The Fathers of the Church: An Introduction to the First Christian Teachers (Paperback)

by Mike Aquilina (Author) "At the dawn of the age of the Fathers, Luke the Evangelist wrote of the first Christians: "Now the company of those who believed were..." (more)
Key Phrases: patristic era, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Catholic Church (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes
Text: English, French (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor (March 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879736895
• ISBN-13: 978-0879736897
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #671,142 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brings the subject alive!, May 17, 1999

By A Customer

Mr. Aquilina made the Fathers of the Church come alive for me. Through his compelling stories of these courageous men's lives, I came to see that people like Ambrose, Athanasius, Tertullian, and all the rest are not just "THE Fathers" but rather, "MY Fathers" who left me an incredible inheritance: The saving Truth of Jesus Christ. A great book!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much more than an introduction to the Church Fathers, July 31, 2003

By	scesq "scesq" (New Milford, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Prior to reading this book I had read excerpts of the writings of the early Church Fathers, read about Church history and the process which decided which Christian writings were to be included in the bible, read about the development of Church Doctrine and the early heresies and read about the importance of both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, yet I have never read any work which has taken these sometimes complex facts and ideas and explained them in a way in which they all, so easily, fit together. While clearly an introduction, rather than an indepth treatise, this work is not short on backup. Aquilina references both Scripture and the Catholic Catechism to support his work and includes an appendix of works for those who want to study the topics he covers in more detail.

The writings of the Church Fathers included in this book are a joy to read and are relevant to living in today's world and appreciating the history and tradition of Christianity and the Catholic Church. This is a remarkable work.

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely readable introduction for faithful laymen, July 24, 2004

By	Penn Jacobs (Rutherford, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This is an excellent overview for intelligent Christians who are looking for a place to begin to understand Patristics (the writings of the Church Fathers). I can't think of anything that is more important for a Christian or a student of Christianity. We strive to hear the Spirit, but sometimes we disregard the Spirit speaking through Tradition.

Aquilina's brief, readable book serves as an introduction to the Fathers and how their ideas relate to the great councils of the Church. He follows that foreword with 3 chapters, one for those thinkers who preceded the Council of Nicaea, those who were contemporaneous, and those who followed it. For each Father, Aquilina gives a well-researched biographical sketch, followed by a representive piece of that Father's writing. It's a nice blend of commentary and tract, context and text. The author's prose is sharp, direct, concise and unobtrusive, the selections well-chosen. The result is an eminently readable book that leaves you wanting to drink more deeply at the Patristic well.