Reading the Church Fathers

A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine

By: James L. Papandrea

Narrated by: Tom Parks

Heresies, schisms, culture of death, persecutions, excommunications . . . While reflective of headlines from today, these difficulties roiled Christians of the early Church as well. The earliest Church manual, the Didache, brought clarity to a range of moral issues that our culture continues to grapple with to this day.

Here is one of the most lucid and comprehensive overviews of the Patristic period ever written. With simplicity and clarity, Dr. James Papandrea introduces you to all the major theologians, philosophers, and martyrs of the early Christian church and explains the theological principles that guided the Church from the New Testament era through the apologists, and, ultimately, to the development of the major doctrines. He uniquely situates the teachings of the early Church Fathers against the social and cultural context of the Roman Empire and its relationship to the Church.

Dr. Papandrea will introduce you to the gnostics and their influence on the early Church, as well as explain how Church mothers, such as Macrina the Younger, laid a foundation for the monastic life to come. You'll learn how our understanding of the sacraments developed and when devotion to Our Lady and the saints emerged. You'll also explore how the New Testament canon was formed as well as the criteria used to interpret early Christian writings.

©2022 James L. Papandrea (P)2023 Tantor

Best Intro Ever!

I’ve read a lot of early Church history, and this is the best combination of historical information and theological synthesis that I have encountered. Highly recommended!

Excellent overview of early Church history

The content & narration are excellent. This is a brief summary of the teaching & beliefs of the early Church.

Many complaints but none here.

A lot of complaints, the title not reflecting the content. Okay, I’ll give them that claim, I agree to an extent. The writings of many church fathers were discussed, not actually read. The bottom line… I found the book very informative and enjoyable. I will revisit the book on occasion also, not cover to cover, but reread sections. Worth my time.

Breadth

Though I expected more primary source material, I definitely appreciated the breadth of the work.

Great!

Great outline and perfect bite sized chapters on each topic so you don’t get too bogged down at once. Absolutely loved it and can’t recommend this book enough.