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The Ancient Path: Old Lessons from the Church Fathers for a New Life Today by John Michael Talbot
People often imagine that the Church Fathers looked like their icons and smelled of incense, heroic figures wrapped in fine liturgical vestments of silk and lace, engulfed in billows of smoke from their golden censers. Yet, truth be told, even in their writings they resemble more the tattered cloak of Jesus or the dusty sweat-soaked habits of the early Desert Fathers and Mothers. Theirs is an utterly incarnational spirituality. It is heaven-sent, but it moves forward with both feet on the ground of the earth. In this powerful work, John Michael Talbot tells the story of how these men deeply influenced his spiritual, professional and personal life. Coming to the Christian faith as a young man during the turbulent 1960s, he soon grew a fond of the Church Fathers, including St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. Augustine and Gregory the Great and found guidance, reassurance and wisdom on his path to Jesus. “The First Epistle of Saint Peter,” writes Talbot, “tells us that we are ‘a spiritual temple built of living stones.’ The early Church Fathers represent the first rows built upon the foundation of the Apostles. And that sacred building project continues throughout history to our time today. But it rests on the Fathers. It depends on them.”
Hardcover
First published January 20, 2015
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About the author
John Michael Talbot
90 books44 followersTalbot was born into a Methodist family with a musical background in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and started learning to play the guitar at an early age. At age 15 he dropped out of school and was performing as a guitarist for Mason Proffit, a country folk-rock band formed with his older brother Terry.
Talbot embarked on a spiritual journey that led him through Native American religion and Buddhism to Christianity. At this point he and his brother, Terry, joined the Jesus Movement, recording the album Reborn which was re-released by Sparrow Records (originally released as "The Talbot Bros." on the Warner Brothers label).
Two solo albums followed for Talbot: John Michael Talbot (1976) and The New Earth (1977). Both of these were produced by Billy Ray Hearn. Reading the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, he was inspired to begin studying at a Franciscan center in Indianapolis. He became a Roman Catholic and joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1978. He started a house of prayer, The Little Portion.
Talbot moved The Little Portion to Eureka Springs, Arkansas on land he had purchased during his Mason Proffit days. He formed his own community, the Brothers and Sisters of Charity, at Little Portion Hermitage as an "integrated monastic community" with celibate brothers and sisters, singles, and families. By 1989, Talbot had married Viola Pratka (with the permission of the Catholic Church). Pratka was a former Incarnate Word Sister who had come to the community in 1986.
Talbot's title is General Minister and Spiritual Father. For many years, he has promoted the work of Mercy Corps.
The hermitage suffered a fire in April 2008 in which the library and many common areas were destroyed.
Talbot embarked on a spiritual journey that led him through Native American religion and Buddhism to Christianity. At this point he and his brother, Terry, joined the Jesus Movement, recording the album Reborn which was re-released by Sparrow Records (originally released as "The Talbot Bros." on the Warner Brothers label).
Two solo albums followed for Talbot: John Michael Talbot (1976) and The New Earth (1977). Both of these were produced by Billy Ray Hearn. Reading the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, he was inspired to begin studying at a Franciscan center in Indianapolis. He became a Roman Catholic and joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1978. He started a house of prayer, The Little Portion.
Talbot moved The Little Portion to Eureka Springs, Arkansas on land he had purchased during his Mason Proffit days. He formed his own community, the Brothers and Sisters of Charity, at Little Portion Hermitage as an "integrated monastic community" with celibate brothers and sisters, singles, and families. By 1989, Talbot had married Viola Pratka (with the permission of the Catholic Church). Pratka was a former Incarnate Word Sister who had come to the community in 1986.
Talbot's title is General Minister and Spiritual Father. For many years, he has promoted the work of Mercy Corps.
The hermitage suffered a fire in April 2008 in which the library and many common areas were destroyed.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 8, 2015
C.S. Lewis famously wrote that “A young man who wishes to remain a sound atheist cannot be too careful of his reading.” John Michael Talbot could testify to the truth of that statement. He wasn't atheist but reading the Church Fathers pushed him from a Protestant path into one that he never could have predicted. The Ancient Path tells how Talbot's life and work were shaped by his encounters with those ancient writings.
