Ancient Christian Doctrine (5 Volumes)

[ukfraser]

Like paul, i have been reading reading scripture with the church fathers and started looking at Oden, but the doctrine series. Rather than hijacking paul's thread, i wondered if anyone would care to comment on this series as the current offer price is very tempting?

 

Ps, i am enjoying hall's style and from what i have read so far, think it is a good general overview of the fathers he has included (so dont be put off by the rant on amazon). Though i confess my heart sank a bit when i read 'while I largely overlook the riches of the Syriac and Coptic traditions' he does cover 'my focus will be on the eight great doctors or preeminent teachers of the church: Athanasius, Gregory of Nazianzus, Basil the Great and John Chrysostom in the East; Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine and Gregory the Great in the West'

Edited June 18, 2017 by ukfraser

[Daniel Francis]

I would say personally I think it is more in depth look at things than the commentary series and it done well. I would bet someone could be more verbose in it's praise and offer greater insights into this set.

 

-dan

[Michael Hunt]

Fraser,

 

Here are my two very good reasons why you should get it:

 

1. It is organised around the key phrases of the Nicene Creed.

2. Volume 1 is written by Gerald L. Bray.

 

I have it though it is still in my virtual reading pile (which seems to grow every time there is an Accordance sale).

 

Here is an excerpt from the Introduction.

 

 

General Introduction

 

Ancient Christian Doctrine is a five-volume collection of doctrinal definitions organized around the key phrases of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (commonly called simply the Nicene Creed) as viewed by the foremost ancient Christian writers. The patristic period (c. A.D. 95–750) extends from Clement of Rome to John of Damascus. Geographically it stretches from Ethiopia to the Alps and from Spain to the Indus Valley. Classic Christian exegesis and doctrinal definition took decisive shape in this period. From the end of the New Testament to the Venerable Bede, biblical texts were intensely studied and their doctrine debated and defined.

 

In this series we are mining the prized ore of these early Christian intellectual labors. Here Christianity’s rich doctrinal treasures are gathered, examined and organized as a commentary on the most respected doctrinal confession of the early church. The ancient Nicene text is the most convenient and reliable basis for holding together the whole fabric of early Christian teaching. Under each creedal phrase we present the most crucial doctrinal passages of key consensual interpreters of the early Christian centuries. A wide range of major issues of early Christian theology may be set forth as a phrase-by-phrase commentary on the Nicene Creed (The Creed of Nicaea, A.D. 325, The Constantinopolitan Creed of the 150 Fathers, 381).

 

The importance of the Creed and our purposes for the series can set forth under nine headings:

 

• explaining why early Christian teaching (catechesis) was so firmly linked with baptism

• recalling the terrible risks of saying “credo” under violent conditions of persecution during the perilous times when the creedal affirmations were being tested and refined

• showing why the Nicene Creed remains the most authoritative common confession of worldwide Christianity

• setting forth the triune order of all basic Christian teaching

• elucidating the basic unity of Christian teaching of one Lord, one faith, one baptism during this period of exponential growth

• showing how the new ecumenism is today being nourished and renewed by the ancient ecumenical consensus

• accounting for the widespread readiness of ordinary believers today to be reintroduced to basic Christian teaching

• clarifying the criteria for editorial selection and dynamic equivalency translation

• showing how nonprofessional readers might best benefit from this ancient wisdom

 

Bray, Gerald L., ed., We Believe in One God. Ancient Christian Doctrine 1. ICCS/Accordance electronic edition, version 1.0. 5 vols. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2009.

 

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