Reddit reviews The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church
We found 20 Reddit comments about The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
The Fathers Know Best: Your Essential Guide to the Teachings of the Early Church
There are several very famous Catholic apologists who converted after reading about Church history and reading the works of the Church Fathers. Peter Kreeft is one such person. Scott Hahn is another (although his main impetus was finding Catholic doctrines in scripture rather than from reading the fathers).
There is a book called "Surprised by Truth" edited by Patrick Madrid which features the stories of 11 or so evangelicals who became Catholics and several of them had reading the fathers as a turning point.
Jimmy Akin has a book called The Fathers know best which could be a very good introduction (I haven't read but I very much appreciate Jimmy Akin's apologetic efforts, he has a very gentle and patient persona with a thorough and systematic approach).
Pope Benedict XVI spent a few years of his papacy talking about a different church father every Wednesday and he walked his way through all the major fathers from the late 1st century (Clement of Rome) to the 12th century (Peter Lombard). Ignatius Press has compiled all these talks into two volumes. Church Fathers: From Clement of Rome to Augustine and Church Fathers and Teachers: From Saint Leo the Great to Peter Lombard.
I have read Benedict's introductions to the fathers and I enjoyed them immensely. He doesn't supply many quotations from them but he does give you an overview of their life and times, the focus of their theological works, and the significance of their works for us today. I profited a lot from reading them.
There is a work called The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the face of God by Robert Louis Wilken which is also a very useful overview of Christian theology in the first 7 centuries. His focus is less on the individual personalities of the fathers but more on the current of their thought and the intellectual climate that it was developing in. He covers liturgy, doctrinal development, Christology, faith and reason, interpretation of scripture, moral theology, arts and literature and a bunch of other stuff if I remember rightly. I profited from this book even more than the Pope Benedict ones I reckon.
Well the first thing that happens in the book of Acts is Peter quotes “let another take his office” and they replaced Judas effectively setting up the replacing of when one dies another would take over.
Have you read the writings of the early Church fathers? They are those who immediately succeeded and learned from the apostles and even lived with them. Like Ignatius of Antioch lived with and learned from the apostle John. It may help clarify a lot you have questions on. An excellent place to begin is with this book as it’s divided up into the different categories of beliefs the Church has and always has had.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1933919345/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519614947&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=the+fathers+know+best&dpPl=1&dpID=51ix1qjYRyL&ref=plSrch
Our last three Popes. Sorry, but I love that photo, and couldn't help but include it after reading of your affinity for Pope Francis.
Unfortunately, it is getting late and I won't be able to answer as fully as I would like (hopefully another with more time and knowledge can chime in!). As you asked for resources, an easy-to-read book that tackles some of the common misconceptions about the office of the Papacy is Patrick Coffin's Pope Fiction. A great resource on the early Church is Jimmy Akin's The Fathers Know Best, which has a section devoted to the Church and the Pope.
One of the earliest examples of a Pope exercising extraordinary authority (typically, a Bishop is called an ordinary, as he has ordinary jurisdiction over his particular church, ie, his diocese) is with Pope St Clement intervening in the affairs of the Corinthians in the 1st Century. His epistle was read in Corinth and was, as I understand it, instrumental in ending the abuses taking place there (this would have been extremely unusual, for the Bishop of Rome to interfere in another church's affairs, unless he had the authority to do so). I would start there, and begin contrasting the relationship between the Bishop of Rome and the universal church against that of the Patriarch of Constantinople, and all the other Patriarchs of the major sees within each national Orthodox religion... though eventually Constantinople would come to be seen as the Greek counterweight to Roman power, the cause was secular in nature, not ecclesiastical.
Someone needs to read The Fathers Know Best
First of all, welcome back, brother. I am especially touched that your fiancée would even suggest to find a Catholic Church. (As an aside, you're not a convert; you're a revert since you're already baptized into the Church. I thought maybe you'd appreciate that factoid.)
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>I am looking for information about your Church, whatever you think is important to know.
There is a lot to know and many here would recommend a million and one things to study, especially since it sounds like you enjoy a good intellectual pursuit. I'm not going to discount others' recommendations, but I do want to highlight one thing: learn more about Jesus first. Find out what He taught, who He is, what His disciples and closest friends said about Him, what the Old Testament said about Him, etc. To that end...
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>I am looking for recommendations for a Catholic-approved version of the Bible, geared towards someone who appreciates philosophy and prefers something close to the original translations, or the most accepted by the Church.