It is a story with an unusual trajectory that you'll either find fascinating or odd. In this it echoes that of the Church Fathers themselves who have often earned those same adjectives because they were following an internal logic, God's logic, that was difficult to see from the outside. You get a good dose of Talbot's life as he founds a monastic community, marries, becomes a musician, etc. You get an even bigger dose of the Church Fathers and their influence on his internal growth. This means it also spills over into topics like prayer, liturgy, community life, environmentalism and more. As we read about Talbot's life we also are led to consider those topics in our own lives.
It's a good mixture and a good way to remind us how applicable the Church Fathers' lessons are to modern life, to our lives, wherever we are and whatever we do.
It is a story with an unusual trajectory that you'll either find fascinating or odd. In this it echoes that of the Church Fathers themselves who have often earned those same adjectives because they were following an internal logic, God's logic, that was difficult to see from the outside. You get a good dose of Talbot's life as he founds a monastic community, marries, becomes a musician, etc. You get an even bigger dose of the Church Fathers and their influence on his internal growth. This means it also spills over into topics like prayer, liturgy, community life, environmentalism and more. As we read about Talbot's life we also are led to consider those topics in our own lives.
It's a good mixture and a good way to remind us how applicable the Church Fathers' lessons are to modern life, to our lives, wherever we are and whatever we do.
October 22, 2015
The Ancient Path is an autobiography of John Michael Talbot, but also informational and historical about the Church Fathers. I have read books about the influence of the lives of the saints on the course of a people's lives but never the Church Fathers. Why wouldn’t someone be affected by the wisdom of those close to the time of Jesus and the new Christians. I wanted to read the book to find out more about both. I was fascinated by Brother Talbot's Franciscan background and his community living. He describes the beginning of his monastic life with the Brothers and Sisters of Charity. Against this background of his own history he teaches about the Church fathers. I was very interested in the description of how close the Church Fathers were in time period to the time of the Apostles. I knew the Catholic Church to be an apostolic church and that there is an apostolic succession of bishops. I now further understand how rich the Church Fathers words and works are to the enrichment of our Catholic faith. Polycarp of Smyrna was a friend of St. John the apostle. Since St. John lived to be 100 years old, and died a natural death, he had influence on into the 1st and 2nd centuries. The book’s stated purpose was to draw us deeper into love with the works of the Church Fathers. In this it definitely delivers. I will be reading more of the Church Fathers now that it feels a little less daunting. The history of the church comes alive through the love you hear in the author’s voice. Mike Aquilina co-wrote the book and probably added a scholarly component since his life’s work has been on the Church Fathers. I would highly recommend this book to enrich your knowledge of the Catholic faith and the ascetic lifestyle in modern times. Also, even if you are not Catholic, it will give you information on the history of Christianity and the early years after Christ, as one man tries to live it out. It is about a simple life lived abundantly with poverty of spirit.
May 7, 2017
This book will most appeal to Roman Catholics and fans of John Michael Talbot. I read it because I am a JMT fan, having listened to his music my whole life, and having read three of his other books (The Lessons of Saint Francis: How to Bring Simplicity and Spirituality into Your Daily LifeThe Lessons of Saint Francis: How to Bring Simplicity and Spirituality into Your Daily Life, The Music of Creation: Foundations of a Christian Life, and Reflections on St. Francis) -- and I am a Patristics scholar. I was interested to see what this Francisco-Benedictine musician had to say about the Church Fathers. Oh, and I was pretty sure the book deserved better than a single one-star review on amazon.co.uk!
However, I can see why someone might be disappointed by this book. It honestly does not do what it is advertised as doing, not even what the Foreword by Cardinal Donald Wuerl says. It is not an introduction to the Church Fathers. Not by a long shot. This is part memoir, part invitation to the Fathers, part personal and devotional discourse on the Fathers. Furthermore, the sayings and teachings of the Fathers have been digested thoroughly by Talbot's own life experience as a modern Roman Catholic; this results in them sometimes being taken at face value, and the book often reads as though he unproblematically assumes that Ignatius of Antioch was a bishop the same way John Chrysostom was a bishop 300 years later.
What we do see as we read, though, is a vision of the historic Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches as being the successors to the Fathers. Talbot is aware of the 'development' of tradition -- he believes, then, the fullness of the Patristic trajectory is found in Roman Catholicism. Therefore, what he is finding in the Fathers is not always the same things their ancient readers or hearers would have found. Instead, what he finds is wisdom for today that speaks to the Roman Catholic soul, finding either timeless gems or modern readings that are themselves worth pondering.
