The Church Fathers and our contemporary struggles.

[Puritan Sailor]

I was just curious how relevant studying the early church fathers would be to our present day state of the Church in America. The Christians in their day were a small minority of the Roman population until around the time of Constantine. and many of the pagan philosophies and false religions they had to combat are very simlar to our own day. Is there anything to glean from their apologetic? Any suggested readings?

[Edited on 9-21-2005 by puritansailor]

 

[RamistThomist]

Athanasius's On the Incarnation (it can be read in one sitting). It would be very good against modern day gnosticism (especially in the New Age).

The relevant portions of City of God. Against those who deny the validity of history, the direction of history, and the power of history (Marxists, Darwinists, etc), it affirms the providential guiding of God throughout history.

At the same time, their apologetic method wasn't that strong. It left themselves open for counter-attack. Read the first half of Bahnsen's essay, "Socrates or Christ: A Reformation in Apologetics," in Foundations of Christian Scholarship.

 

[rgrove]

Here's an interesting gospel presentation with apologetics mixed in that I've always enjoyed. It illustrates the weaknesses of the methods that they employed as Draught Horse noted as well:

Exhortation to the Heathen by Clement of Alexandria

 

[Puritan Sailor]

I suppose it was more the power of their testimony rather than their writings which proved more effectual in their evangelism...

 

[rgrove]

Originally posted by puritansailor
I suppose it was more the power of their testimony rather than their writings which proved more effectual in their evangelism...

That could very well be. Especially in dark, seriously pagan societies like they had back then. There is the old saying "Actions speak louder than words" and it is generally a pretty reliable one...

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Originally posted by puritansailor
I suppose it was more the power of their testimony rather than their writings which proved more effectual in their evangelism...

"The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church." -- Tertullian

 

[RamistThomist]

They were effective because they challenged State Worship by saying Christ is King. The church has a similar opportunity today.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Originally posted by Draught Horse
They were effective because they challenged State Worship by saying Christ is King. The church has a similar opportunity today.

"For Christ is King, and Priest, and God and Lord..."(Justin Martyr, Dialogue With Trypho, 34)

[Edited on 9-22-2005 by VirginiaHuguenot]