First thing to note, all Catholic Bibles have 72 books. Protestants have 66. If you can't get a hold of a Catholic Bible, a Protestant one will do for now until you do get around to buying a Catholic one. Now, as for Catholic Bibles, if you speak/read Latin you can't go wrong with the Vulgate Bible. It's a Bible that was translated by St. Jerome who was fluent in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin; he had the original manuscripts -- some of which are lost to us today -- so his translations are widely accepted as authentic and faithful.
There's also the English version of the Vulgate Bible known as the Douay-Rheims. It's an almost word-for-word translation of the Latin so the English will sound archaic to our modern ears. It's not as frustrating as, say, reading Shakespeare but it's pretty close. I personally prefer (and currently use) a Douay-Rheims Bible that has the Clementina Vulgata beside it. It's essentially Latin and English side by side. You can find one here.
If want one with plain English, the New American Bible Revised Edition would suffice. (If you use this website, let me know. I have a discount code from my last purchase.)
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>I know nothing of the culture or norms of the Church, or what to expect as a new member.
One major rule to remember is that you can't receive Holy Communion until after you've gone to Confession. Given your situation, I would recommend setting up an appointment with a parish priest so he can give his full attention to you and your needs.
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>I do not know how to introduce myself to the congregation
There's usually no need to introduce yourself to the congregation since parishes tend to be big. If you would like to formally introduce yourself, however, give the parish priest a call and set up a meeting with him. It would also be a great chance to speak with him about your situation and get some pastoral guidance.
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>or tell a good Catholic church from a lesser one
Many here would recommend a more traditional parish. If that's not available, I'd say any Catholic church would do. If you're unsure about a particular church's standing, just give us the details on this sub. I'm sure someone here would be able to double check for you.
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>I know nothing of the Saints or the miracles, or what has been confirmed by the Church and what hasn't.
These are things you can learn later on. Focus on Jesus first. Rebuild your relationship with Him. Start with the basics; if you don't, you might burn yourself out. There is A LOT to learn about the Faith. Some say it's a lifelong endeavour. :P
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>I am also looking for a reading list to explore Catholic philosophy beyond those you typically encounter in standard philosophical reading, such as Aquinas or Pascal.
Hmmm... this depends on what sorts of things interest you. A good one that lightly touches on philosophy is Socrates Meets Jesus by Peter Kreeft (anything by this guy is pretty good, by the way).
A book that may be more pressing to your current situation is Why Be Catholic? by Patrick Madrid and Abraham Skorka, Why We're Catholic by Trent Horn, as well as Why I am a Catholic by Brandon Vogt. (They might need to work on a more original title, though :P) Since you have an Evangelical background, Crossing the Tiber by Steve Ray might be helpful (although it can be a bit dry; also, it mostly deals with the Church's teaching on Baptism and the Eucharist) as well as Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn.
You can never go wrong with classics such as a collection of C. S. Lewis' works, The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, The Seven Story Mountain by Thomas Merton, and Confessions by St. Augustine.
If you want a historical examination of Jesus and the Early Church, a good place to start is The Case for Christ by Brant Pitre, The History of the Church: From Christ to Constantine by St. Eusebius, and The Fathers Know Best by Jimmy Akin. I'd like to thrown in Jesus, Peter, and the Keys by Scott Butler, Norman Dahlgren, and David J. Hess. This last one pertains to the Catholic claim regarding the papacy (and which I think is one of the strongest arguments in favour of the Catholic Church being the original one that the Lord founded).
Finally, there are YouTube channels you can follow/binge watch such as Bishop Robert Barron and Ascension Presents. Also, an amazing video about the Catholic Faith is a series made by Bishop Barron when he was "just" a priest called Catholicism.
I'm sorry if that's overwhelming but you raised some good questions. :P Anyway, I imagine it may be a lot right now so take it slowly, don't dive in through all of it at once. Find a local Catholic church, call up the priest, set up a meeting, then take it from there. And remember, you can always pray; God's always willing to talk with you.
Fathers Know Best by Jimmy Akin
When the Church was Young by Marcellino D'Ambrosio
I mentioned this before to you but I'll mention it again: pick up a copy of The Fathers Know Best, or allow me to mail you my copy.