That may sound patronising or damning with faint praise. I hope not! I, myself, read the Fathers in my own context for their wisdom. Certainly, the great historical analyses of the Fathers that expound what they meant in their context, what the causes and effects of their tradition were, are of great value. That's what some of us get paid to do. But all of us, as Christians, should also ask: What is the perennial wisdom and value in the Church Fathers? This is what Talbot offers. Furthermore, you can tell that Talbot, too, has profited from historical-critical research into the Church Fathers.
The book begins with the story of the fire of 2008 that destroyed the main building of Little Portion Hermitage, including the library and archives and monuments to Talbot's recording career. And thus a rediscovery afresh of the community's, and Talbot's, own fathers. Then we learn a bit about how Talbot came to Roman Catholicism, and his time amongst Franciscans before founding the Brothers and Sisters of Charity, and taking us through various themes of his life and career to today, when he is an itinerant teacher. Throughout, he offers some of his favourite teachings, fathers, and texts and discusses how they have influenced his life and spiritual journey as a Roman Catholic.
In this book you'll be introduced to the Didache, St Ignatius of Antioch, St John Chrysostom, St Diadochus of Photiki, St Cyril of Jerusalem, St Cyril of Alexandria, St Irenaeus of Lyons, as well as a host of others more cursorily. I had hoped for more discussion of the content of Chrysostom, as well as of mystagogy -- his chapter on mystagogy is more of an example of mystagogy for the Mass as celebrated in the USA today. I had also hoped for a wee bit more on St Benedict (I guess I'll have to read his book Blessings of St. Benedict for that!
In the end, I would recommend this to a Catholic friend of fellow fan of JMT (as I said at the top) who is curious about how we can live in the light of the Fathers today. Demonstrating that point is something that JMT has done admirably, I hope we can all come to a place where we have become so suffused with Scripture and tradition that the Fathers come naturally to mind at any time.
However, I can see why someone might be disappointed by this book. It honestly does not do what it is advertised as doing, not even what the Foreword by Cardinal Donald Wuerl says. It is not an introduction to the Church Fathers. Not by a long shot. This is part memoir, part invitation to the Fathers, part personal and devotional discourse on the Fathers. Furthermore, the sayings and teachings of the Fathers have been digested thoroughly by Talbot's own life experience as a modern Roman Catholic; this results in them sometimes being taken at face value, and the book often reads as though he unproblematically assumes that Ignatius of Antioch was a bishop the same way John Chrysostom was a bishop 300 years later.
What we do see as we read, though, is a vision of the historic Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches as being the successors to the Fathers. Talbot is aware of the 'development' of tradition -- he believes, then, the fullness of the Patristic trajectory is found in Roman Catholicism. Therefore, what he is finding in the Fathers is not always the same things their ancient readers or hearers would have found. Instead, what he finds is wisdom for today that speaks to the Roman Catholic soul, finding either timeless gems or modern readings that are themselves worth pondering.
That may sound patronising or damning with faint praise. I hope not! I, myself, read the Fathers in my own context for their wisdom. Certainly, the great historical analyses of the Fathers that expound what they meant in their context, what the causes and effects of their tradition were, are of great value. That's what some of us get paid to do. But all of us, as Christians, should also ask: What is the perennial wisdom and value in the Church Fathers? This is what Talbot offers. Furthermore, you can tell that Talbot, too, has profited from historical-critical research into the Church Fathers.
The book begins with the story of the fire of 2008 that destroyed the main building of Little Portion Hermitage, including the library and archives and monuments to Talbot's recording career. And thus a rediscovery afresh of the community's, and Talbot's, own fathers. Then we learn a bit about how Talbot came to Roman Catholicism, and his time amongst Franciscans before founding the Brothers and Sisters of Charity, and taking us through various themes of his life and career to today, when he is an itinerant teacher. Throughout, he offers some of his favourite teachings, fathers, and texts and discusses how they have influenced his life and spiritual journey as a Roman Catholic.
