Catholics: How important is studying Church history to being a Christian?

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How important is it to study the Church founders and do you think one can be a proper Catholic (by extension, a proper Christian) if they do not nor have desire to study Church founders and the development of doctrines from a Roman Catholic standpoint?

Lemme know!
 

GingerBeer

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How important is it to study the Church founders and do you think one can be a proper Catholic (by extension, a proper Christian) if they do not nor have desire to study Church founders and the development of doctrines from a Roman Catholic standpoint?

Lemme know!
I am curious, do you want to become a Catholic?

As far as I can tell the only church founder that needs to be studied is Jesus. The apostles are important too. But people from later ages and the early church fathers are not a necessary study. They are helpful and interesting. That's not quite the same as necessary.
 
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But people from later ages and the early church fathers are not a necessary study. They are helpful and interesting. That's not quite the same as necessary.

I'm wondering if Catholics disagree with this quote^

I am curious, do you want to become a Catholic?

I am amicable to persuasion.
 
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Stabat Mater dolorosa

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How important is it to study the Church founders and do you think one can be a proper Catholic (by extension, a proper Christian) if they do not nor have desire to study Church founders and the development of doctrines from a Roman Catholic standpoint?

Lemme know!

It depends by what you mean by the use of the word "proper" ?

Piety is obtainable without any deep knowledge or understanding, but it's easier to live a pious catholic life if ones somewhat familiar with the faith and are learning from the examples of regular people who've been devoted to Christ and Mary.

The church fathers often delivers great insight on tough theological questions and are very valuable and useful to us living today.

The main reason learning about the faith is important is due to proselytizing from protestants who try yo undermine the faith.
If one has little or none in-depth understanding of the faith ones easily drawn away from the faith by false arguments forwarded by sect members.

A proper knowledge may also aid a believer in polemical work and help him or her to disregard false biblical arguments.

Lastly its very humiliating to be told what you believe by others who do not even believe in Catholicism themselves.
Ones stands stronger with proper knowledge going through life.
 
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Stabat Mater dolorosa

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As far as I can tell the only church founder that needs to be studied is Jesus. The apostles are important too. But people from later ages and the early church fathers are not a necessary study. They are helpful and interesting. That's not quite the same as necessary.

They're not mutually exclusive by any means. Christ, mother Mary and the saints :)
Why choose between family?

It depends what you mean by "necessary"?
 
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Angeldove97

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When we hire someone to fix something in our house or to take over a job, we look into their history to see what qualities they have, experience, and talents. Are they say who they really say they are? Will they do a good job fixing what ever problem there is and be a good part of the team at work?

Same idea when it comes to my faith (personally). I want to be a part of the Church that dates back to the time of Christ. Who put together the Bible. Who leads the flock with Tradition and Scripture. I can be sure that the theology is discussed, analyzed, and sound through generations of studying and the Holy Spirit guiding us. I want to pray the prayers that MILLIONS of faithful have said every day for hundreds of years.
 
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Lastly its very humiliating to be told what you believe by others who do not even believe in Catholicism themselves.

I hope you don't think that's what I'm doing here...

It depends by what you mean by the use of the word "proper" ?

Do you believe someone can be saved if they do not have an interest in the history is what I"m asking I guess.
 
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Goatee

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Most impotant thing is Knowing God and believing in God. Hearing the Gospel and believing in it.

History is good but true faith is the winner
 
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Erose

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Do you believe someone can be saved if they do not have an interest in the history is what I"m asking I guess.
Studying the Fathers and Church history isn't required for a Catholic. Here is the thing, just like in every other denomination how much you want to know about your faith is dependent upon the person. Knowledge doesn't save us, Jesus does that.

The studying of the Fathers and Church history is important I believe if you want to learn where we have come from. The Church is 2000 year old. It has a history. It has had quite a few intellectual and spiritual giants that have attributed greatly to our understanding of the faith. And the writings of these great men and women, can be helpful to us.

But concerning history. I do think it is important in understanding our faith. The Jews thought it was important, and in all reality half the OT are books recounting history. Five of the NT books are historical as well.
 
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Albion

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How important is it to study the Church founders and do you think one can be a proper Catholic (by extension, a proper Christian) if they do not nor have desire to study Church founders and the development of doctrines from a Roman Catholic standpoint?

Lemme know!
They're witnesses to history and, as such, have some importance when we're trying to understand that was done and believed in the early Christian churches. This is just what we do when trying to figure out what the truth is concerning some important but controversial non-religious events in the past, such as the identity of Jack the Ripper or what caused World War I.

The problem comes in with these "Early Church Fathers" when what they wrote is made into something infallible or is said to be what every Early Christian believed. In other words, the attempt to prove something other than what they actually testified to.
 
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Albion

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Early church Fathers testimony is important as they were at times, pupils of the Apostles!
A few of them were. If it were only those people who were cited whenever someone claims that the early church believed such and such (meaning that we are supposed to do so also), there would not be nearly as much controversy over the ECFs as there is.

But, obviously, when a person who lived as far removed from Christ and the Apostles as the 5th century AD (!) is called an "Early Church Father," we are dealing with someone whose views are colored by what the church had become by that time, not what it was in Apostolic times.
 
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Oh no, not at all friend

Okay thats a relief. Thankso and blessing to you for your insight.

Studying the Fathers and Church history isn't required for a Catholic

Okay thanks for clearing that up. When I have talked to Catholics lately (outside this forum) the ones I've been chatting with are heavily invested in learning this history. Nothing wrong with study, of course.

But, obviously, when a person who lived as far removed from Christ and the Apostles as the 5th century AD (!) is called an "Early Church Father,"

The telephone game is a problem that should be emphasized and cannot be underestimated, I fully concur.
 
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Bob Crowley

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How important is it to study the Church founders and do you think one can be a proper Catholic (by extension, a proper Christian) if they do not nor have desire to study Church founders and the development of doctrines from a Roman Catholic standpoint?

Lemme know!

Technically a Christian is someone who believes in and follows Christ, just as an American citizen is technically someone who is "born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside…" (I'm not an American citizen by the way).

However one would think that if an American citizen took their country seriously, they would study their constitution, the founding fathers, the history of the country, why Americans think and act the way they do, so that they would understand their heritage, for better or worse, till death do them part (to paraphrase another vow).

In a similar fashion one would think that while someone may be a Christian, and never give their historical heritage another thought, one would think they would spend some time on the Church fathers, Church history, the sacraments and their justification, the roles of Scripture and Tradition, Church authority and so on.

Not doing so would not mean that person was not a Christian, and quite possibly they may not have the ability to search out these things - either because they lack the intellectual capacity, or education, or the resources are withheld from them (by persecution for example).

But I think a person who just ignores church history will be an uninformed, and probably ignorant Christian.
 
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Major1

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I hope you don't think that's what I'm doing here...



Do you believe someone can be saved if they do not have an interest in the history is what I"m asking I guess.

YES!

No one has to be the member of a church denomination to be a saved individual.

The church does not save anyone. The church is just like the Law and neither has saved one single person.

We saved by the work of Jesus Christ in which He suffered, died and rose again from the dead.
 
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