The later Christian fathers;: A selection from the writings of the fathers from St. Cyril of Jerusalem to St. Leo the Great [Hardcover]

Henry Scowcroft Bettenson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1970

The century and a quarter following the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) has been called the 'Golden Age of Patristic literature.' It is this period that Henry Bettenson covers in this companion volume to The Early Christian Fathers, selecting from the writings of Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Jerome, Augustine of Hippo, Cyril of Alexandria, and other Fathers of the Christian Church. Their central concerns were formulating the doctrine of the Trinity after the Nicene conclusions, and enunciating the doctrine of the divinity and humanity of Christ. The writings served to clarify if not to solve the issues and they continue to be valuable and relevant for all who wish to understand the Christian doctrine. As in The Early Christian Fathers, Mr. Bettenson has translated everything afresh and provided some brief sketches of the lives of each of the Fathers represented in the selection.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)

About the Author

Henry Bettenson was an author and translator. His publications include Documents of the Christian Church (OUP). --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 294 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (1970)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192134221
• ISBN-13: 978-0192134226
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,623,507 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Ready Reference for Beginners, April 29, 2001

By 

Xavier Thelakkatt (Dayton, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The later Christian fathers;: A selection from the writings of the fathers from St. Cyril of Jerusalem to St. Leo the Great (Hardcover)

Henry Bettenson, a teacher in Patristics and Classics has made an important contribution to the students who wish to delve into the Fathers of the Church. The present book provides an introduction. The book deals with the Church Fathers from the council of Nicea to Pope Leo the Great. This period from 325 to 461 is called the golden age of patristic literature. The Fathers represented here are Cyril of Jerusalem, Hilary of Poitiers, Basil of Caesaria, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, Theodore of Mopsuestia, John Chrysostom, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine of Hippo, Cyril of Alexandria, Theodoret of Cyrus, and Leo the Great. It contains short biographic sketches of the Fathers represented here and citations from their writings carefully categorized under different headings.

The great contributions of the post-Nicene Fathers of the Church in the direction of the development of dogmas on Trinity, Holy Spirit and the nature of Christ are well brought out. A thorough study of the contexts in which these patristic writings appeared, is essential to understand the texts. Bettenson is short and sketchy in these contexts, since the book is intented to be only an introduction.