In this book you'll be introduced to the Didache, St Ignatius of Antioch, St John Chrysostom, St Diadochus of Photiki, St Cyril of Jerusalem, St Cyril of Alexandria, St Irenaeus of Lyons, as well as a host of others more cursorily. I had hoped for more discussion of the content of Chrysostom, as well as of mystagogy -- his chapter on mystagogy is more of an example of mystagogy for the Mass as celebrated in the USA today. I had also hoped for a wee bit more on St Benedict (I guess I'll have to read his book Blessings of St. Benedict for that!
In the end, I would recommend this to a Catholic friend of fellow fan of JMT (as I said at the top) who is curious about how we can live in the light of the Fathers today. Demonstrating that point is something that JMT has done admirably, I hope we can all come to a place where we have become so suffused with Scripture and tradition that the Fathers come naturally to mind at any time.
May 19, 2023
This book is part memoir, part reflection on wht we can learn from the Fathers of the Church. Not a work of deep theology, but a good spiritual reading choice.
January 28, 2015
When it comes to reading about the Church Fathers, one of the first names people think of is Mike Aquilina. Aquilina's works have introduced the Church Fathers and Mothers to a whole generation of Catholics and made them accessible and relatable. His most recent book, The Ancient Path, is a joint effort with John Michael Talbot. Talbot is most widely known for his music career, but he is also the founder of an integrated Catholic monastic community called the Brothers and Sisters of Charity. This book, The Ancient Path, is the result of conversations that Talbot and Aquilina had one November week in 2012.
The book begins with Talbot discussing his monastery, Little Portion Hermitage, and the events of what happened April, 29, 2008. There was a massive fire, which completely engulfed the chapel. In addition to the tragedy of seeing something you built by hand destroyed, the community also lost their library which consisted of thousands of volumes. I have never experienced this level of literary loss, but as someone who himself owns a large library of books, my heart ached for him and his community. Talbot, however, used this tragedy to teach us a lesson in both detachment to worldly goods and the fact that once you have read and pored over some works, they are forever etched on your heart. He then concludes the the chapter with a juxtaposition of physical fire and spiritual fire. His example for spiritual fire involves the popular story of Abba Joseph encouraging Abba Lot to become all flame.
Other topics discussed in this book include charity, community, and stewardship. Each chapter has roughly the same format. Talbot talks about his life, his community, and what the Church Fathers taught him as it applies to the specific topic. Chapter 6: The Prayer of the Heart talks about The Jesus Prayer, "Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner." Most Western Catholics aren't familiar with this prayer, but it is one of the chief prayers in Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism. The author does a great job discussing the history and evolution of the prayer, the impact it had on him; and also breaks the prayer down phrase by phrase. I do wish he would have offered a bit of caution in both practicing this prayer and reading the Philokalia. Someone advanced in their wisdom, like him, might not find it troublesome, but it is highly discouraged for a novice to attempt reading the Philokalia, and strongly urged you consult your spiritual advisor before trying.
Overall, this was an interesting book. It reminded me a lot of Aquilina's other works and Dr. Scott Hahn's early works. By that I mean, it mixes theology with personal experiences to make the subject matter more approachable. It also reminded me a bit of My Sister the Saints in that it read like a personal memoir with the Church Fathers serving as our guide through Talbot's life. If this sounds interesting to you or you can't get enough to read about the Church Fathers, then this book is for you.
The book begins with Talbot discussing his monastery, Little Portion Hermitage, and the events of what happened April, 29, 2008. There was a massive fire, which completely engulfed the chapel. In addition to the tragedy of seeing something you built by hand destroyed, the community also lost their library which consisted of thousands of volumes. I have never experienced this level of literary loss, but as someone who himself owns a large library of books, my heart ached for him and his community. Talbot, however, used this tragedy to teach us a lesson in both detachment to worldly goods and the fact that once you have read and pored over some works, they are forever etched on your heart. He then concludes the the chapter with a juxtaposition of physical fire and spiritual fire. His example for spiritual fire involves the popular story of Abba Joseph encouraging Abba Lot to become all flame.
Other topics discussed in this book include charity, community, and stewardship. Each chapter has roughly the same format. Talbot talks about his life, his community, and what the Church Fathers taught him as it applies to the specific topic. Chapter 6: The Prayer of the Heart talks about The Jesus Prayer, "Lord, Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner." Most Western Catholics aren't familiar with this prayer, but it is one of the chief prayers in Eastern Orthodoxy and Eastern Catholicism. The author does a great job discussing the history and evolution of the prayer, the impact it had on him; and also breaks the prayer down phrase by phrase. I do wish he would have offered a bit of caution in both practicing this prayer and reading the Philokalia. Someone advanced in their wisdom, like him, might not find it troublesome, but it is highly discouraged for a novice to attempt reading the Philokalia, and strongly urged you consult your spiritual advisor before trying.
