If the word trinity isn't in Scripture, why is it such an important part of our faith?
And if the Bible can be interpreted in many ways, how do we know what to make
of it? And who decided what should be in the Bible anyway?
The Church Fathers provide the answers. These brilliant, embattled, and
sometimes eccentric men defined the biblical canon, hammered out the Creed,
and gave us our understanding of sacraments and salvation. It is they who
preserved for us the rich legacy of the early Church.
D'Ambrosio dusts off the dry theology and brings you the exciting stories and
great heroes such as Ambrose, Augustine, Basil, Athanasius, Chrysostom, and
Jerome. This page-turner will inspire and challenge you with the lives and
insights of these seminal teachers from when the Church was young.
Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Selected Chronology of the Early Church Fathers -- Chapter 1. The Church Fathers: Who Is Included? -- Chapter 2. Clement and the Corinthian Coup -- Chapter 3. The Didache: Out of the Mist of History -- Chapter 4. Ignatius: Prophet, Pastor, and Witness -- Chapter 5. The Martyrdom of Polycarp -- Chapter 6. Diognetus and the Mystery of Christian Newness -- Chapter 7. Justin and the Philosophers Cloak -- Chapter 8. Irenaeus and the Gnostic Threat -- Chapter 9. Irenaeus and the Battle for the Bible -- Chapter 10. Clement and the School of Alexandria -- Chapter 11. Origen: Zeal and Genius -- Chapter 12. The Tragedy of Tertullian -- Chapter 13. Cyprian and the Unity of the Church -- Chapter 14. Hippolytus and the Lex Orandi -- Chapter 15. The Great Persecution -- Chapter 16. Nicaea, the First Ecumenical Council -- Chapter 17. Athanasius against the World -- Chapter 18. Basil the Great -- Chapter 19. Two Gregorys and a Council -- Chapter 20. Ambrose of Milan: The Jonah of the West -- Chapter 21. Augustine and Amazing Grace -- Chapter 22. The Preacher with the Golden Tongue -- Chapter 23. Jerome and the Bible -- Chapter 24. Leo and Peter -- Chapter 25. Gregory the Great -- Chapter 26. The Voice in the Voices -- Postscript: When the Church Was Young -- Further Reading on the Early Church Fathers.
Marcellino D'Ambrosio is a world-renowned commentator on religious issues. With a Ph.D. in theology (under Cardinal Avery Dulles), nine years of university teaching, and hundreds of published articles, Marcellino has a wealth of knowledge and knows how to make it accessible for a wide variety of audiences. As "Dr. Italy," D'Ambrosio has a popular website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed and appears weekly on a variety of Catholic TV and radio networks. He is the coauthor of the million-copy bestseller The Guide to the Passion.
