READING THE CHURCH FATHERS A History of the Early Church and the Development of Doctrine By JAMES l. PAPANDREA

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Heresies, schisms, culture of death, persecutions, excommunication…While reflective of headlines from today, these difficulties roiled Christians of the early Church as well. In fact, 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. Best of all, 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. Paper.