Overall, this was an interesting book. It reminded me a lot of Aquilina's other works and Dr. Scott Hahn's early works. By that I mean, it mixes theology with personal experiences to make the subject matter more approachable. It also reminded me a bit of My Sister the Saints in that it read like a personal memoir with the Church Fathers serving as our guide through Talbot's life. If this sounds interesting to you or you can't get enough to read about the Church Fathers, then this book is for you.
May 27, 2015
This book is a semi-autobiography of John Michael Talbot relating his spiritual experiences how the early church fathers deeply influenced his spiritual, professional and personal life.
Talbot was born into a Methodist family with a musical background and at age 15 he dropped out of school and was performing as a guitarist for Mason Proffit, a country folk-rock band formed with his older brother Terry. Talbot embarked on a spiritual journey that led him through Native American religion and Buddhism to Christianity. At this point he and his brother, Terry, joined the Jesus Movement. Reading the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, he was inspired to begin studying at a Franciscan center in Indianapolis. He became a Roman Catholic and joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1978. He started a house of prayer, The Little Portion. This book basically describes some of his experiences.
However, I find this book to be quite difficult to read. Talbot started by emphasizing that the early church preferred nothing - not even life itself - to Christ. If Christians were willing to die as martyrs, it was because they wished to imitate Christ and reach Christ.
Ignatius of Antioch in AD 107 for example said: "I am the wheat of God. Let me be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of Christ." Or as St. Cyprian said: "Prefer nothing to Christ because he preferred nothing to us, and on our account preferred hard things to ease, poverty to riches, servitude to rule, death to immortality."
Theologically too as an evangelical Christian, I find certain segments of the book hard to accept. For example, in chapter 3, Talbot said that the Eastern Fathers spoke of the graced exchange in Greek terms that are startling to Western ears. They called it theopoiesis - literally "god-making". They called it theosis - which can be translated, roughly, as godding. In saving us, God has "godded" us by making us partakers of his divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).
......St. Athanasius of Alexandria, in the fourth century, said it most concisely: "He was made man that we might be made God." This does not mean we're given permission to walk around acting like we're God Almighty. No, it is a divine gift that makes us even more perfectly human."
Although the qualifier is made, I still find this process of deification, quite difficult for me to accept.
But the subsequent segment on prayers is great. As Talbot said:
The goal was to make Jesus the single focal point of life, and to make our prayer to him as constant as breath. Breathe in: Lord. Breathe out: Jesus.... It's not mechanical. It's not magical. It's love.
The Eastern Fathers tell us to invoke the name and person of Jesus with every breath we take. Think about it: breathing is the only analogue we have as we become as we begin to consider the scriptural command. It is the one thing we do without ceasing. If we're living, we're breathing. When we stop breathing, we're dead.
In short, it might be a nice work, but still certain theological issues I find them hard to accept.
Talbot was born into a Methodist family with a musical background and at age 15 he dropped out of school and was performing as a guitarist for Mason Proffit, a country folk-rock band formed with his older brother Terry. Talbot embarked on a spiritual journey that led him through Native American religion and Buddhism to Christianity. At this point he and his brother, Terry, joined the Jesus Movement. Reading the life of Saint Francis of Assisi, he was inspired to begin studying at a Franciscan center in Indianapolis. He became a Roman Catholic and joined the Secular Franciscan Order in 1978. He started a house of prayer, The Little Portion. This book basically describes some of his experiences.
However, I find this book to be quite difficult to read. Talbot started by emphasizing that the early church preferred nothing - not even life itself - to Christ. If Christians were willing to die as martyrs, it was because they wished to imitate Christ and reach Christ.
Ignatius of Antioch in AD 107 for example said: "I am the wheat of God. Let me be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of Christ." Or as St. Cyprian said: "Prefer nothing to Christ because he preferred nothing to us, and on our account preferred hard things to ease, poverty to riches, servitude to rule, death to immortality."
