[ma2000]

That's strange... Maybe there's something wrong with your browser. Maybe you have a pop-up blocker. I tried it and it seems to be working.

 

[Michael G]

Ok, I got it to work.

 

[Communion]

It is interesting that he is also a RC Saint..are there many shared Saints after the schism like St Palamas? I saw he is listed in Vol 4 of the Philokalia, I have some of those volumes in my library, I'll have to do some digging..

 

[Michael G]

It is interesting that he is also a RC Saint..are there many shared Saints after the schism like St Palamas? I saw he is listed in Vol 4 of the Philokalia, I have some of those volumes in my library, I'll have to do some digging..

Ignatius of Antioch lived about 50 years after the life of Christ. He is shared by both East and West and is way before the schism.