Early Church Fathers 38 volumes

[CreedIsChrist]

I am curious. Im a big theological freak and have a used 38 vol set of the ECF. Has anyone here actually been able to read all 38 volumes of the first 800 years of Christianity? Totaling almost 25,000 pages of writings. Im currently at vol 2 right now at Clements Stomata.

Would love to know if any theological book worms have actually gotton through the whole thing.

 

[isabella1]

LOL. I have a hard enough time reading scripture daily. But It would be kwl if you started some discussion on what you have read in vol 1. I love to learn. Others might too. In reading some peps. posts, I have determined that we have some book worms on here and what looks like some lay theologians.

 

[Tu Es Petrus]

I am curious. Im a big theological freak and have a used 38 vol set of the ECF. Has anyone here actually been able to read all 38 volumes of the first 800 years of Christianity? Totaling almost 25,000 pages of writings. Im currently at vol 2 right now at Clements Stomata.

Would love to know if any theological book worms have actually gotton through the whole thing.

No way Jose'

I have read a few though

 

[Caedmon]

I am curious. Im a big theological freak and have a used 38 vol set of the ECF. Has anyone here actually been able to read all 38 volumes of the first 800 years of Christianity? Totaling almost 25,000 pages of writings. Im currently at vol 2 right now at Clements Stomata.

Would love to know if any theological book worms have actually gotton through the whole thing.

If you were a grad student, you'd theoretically get through 25,000 pages in about two years. A solid humanities graduate course will require about 2,000 pages of material a semester, and grad students take three courses a semester, six per year total. So that's 2,000 times 6 per year, totaling 12,000 pages a year, times 2 years, equalling 24,000 pages. Good luck.

 

[Winter]

I would love to learn too. I'd like to hear your impressions or thoughts so far on V. 1. By the way - is there an official book title (or series publication) of the 38 volumes that you are reading? Or is just titled "ECF"? Who are the publishers of the volumes you are reading? I'd love to be able to find the whole set myself though I'm not sure if I'd ever get through 25,000 pages! lol ...

 

[Davidnic]

Catholic University does a set.

I highly recommend Patrology to anyone who can spend 100-200$ and wants one of the best works on the ECFs. It does not have the texts...but it deals with everything and their theological content and is a good introductory work. So if someone does not have the time to read everything...an adequate substitute would be that 4 volume work and then going to new advent and reading the online copies of the actual writings whenever you can.

 

[CreedIsChrist]

I would love to learn too. I'd like to hear your impressions or thoughts so far on V. 1. By the way - is there an official book title (or series publication) of the 38 volumes that you are reading? Or is just titled "ECF"? Who are the publishers of the volumes you are reading? I'd love to be able to find the whole set myself though I'm not sure if I'd ever get through 25,000 pages! lol ...

Its not a Catholic version, but it rarely has any footnotes anyway. It is this I own. I had gotton it used for a little over 200$ which was a steal at the time. It had to come in three boxes cause it weighed so much

http://www.amazon.com/Early-Church-...=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234243919&sr=1-2

If you were a grad student, you'd theoretically get through 25,000 pages in about two years. A solid humanities graduate course will require about 2,000 pages of material a semester, and grad students take three courses a semester, six per year total. So that's 2,000 times 6 per year, totaling 12,000 pages a year, times 2 years, equalling 24,000 pages. Good luck

how much reading is that in each day around?

 

[CreedIsChrist]

I would love to learn too. I'd like to hear your impressions or thoughts so far on V. 1. By the way - is there an official book title (or series publication) of the 38 volumes that you are reading? Or is just titled "ECF"? Who are the publishers of the volumes you are reading? I'd love to be able to find the whole set myself though I'm not sure if I'd ever get through 25,000 pages! lol ...

Yea I really enjoyed volume 1. Which consisted of most of the apostolic Fathers. Ignatius, Polycarp, Clement of Rome and Iraeneus. The martyrdom of Polycarp was the most deep part of the volume I believe. The begining of St Iraeneus was a little boring considering it talked so much about Gnostic theology(the plethora, vaccum, aeons, etc) but later on he started to get more into Christian theology(around book 3 and 4). His list of the succesors of the Apostle Peter were interesting to note also. Im at volume 2, which starts with the Shepherd of Hermes, and works of Clement of Alexandria where I am at the Stomata(the Instructor) now. After this comes Tertullian.

At the same time I am almost finished with an audio book version of Augustines City of God.

 

[MoNiCa4316]

His list of the succesors of the Apostle Peter were interesting to note also.

how so?

..btw.. no, I haven't read it.. it sounds really intense..lol.. but I probably read that much for school anyway.

That's cool that you're reading it.

 

[Caedmon]

how much reading is that in each day around?

Well, 6,000 pages a semester is probably the maximum amount you'll ever see, so it's a bit of an unfair number. To pull it off, you'd have to read about 50 pages a day, but like I said, that's a bit of an overestimate. I usually read 10-40 pages a day, depending on how lazy I am.

 

[CreedIsChrist]

Well, 6,000 pages a semester is the probably the maximum amount you'll ever see, so it's a bit of an unfair number. To pull it off, you'd have to read about 50 pages a day, but like I said, that's a bit of an overestimate. I usually read 10-40 pages a day, depending on how lazy I am.

thats tuff because each page is very cramped and worded, no spaces between paragraphs either. I'd say it takes around 30 min-hour to get through about 5-6 pages. And that dosen't count the needing to re-read some areas