What you'll find is affirmation that what Christ taught his Apostles to preach and believe is the same that the Catholic Church believes now. These teachings have been preserved without error since the time of Christ's Ascension until now. I'm pretty sure one of the Fathers in that book knew a guy who knew St. John the Apostle, who was a witness to Christ's Resurrection. I'm pretty sure also that the earliest writing that affirms something the Church believes was in the 100s, which is not far removed from Christ.
You should also read more about Apostolic Succession. If Apostolic Succession is false, the "loose collection of believers" idea would be the only sensible one, and even that is incredibly flimsy.
EDIT: Grammar
He's a sedevacantist, who are in schism with the Holy See and the Catholic Church. You can post in /r/Catholicism to ask them.
The most essential reason to remain Catholic is as follows: Christ founded one Church which he promised he would lead into all of the truth and would be with and protect until the end of time. The only Churches that can trace themselves back to the Apostles are the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, and the Church of the East. None of them are vaguely protestant.
Jesus did say, "For I tell you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." I'm sorry to say, but no Protestant Church can trace itself back before 1517, let alone Peter. Additionally, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it: it shall be the "Pillar and Bulwark of Truth" forever. Historically, if you look at the Early Church it is not even vaguely Protestant. Even while John was still alive, the Pope was settling disputes all the ways across the sea, there were bishops, priests, and deacons, the Mass existed (actually the Liturgy of St. James goes back to 50ish AD), and Apostolic succession was fully emphasized. Check out [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Fathers-Know-Best-Essential-Teachings/dp/1933919345) book.
Jesus says "My Church"- singular. It is not a collection of many different Churches. Check [this] (https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth) out. Trust me, I was once a Protestant.
Jesus also said, "If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector." We know the Church is a visible authority that, should you not listen to it, you suffer serious consequences.
I personally see no reason to join a Church that didn't exist until thousand of years after Christ died. You can argue over biblical interpretation all you want, but you must have some serious reason to interpret verses completely to the contrary of thousands of years of theologians, saints, and pretty much all Christians until the 16th century.
Edit: Guys, the downvote button isn't a "I disagree" button. Thank you.
Every recommendation you've received so far is great. Given that you've expressed a particular interest in the Catholic view of salvation and the early Church, and have specified that you like "very accurate detail", I'm going to recommend two books for you, both by convert and Catholic apologist Jimmy Akin:
The Father's Know Best: Your Essential Guide To The Teachings Of The Early Church
and
The Drama Of Salvation: How God Rescues You From Your Sin And Delivers You To Eternal Life
The recommendations for Scott Hahn are great and supremely readable to just about everyone, but Jimmy is way more of a "get down in the weeds" type of apologist. You won't be wondering if there was a stone left unturned after reading.
Prayers and blessings on your journey!
Maybe a few. Look for them in libraries before you buy. Don't be afraid to use Inter-Library-Loan.
If you have issues with reading, how about listening? Lighthouse Catholic Media has 100's of talks on CD or MP3 that are about an hour each. A lot of these talks are available on formed.org. You parish may have a subscription to it so you can listen to them for free.
On the topic of Church Fathers, they have this five disc set of lectures about them.
If you want a book on the Church Fathers I suggest The Fathers Know Best by Jimmy Akin or Four Witnesses by Ron Bennett.
These are a good start.
If you're up for purchasing compendiums, I recommend Fathers Know Best by Jimmy Akin. The book is written specifically to answer the question of what the early church looked like.
I was raised Evangelical... converted to Catholic in adulthood. There are a number of books that I could recommend. Here are some of my favorites - in order of importance/preference.
Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (only the NT though, they are currently working on OT)
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catholicism and Fundamentalism (written in the 80's, but still very relevant and the best Catholic apologetics book to defend the faith that I've ever read)
Works of G.K. Chesterton Vol 3 (This volume explains why he converted from Anglican to Catholic)
Rome Sweet Home
The Fathers Know Best
Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic
Surprised By Truth
Jimmy Akin has a good introduction called The Fathers Know Best, which includes topical quotations and biographical info. He's also got a companion blog here.
Though not strictly about the Fathers, The 33 Doctors of the Church is a great book of short biographies, and of course the first several Doctors of the Church are also Church Fathers.
And of course Pope Benedict XVI has written on them as well.
Read the church father's and become Catholic my man. There's a good book The Father's Know Best that's a great introduction to many relevant works
https://www.amazon.com/Fathers-Know-Best-Essential-Teachings/dp/1933919345
I'd suggest Jimmy Akins The Fathers Know Best which compiles quotes from the Church Fathers and Akins enumerates them based on subject. It's not comprehensive but it's a good start and touches on a lot of things such as doctrines and dogmas, teachings and long held Church belief like contraceptives. It's a great book if you just want to look up what the Fathers have said and it's a great apologetics tool if you want to back up your positions. Either way, I think the following three books might be more inline with what you're looking for.
