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Ante-Nicene Fathers #6
Ante-Nicene Fathers. Vol 6
s/t: Translations of the writings of the Fathers down to AD 325, Fathers of the 3rd century: Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius the Great, Julius Africanus, Anatolius & minor writers, Methodius, Arnobius
"One of the first great events in Christian history was the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, convened to organize Christian sects and beliefs into a unified doctrine. The great Christian clergymen who wrote before this famous event are referred to as the Ante-Nicenes and the Apostolic Fathers, and their writings are collected here in a ten-volume set. The Ante-Nicenes lived so close to the time of Christ that their interpretations of the New Testament are considered more authentic than modern voices. But they are also real and flawed men, who are more like their fellow Christians than they are like the Apostles, making their words echo in the ears of spiritual seekers. In Volume VI of the 10-volume collected works of the Ante-Nicenes first published between 1885 and 1896, readers will find the writings of: umaturgus pope of Alexandria canus, a Christian historian who wrote a history of the world from Creation to 221 ¿ bishops Antolius of Constantinople, Archelaus of Carchar, and Peter of Alexandria f Cappadocia, bishop of Jerusalem until he was taken prisoner by the Romans , Pierius, and Thenas of Alexandria philosopher from Thmuis patron of the library at Caesarea rhetorician from Antioch bishop of Alexandria, who drew up the Acts during the Council of Nicaea ¿ the martyr Methodius n early Christian apologist"
"One of the first great events in Christian history was the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, convened to organize Christian sects and beliefs into a unified doctrine. The great Christian clergymen who wrote before this famous event are referred to as the Ante-Nicenes and the Apostolic Fathers, and their writings are collected here in a ten-volume set. The Ante-Nicenes lived so close to the time of Christ that their interpretations of the New Testament are considered more authentic than modern voices. But they are also real and flawed men, who are more like their fellow Christians than they are like the Apostles, making their words echo in the ears of spiritual seekers. In Volume VI of the 10-volume collected works of the Ante-Nicenes first published between 1885 and 1896, readers will find the writings of: umaturgus pope of Alexandria canus, a Christian historian who wrote a history of the world from Creation to 221 ¿ bishops Antolius of Constantinople, Archelaus of Carchar, and Peter of Alexandria f Cappadocia, bishop of Jerusalem until he was taken prisoner by the Romans , Pierius, and Thenas of Alexandria philosopher from Thmuis patron of the library at Caesarea rhetorician from Antioch bishop of Alexandria, who drew up the Acts during the Council of Nicaea ¿ the martyr Methodius n early Christian apologist"
579 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1888
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June 2, 2025(1) Gregory “Thaumaturgus” (Wonder Worker) lived from 213 to 270. He was converted and trained by Origen of Alexandria while they were together in Palestine; he would be made a bishop in his native Neocaesarea in Pontus (modern-day Turkey).
Of Gregory’s works which have been preserved, his declaration of faith, treatise on the Trinity, and canonical letter are early witness to robust Trinitarian thinking and how Gregory organized the churches in his bishopric; his metaphrase of Ecclesiastes is interesting inasmuch as one can see how a decently educated citizen of the Greco-Roman world read and understood Ecclesiastes. His longest work was his Oration and Panegyric Addressed to Origen, telling the story of his life and conversion and singing Origen’s praises.
Most of the rest of the texts preserved are of questionable origin: while some accept the authenticity of the treatise on the soul, others believe it comes from a later author; the twelve topics on the faith, four homilies about Mary and Christ’s baptism, and treatises on the saints and on Matthew 6:22-23 are believed to be later based on their greater affinity with theological and devotional language developed after the days of Gregory.
As a witness to his own times and faith, and as a witness to Origen, Gregory Thaumaturgus’ works provide historical and devotional value.
Of Gregory’s works which have been preserved, his declaration of faith, treatise on the Trinity, and canonical letter are early witness to robust Trinitarian thinking and how Gregory organized the churches in his bishopric; his metaphrase of Ecclesiastes is interesting inasmuch as one can see how a decently educated citizen of the Greco-Roman world read and understood Ecclesiastes. His longest work was his Oration and Panegyric Addressed to Origen, telling the story of his life and conversion and singing Origen’s praises.
Most of the rest of the texts preserved are of questionable origin: while some accept the authenticity of the treatise on the soul, others believe it comes from a later author; the twelve topics on the faith, four homilies about Mary and Christ’s baptism, and treatises on the saints and on Matthew 6:22-23 are believed to be later based on their greater affinity with theological and devotional language developed after the days of Gregory.
As a witness to his own times and faith, and as a witness to Origen, Gregory Thaumaturgus’ works provide historical and devotional value.
March 6, 2016
I know this punches my nerd card, but I enjoy reading early Christian writers. My goal is to finish this 28 volume set. I figure at 50 pages a week it will take me just over 8 years.
August 19, 2015
It might just be me, but I do think the Church Fathers get better as history unfolds. Specifically, as orthodoxy develops and Christians become clearer about what we believe, the writings of theologians begin to have more practical and theological value to modern readers. Which isn't to say that writers like Origen or Tertullian shouldn't be read, just that they're not Augustine. This particular volume is generally worth reading, especially Arnobius, Alexander of Alexandria, Alexander of Lycopolis, Phileas, Theonas, and Gregory Thaumaturgus.
Not everything in this volume needs to be read in detail, but all of it should be at least skimmed.
You can read short reviews of each work here: http://coyleneal.blogspot.com/search/...
Not everything in this volume needs to be read in detail, but all of it should be at least skimmed.
You can read short reviews of each work here: http://coyleneal.blogspot.com/search/...
April 2, 2014
Once again, I will state that this is a difficult book for me to give an in depth review of, especially because I read just 7 pages a day over the course of a couple months. I did notice that this era of church fathers tends to focus on debunking the Ancient Greek and Roman gods even though that sort of worship was on the fast decline in the waning Roman Empire. (I'm also not entirely sure at what point these writers penned their works.)
I will repeat that the online PDF versions are phenomenal resources for those interested in this particular topic.
I will repeat that the online PDF versions are phenomenal resources for those interested in this particular topic.
October 1, 2016
Not a bad volume. High points were Thaumaturgus's Metaphrase of Ecclesiastes, Archelaus's Disputation Against Manes, and the episode by Theonas of Alexandrea. Arnobius also did some very good internal destruction of the Greek polytheistic system. Methodius was a stinker--the prolonged, hyper-exaltation of lifelong celibacy is always tedious. But otherwise, decent volume.
April 4, 2014
Enjoyed the Epistles as a form; very repetitive after a while. Arnobius had moments of brilliance. A great deal of development and restatement of previous works and themes. Fascinating to watch early Trinitarianism take shape.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews