Patristics

The magisterial Adversus Haereses by the second-century apologist and bishop Irenaeus of Lyons takes on the daunting task of refuting the heresies that had begun springing up in the Christian world. Book 2 of this five-book refutes the gnostic and Marcionite heresies the falsely so-called knowledge that Irenaeus so thoroughly exposed in Book I, convincingly and effectively stating the clear line between orthodox belief and gnostic doctrine. This new translation and introduction, based on the most up-to-date sources, is an invaluable addition to scholarship on the most significant work by one of the most renowned authors in early Christianity.

Book 3 of St. Irenaeus s best-known work, Adversus Haereses (Against the Heresies), presented in a new translation with an introduction and notes.

Saint John the Little was a monk and hegumen of Scetis (Wadi Natrun) during the first great period of early Egyptian monasticism. The Apophthegmata preserve some fifty sayings by or about him (see CS 59, 85 96). In addition, Zacharias, eighth-century Bishop of Sakh , wrote his Life, more than seventy percent of which is composed of material not found in the Apophthegmata. John bears witness to the formative period of early Egyptian monasticism. His Life, with its emphasis on obedience and compassion, offers a lively witness to the earliest monastic traditions and to their transmission and continuing importance in the Coptic Church. This book contains an introduction to the textual history of the Life of Saint John the Little (339 409) along with fresh English translations of the Bohairic and the Syriac Lifes of John the Little plus the definitive Bohairc Life in the Coptic text. It will be of interest particularly to academics, monastics, and others interested in monasticism, early Christian monasticism, early Church History, the Coptic Church, or monastic spirituality.

In The Way of Simplicity Esther de Waal reveals the riches of the Cistercian (Trappist) tradition and its relevance for today's world. The book draws not only on such twelfth-century writers as Bernard of Clairvaux and Aelred of Rievaulx, but also on Thomas Merton and many contemporary Cistercians.
These Cistercian men and women wrote on matters of perennial concern: the true self, growth, integration, friendship, the love of God, and above all the life of prayer. Anyone wishing to explore Cistercian spirituality will find this book an illuminating and practical guide.

In Sanctified Vision John J. O'Keefe and R. R. Reno explain the structure and logic of the early Church fathers' interpretations of the Bible. These interpretations are considered foundational to the development of Christianity as a religion and offer insight into how the early church fathers thought about Christian doctrine and practice. By analyzing selected portions of patristic exegesis, the authors illustrate specific reading techniques employed by the church fathers to expound the meaning they believed intrinsic to biblical texts.

This approach is organized around three basic analytic strategies: literal, typological, and allegorical. The literal strategy is an intensive and broad analysis that identifies particular word associations that intensify scriptural meaning. The typological strategy interprets distinct patterns of events within scripture and applies those patterns to other events in scripture and the history of the church. The allegorical approach to biblical reading, like the topological strategy, seeks patterns in the text, but these patterns are more diverse and represent larger themes or beliefs of the early church.

Within this analytic framework, the authors explain the larger structure of patristic exegesis and argue for the importance of this structure in the emergence of Christian orthodoxy.

The first English translation of the Prognosticum futuri saeculi of Julian of Toledo (624-690), the most ancient treatise of Christian eschatology.

Before he launched into his own career as an interpreter of Scripture, St. Jerome (345-420) was encouraged by St. Gregory Nazianzen to immerse himself in the writings of the Greek Fathers and especially in those of Origen of Alexandria (185-254), considered to be the most important ancient exegete. Jerome strove to assimilate Origen s hermeneutical perspective and make it his own, translating several of Origen s works into Latin. The Homilies on Ezekiel were among the most important of St. Jerome s translations.

In these homilies Origen endeavors to show his audience in the church of Caesarea how the text of Ezekiel points to and prefigures Jesus Christ and the church. Following in the footsteps of St. Paul (Rom 15.4: For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction... ) and Hebrews (10.1: For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come... ), Origen looks for the reality of Christ symbolized in the shadowy words of the prophet Ezekiel. The result is a deeply moving, reverent, and edifying exposition of the Old Testament prophet in a manner that doubtless would have been received with pleasure by St. Paul himself.

The homilies are of intrinsic interest on important Christian themes such as persecution and martyrdom, purification, justification, progress, Church unity, God s passionate love for humanity, Catholic versus heretical doctrine, and freedom of the will. The present volume offers the first published English translation of the fourteen homilies, along with Jerome s preface.

The eleven volumes of Augustine's popular sermons, expertly translated by Fr. Edmund Hill (1910-1997) in clear, contemporary English, showcase Augustine the brilliant speaker and engaging preacher of the Word and have proven an indispensable resource for contemporary scholarship. Hill's translation and extensive notes have received many accolades by scholars, but professors have clamored for a one-volume, affordable, anthology to be used in teaching undergraduates, graduate students and seminarians.

Fr. Doyle has undertaken this task and has carefully chosen an anthology that is representative of the Bishop's finest preaching on a wide range of subjects, including God, Christ, sin, grace, conversion, martyrdom, sacraments, marriage, wealth, poverty, Christmas, Easter, and living the Christian life. Students and preachers alike will discover Augustine's masterful interpretation of the Word of God and creative skills in engaging the people of God by using the finest rhetorical skills available to his time based on the principles taught by Cicero. Essential Sermons includes mostly whole sermons with a brief introduction but in some cases powerful excerpts from lengthy homilies that would have been impossible to incorporate in a one volume work. Fr. Doyle has written a concise Introduction to Augustine's preaching and has included a table of themes for easy and convenient consultation.