I haven't read this one, but I do know the author and it looks like it's right up your alley. Papandrea is a Catholic professor and this book covers important documents from the Early Church period and dissects the texts and explains them to you.
Another book that is similar to Papandrea's book.
Similar in content to the last two. Worth checking out.
And here's if you want to read the Church Fathers directly
I've constantly heard that the Jurgens 3 volume set was one of the best physical sets to buy. It's pricey, but I do know that it's cheaper on ebay so might be worth looking for it on there. (That is assuming you're within the US)
I suggest you buy it digitally for next to nothing, it's great on Kindle and works well as a more comprehensive resource for studying the Fathers. His set is also digitalized online if you'd like to read it there for free. Absolutely no difference in content. Word of caution though, Schaff translated this in the late 19th century and was a Protestant, so his commentary may not always be historically and theologically sound. He does provide an exhaustive amount of footnotes that maintain the citations the Fathers used which is a task of its own. A great resource but with certain limitations.
Glory be to Jesus Christ!
Do you have any Sryiac Catholic churches in your area? Syriac, Maronite, Syro-Malankara, Chaldean Catholic, or Syro-Malabar Catholic Church? The first three are Western Syriac, the last two are Eastern Syriac, so if you know whether he is Western Rite or Eastern Rite you can find a sui iuris Catholic church of the same rite. If at all possible I would start attending Divine Liturgy there- Eastern spirituality and theology is best learned by practicing rather than just reading. And talk with the priest, he can help guide you on essential texts in the Syriac traditions.
I would suggest reading books focused on Early Christianity and the Church Fathers, the Desert Fathers, Saint Ephrem the Syrian, and St Isaac the Syrian.
Some books I know of:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0813227011/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_99U2DbY794E9E
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0879073160/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_RdV2Db265GR0D
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0879076240/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_heV2DbNGC56QJ
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/1933919345/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_AfV2DbHCCP5NF
Here is an article detailing several early church fathers and their thoughts on Mary.
>St. Ephraem (d.373), the great Eastern doctor and deacon, directly addresses the Blessed Virgin in several Marian sermons. Direct prayer to Mary is also found in a sermon of the great Eastern Father, St. Gregory Nazianzen (330-389). (9) By the last part of the fourth century and the beginning of the fifth, we have numerous explicit examples of direct prayer to the Mother of God, for example in the writings of St. Ambrose, as well as by St. Epiphanius. (10)
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>As already referred to, the most complete ancient prayer to the Blessed Mother historically preserved is the Sub Tuum Praesidium (250 A.D.):
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>We fly to your patronage,O holy Mother of God,despise not our petitionsin our necessities,but deliver us from all dangers.O ever glorious and blessed Virgin.
That prayer is what the Memorare is based on.
Here is an article on early church fathers and why they do ask saints for intercession. They talk about praying with the saints, and that it is good.
Here is an article detailing quotes demonstrating the early church fathers knew celibacy was better, especially for priests!
>St. Epiphanius
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>Holy Church respects the dignity of the priesthood to such a point that she does not admit to the diaconate, the priesthood, or the episcopate, no nor even to the subdiaconate, anyone still living in marriage and begetting children. She accepts only him who if married gives up his wife or has lost her by death, especially in those places where the ecclesiastical canons are strictly attended to (Panarion [A.D. 376]).
Celibacy is better, just like Paul says.
I recommend reading more of the early church fathers to get a better understanding of why their faith and these things are so Catholic. These sites all list citations you can chase down, but maybe you would also be interested in this book and this book?
Another good choice (I've heard, never read it myself) is The Fathers Know Best by Jimmy Akin. Also, as has been mentioned, reading the writings of many of the church fathers directly isn't above most adults' abilities.
Be careful! Most converts (or reverts in your case) come to Catholicism after studying the Church Fathers. You'll also notice the Church Fathers are quoted throughout the Catechism. You can also read the Catechism in a year via email from http://flocknote.com/catechism. Jimmy Akin has a good book called The Fathers Know Best http://www.amazon.com/Fathers-Know-Best-Jimmy-Akin/dp/1933919345.
Sorry to bombard you. Have a good one.