Theologically too as an evangelical Christian, I find certain segments of the book hard to accept. For example, in chapter 3, Talbot said that the Eastern Fathers spoke of the graced exchange in Greek terms that are startling to Western ears. They called it theopoiesis - literally "god-making". They called it theosis - which can be translated, roughly, as godding. In saving us, God has "godded" us by making us partakers of his divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).
......St. Athanasius of Alexandria, in the fourth century, said it most concisely: "He was made man that we might be made God." This does not mean we're given permission to walk around acting like we're God Almighty. No, it is a divine gift that makes us even more perfectly human."
Although the qualifier is made, I still find this process of deification, quite difficult for me to accept.
But the subsequent segment on prayers is great. As Talbot said:
The goal was to make Jesus the single focal point of life, and to make our prayer to him as constant as breath. Breathe in: Lord. Breathe out: Jesus.... It's not mechanical. It's not magical. It's love.
The Eastern Fathers tell us to invoke the name and person of Jesus with every breath we take. Think about it: breathing is the only analogue we have as we become as we begin to consider the scriptural command. It is the one thing we do without ceasing. If we're living, we're breathing. When we stop breathing, we're dead.
In short, it might be a nice work, but still certain theological issues I find them hard to accept.
March 9, 2015
Writing:
This is so well done. I think Talbot perfectly blends his personal experiences with church history and his thoughts on its significance for believers today. Everything flowed really well and I didn't feel like there were huge divisions between the thoughts on history, modern application, and Talbot's own story. And he didn't just tell a good story - he made church history come alive in a way that was intriguing and meaningful, and his applications for modern life were easy to understand. I feel like I came away from this book with a great appreciation for the church fathers, for orthodoxy, and for how some of the ancient practices can be applied to my life today.
Entertainment Value
As above, I thoroughly enjoyed my read of this book. I particularly appreciated the chapter on prayer and meditation and the use of the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.") and its use in ancient times. Growing up in a very Protestant denomination, I was always taught to pray spontaneously, rather than by rote. Talbot lays out a great reasoning behind the use of prayers that many would consider rote and how they can be used as a form of continual communion with God. His description of how Eastern Orthodoxies use these prayers goes along so well with what I am learning about yoga and the importance of breath. I've actually put a few of his ideas into practice during my yoga over the past few days and feel like it's really changed my practice.
Overall
I highly recommend this book to readers who are interested in learning more about church history, orthodoxy and liturgy, and how the Church Fathers can play a role in our faith today. It's written to a Catholic audience, but I found it largely applicable to my Protestant beliefs as well. I'm so glad I read it and I'm definitely going to be looking into more information on church history and the stories of our Church Fathers.
Thank you to Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy to review.
This is so well done. I think Talbot perfectly blends his personal experiences with church history and his thoughts on its significance for believers today. Everything flowed really well and I didn't feel like there were huge divisions between the thoughts on history, modern application, and Talbot's own story. And he didn't just tell a good story - he made church history come alive in a way that was intriguing and meaningful, and his applications for modern life were easy to understand. I feel like I came away from this book with a great appreciation for the church fathers, for orthodoxy, and for how some of the ancient practices can be applied to my life today.
Entertainment Value
As above, I thoroughly enjoyed my read of this book. I particularly appreciated the chapter on prayer and meditation and the use of the Jesus Prayer ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.") and its use in ancient times. Growing up in a very Protestant denomination, I was always taught to pray spontaneously, rather than by rote. Talbot lays out a great reasoning behind the use of prayers that many would consider rote and how they can be used as a form of continual communion with God. His description of how Eastern Orthodoxies use these prayers goes along so well with what I am learning about yoga and the importance of breath. I've actually put a few of his ideas into practice during my yoga over the past few days and feel like it's really changed my practice.
Overall
I highly recommend this book to readers who are interested in learning more about church history, orthodoxy and liturgy, and how the Church Fathers can play a role in our faith today. It's written to a Catholic audience, but I found it largely applicable to my Protestant beliefs as well. I'm so glad I read it and I'm definitely going to be looking into more information on church history and the stories of our Church Fathers.
Thank you to Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy to review.
