Reading The Early Church Fathers

Many years ago, I was inspired to read some of the earliest of Christian writers, the early Church Fathers. I set out upon this quest, and purchased a couple of books, Confessions, by Augustine, being the one I wished to start with. As a young and green youth minister, it didn’t take me long to figure out this was hard, and I soon lost interest. Augustine was shelved, and I read more modern fare.

In 2022, I started work toward a Master of Arts through the newly formed graduate program at Ozark Christian College. As I worked through their Strategic Leadership concentration, Ozark was working to merge with Lincoln Seminary, and soon expanded their program from a single MA to multiple degrees, including a Master of Divinity. Since I was already in the habit of school again (after three decades), I pivoted into the MDiv program after completing the work for the Master of Arts.

This shift in focus required a few courses that I might not have originally pursued, including early church history and Christology. But now that they were needed, they were worked into my program schedule. Little did I know the impact these courses, and their professor, would have on my spiritual trajectory.

The first class was Christology. In that class we were required to read two books from early Church Fathers: On the Unity of Christ, by Cyril of Alexandria, and On the Cosmic Mystery of Christ, by Maximus the Confessor. And just like that, I was hooked.

These two books fanned the flame in my life that was sparked so many years ago with my attempt to read Augustine. I’m not sure whether I had found the right books to begin reading, or if I had grown enough in my spiritual formation to be at a point where I was ready for them. But I devoured these two books and added recommendations from my professor for more to both my wish list and my library.

The next course, covering the early history of Christianity, added more books, and more desire. I read Catechetical Discourse, by Gregory of Nyssa, and Origen’s On First Principles, practically before the class even began. And from there, I turned my attention back to Augustine, this time to his book Teaching Christianity.

These books became powerful influences in my life, stretching my mind and intellect, challenging my thinking, and growing my faith in ways that I have never experienced. As I had found years before, they were hard to read; sometimes I had to reread a paragraph more than a couple of times to parse out the meaning. But the effort was worth it in so many ways. Now, I am convinced more than ever that my initial impulse years ago was correct: the early Church Fathers are very much worth reading.

Reading such material is very beneficial for our spiritual growth because it provides so much value and insight into faith, theology, and practice. Here are five reasons why the early Church Fathers should be added to your reading.

For Doctrinal Clarity

The early Church Fathers were instrumental in defining and clarifying key doctrines, such as the Trinity, the nature of Christ, and the authority of Scripture. Their writings have helped believers understand core theological truths over the centuries, and have ensured that the faith was preserved and handed from generation to generation accurately.

In my reading of Cyril of Alexandria, I gained better insight into the dual nature of Jesus, as both fully human and fully divine. Often referred to as the hypostatic union, this doctrine clarifies both natures of Jesus, showing that he is not two separate beings, nor is he two natures blended into one, but he is both fully human and fully God existing in the one person Jesus Christ.

For Defending the Faith (Apologetics)

Additionally, doctrinal clarity helped to defend Christianity against false teachings and heresy. This helped build a solid foundation for a stronger faith and a defined orthodoxy. As the early church attempted to understand Jesus more completely, several wrong ideas emerged. One example is concerning the dual natures of Christ. The early heresy of Arianism denied Christ’s divinity. Another early heresy, Nestorianism, divided Christ’s natures improperly. Cyril of Alexandria and Irenaeus, among others, were key defenders against such wrong beliefs, and helped Christians for centuries understand correctly, defending Christianity from these and other theological errors.

To Better Biblical Interpretation and Exegesis

The early Church Fathers wrote expansively on Scripture, providing deep commentaries on passage after passage. John Chrysostom wrote multiple books and commentaries, hundreds of homilies or sermons, and a vast array of letters. In these, he expands on passages from both the Old and New Testaments, digging into the meaning of Scripture, and helping generations of Christians understand these texts and apply them to their lives.

Such writings not only explain what Scripture says, but also help to define why we believe what we believe. Augustine’s works, such as Confessions and The City of God, are excellent examples. As we engage with these works and others, believers can grow in confidence in their faith, knowing that Christianity is both intellectually sound and biblically grounded. Origen’s On First Principles is an excellent resource because it is essentially an early systematic theology. Origen systematically works through the core doctrines of Christianity, beginning with what can be known about God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. From there, he turns to topics such as creation, angels, free will, and more. Reading the early Church Fathers in this way helps to strengthen our faith tremendously.

As a Model of Holiness and Devotion

Many of the early Church Fathers lived lives of deep prayer and devotion, of self-discipline, and of commitment to Christ. Their lives serve as powerful examples of holiness. And their writings on prayer, or fasting, or other disciplines can inspire believers to grow in these areas in their own lives as well.

As an example, my professor shared with us how he had discovered the early Church Fathers. He wanted to become better at prayer, and to be able to focus more with less distraction. As he searched for those who had gone before who might be able to help him, he discovered the works of John Cassian. This fourth-century monk wrote extensively about monasticism and how to live a life fully focused on God. And if you struggle with staying focused in prayer, his works might be a good place to begin.

For Staying Rooted in Historical Christianity

The early Church Fathers show us how Christianity was lived and taught in the first few centuries after Christ and the Apostolic age. They help us understand Scripture correctly, and have passed that down from generation to generation, helping Christians navigate challenges in their own day with wisdom from the past. Their work in clarifying and defining doctrine played a key role in shaping Christianity and Christian unity throughout the centuries to follow. Studying their works can help us appreciate the historical foundations of our faith. It is upon their shoulders that we stand as we continue to dig into the Scriptures in order to gain a deeper and more complete understanding of Jesus, of who he is, and how we can be more conformed to his image (Romans 8:29).

The early Church Fathers are invaluable for those who wish to grow in their faith, those who seek to deepen their understanding of doctrine and theology, and engage with Scripture in a deeper fashion. Reading their works deepens our faith, and helps us to navigate the challenges we face today with time-tested wisdom of the past. Their work is a powerful boost to our spiritual formation. Unfortunately, many of us never tap into this treasury of spiritual resources, for whatever reasons.

Don’t be afraid to dig into these books. Will they be hard? Yes. They will challenge you. But they are not unreachable in some ivory tower, beyond our comprehension. It’s worth taking the time to dig into one of these works, and you might just find a new excitement and passion for your spiritual growth and formation that you never knew was right there, waiting for you to explore.

JeffRandleman.com

The Randleman Review: passionately pursuing the Creator… one day at a time.