January 20, 2015
Short Review: I knew that John Michael Talbot was an old school CCM artist that was known for writing theologically sophisticated music, but I had mostly categorized him as another Michael Card and left it at that. I was offered this book to review and picked it up because I wanted to learn more about the early Church Fathers not because of my interest in John Michael Talbot. But this turned out to be more of a memoir-ish look at the early Church fathers than a direct exploration. Talbot tells us about his conversion to Christianity through the Jesus People movement. Then in the mid 70s he start meeting with a spiritual director and exploring the church fathers, which led him to convert to Catholicism and eventually start a lay monastic community that invited single, married and celibate Christians (both Catholic and not) to live and serve together. More recently Talbot has started touring and teaching again because there was a fire at the monastic community and he needed to make some money to help rebuild. That lead to him teaching about the early church fathers and worship and his faith which is where this book comes in.
This is a helpful book for a couple reasons. 1) Talbot's story gives a good context for how to think about the usefulness of church fathers in a modern world. 2) It is a good introduction to actual teaching of the church fathers and how some of our assumptions about the early church are either confirmed or shown to be wrong. 3) this is good for evangelicals that are unfamiliar with Catholic writers. Talbot has always been accepted by Evagnelicals because of his music and he knows and understands how to talk about his faith (as a Catholic) in a way that is very inclusive but not hiding his Catholicism. I am looking forward to reading some of Talbot's other books.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/ancient-path-old-les...
This is a helpful book for a couple reasons. 1) Talbot's story gives a good context for how to think about the usefulness of church fathers in a modern world. 2) It is a good introduction to actual teaching of the church fathers and how some of our assumptions about the early church are either confirmed or shown to be wrong. 3) this is good for evangelicals that are unfamiliar with Catholic writers. Talbot has always been accepted by Evagnelicals because of his music and he knows and understands how to talk about his faith (as a Catholic) in a way that is very inclusive but not hiding his Catholicism. I am looking forward to reading some of Talbot's other books.
My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/ancient-path-old-les...
March 19, 2015
The Ancient Path is the story of the spiritual journey of songwriter John Michael Talbot. It is a journey in which he invokes the writings of the Early Church Fathers to determine how we are to live the Christian life.
When I picked this book up I had hoped that it would be a more detailed look at the Early Church Fathers. I quickly found that this was not the case.
The book is filled with teachings of the modern Catholic Church and imposing those teachings on the Early Church Fathers with many passages taken completely out of context to support the claims. It seemed more like a dogmatic theology disguised in the form of a autobiography.
Now I want to say that I do not hate the Catholic Church, there are some good things about the church but there are many things with which I am at odds with the church. These things are permeated through this book.
One of the things that struck me as most troubling was the descriptions of marriage. I am not trying to judge but a marriage was given an annulment years after the fact because the two involved were “too young” when they got married to understand all that would be involved. The man later got married because he was under no power of the previous marriage.
I am sorry but the church doesn't just get to nullify a marriage no matter what the circumstance. They were married and they were divorced no matter what they like to call it. From what is written, it appears that there were no Biblical grounds for the divorce though I could be wrong.
I cannot recommend this book to anyone seeking to learn more about the Church Fathers. This is not a work of any scholarship. This is a work of propaganda for the Catholic Church.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.
When I picked this book up I had hoped that it would be a more detailed look at the Early Church Fathers. I quickly found that this was not the case.
The book is filled with teachings of the modern Catholic Church and imposing those teachings on the Early Church Fathers with many passages taken completely out of context to support the claims. It seemed more like a dogmatic theology disguised in the form of a autobiography.
Now I want to say that I do not hate the Catholic Church, there are some good things about the church but there are many things with which I am at odds with the church. These things are permeated through this book.
One of the things that struck me as most troubling was the descriptions of marriage. I am not trying to judge but a marriage was given an annulment years after the fact because the two involved were “too young” when they got married to understand all that would be involved. The man later got married because he was under no power of the previous marriage.
I am sorry but the church doesn't just get to nullify a marriage no matter what the circumstance. They were married and they were divorced no matter what they like to call it. From what is written, it appears that there were no Biblical grounds for the divorce though I could be wrong.
I cannot recommend this book to anyone seeking to learn more about the Church Fathers. This is not a work of any scholarship. This is a work of propaganda for the Catholic Church.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.
April 6, 2015
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.
I have often wondered if Christianity has lost its way from its roots. Has it become distanced for those who first spread the Good News?
In his book, John Michael Talbot tells of how his faith became cold and then rekindled it with his love of the church fathers.
While coming from a Roman Catholic perspective, he mentions how the church fathers were instrumental in his return to his faith.
What he discusses is how the church fathers had a wisdom about them that is rarely seen today. I agree. There is power in the depths of those that have gone before.
While I do hold to the Roman Catholic understanding of Christianity, I do agree that great people of the faith that have gone before should be consulted for growth and maturity. I myself am being drawn to those who spent their all pursuing God. What this book did was challenge me to continue my pursuit of God and to read about those who have done the same.
I have often wondered if Christianity has lost its way from its roots. Has it become distanced for those who first spread the Good News?
In his book, John Michael Talbot tells of how his faith became cold and then rekindled it with his love of the church fathers.
While coming from a Roman Catholic perspective, he mentions how the church fathers were instrumental in his return to his faith.
What he discusses is how the church fathers had a wisdom about them that is rarely seen today. I agree. There is power in the depths of those that have gone before.
While I do hold to the Roman Catholic understanding of Christianity, I do agree that great people of the faith that have gone before should be consulted for growth and maturity. I myself am being drawn to those who spent their all pursuing God. What this book did was challenge me to continue my pursuit of God and to read about those who have done the same.
January 30, 2015
I should state right off that I am a Protestant, a United Methodist with a M. Div. from Garrett Evangelical. However, I have been interested in the Church Fathers and in fact, Wesley the founder of Methodism, advised and pushed his lay preachers to read the Fathers, and Wesley himself was a great reader of the Fathers and quoted them frequently.
This book by Talbot was very readable and understandable. His search is admirable (though I wish he would have considered Methodism), and I applaud his efforts to follow his Lord.
It is a book to be read by those interested in the fathers, but not so much for any heavy theology as for some historical and search for meaning in the organization and history of the early church.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" and "To Whom It May Concern"
This book by Talbot was very readable and understandable. His search is admirable (though I wish he would have considered Methodism), and I applaud his efforts to follow his Lord.
It is a book to be read by those interested in the fathers, but not so much for any heavy theology as for some historical and search for meaning in the organization and history of the early church.
J. Robert Ewbank author "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms" "Wesley's Wars" and "To Whom It May Concern"
March 23, 2015
I am not a Catholic and this book was not what I expected. The promo material led me to believe it would be a book about the early Church Fathers and their teachings. This book is actually about John Michael Talbot, how he became a Catholic and how his reading of the Fathers shaped his life and spirituality. It is specifically about Catholic belief and practice. That being said, I am glad I read it as it helped me understand a bit more what the Catholics believe and why they do what they do. I also found out more about what Talbot is doing today, including the community he founded and his current speaking and traveling.
You can read my full review at http://bit.ly/1IhHmsq.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
You can read my full review at http://bit.ly/1IhHmsq.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
January 9, 2015
ARC: Netgalley
In The Ancient Path: Old Lessons from the Church Fathers for a New Life Today John Michael Talbot shows how the teachings of the ancient fathers of the Catholic church are still relevant today.
I am a protestant, but over the last few years have found myself drawn to the teachings of the fathers of the Catholic church. Their teachings are no less true today than they were over a thousand years ago. There is such beauty and brotherhood to be discovered by studying their writings. I heartily recommended this book for anyone who wants to learn more about the teachings of early Christianity.
In The Ancient Path: Old Lessons from the Church Fathers for a New Life Today John Michael Talbot shows how the teachings of the ancient fathers of the Catholic church are still relevant today.
I am a protestant, but over the last few years have found myself drawn to the teachings of the fathers of the Catholic church. Their teachings are no less true today than they were over a thousand years ago. There is such beauty and brotherhood to be discovered by studying their writings. I heartily recommended this book for anyone who wants to learn more about the teachings of early Christianity.
July 13, 2015
Excellent book about how the church evolved from loose gatherings to established churches. How the celebration of the Eucharist may have different forms but it all comes down to the body and blood of Christ. Really enjoyed this book.
April 9, 2015
Read my review at my blog : http://muffindome.com/the-ancient-pat...
April 13, 2015
I won a copy of this book from Goodreads. I thought it would be a book about the early church fathers and their teachings, but it wasn't.
June 29, 2016
Have loved Talbot's music but this would have been better if he had included more about the community he leads.
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