Hear the Ancient Wisdom: A Meditational Reader for the Whole Year from the Early Church Fathers up to the Pre-Reformation

by Charles Ringma

Synopsis: There is a hunger in the modern world for spirituality. One vast resource of spiritual wisdom comes from the pre-Reformation church--from the martyrs of the first centuries of Christianity, through the long tradition of monasticism, to the medieval Christian mystics. These are the deep wells of Christian reflection from persons such as John Chrysostom, Augustine, Benedict, Francis of Assisi, Bonaventure, Bernard of Clairvaux, Meister Eckhart, Hildegard of Bingen, and Julian of Norwich, to mention just a few. The spiritual insights of over seventy men and women of pre-Reformation Christianity are found in these pages. From these figures we can learn more about the practices of prayer and contemplation, a life of following Christ, the relevance of community, the challenge of asceticism, the movement of withdrawal and engagement, the love of God for God's own sake, living the gospel, sacrificing for the kingdom of God, the longing for union with God, the practices of justice, and a life of prophetic witness. For us, so embedded and shaped by the modern world, this ancient wisdom will come as refreshing water and as a breath of fresh air, with the wings of the Spirit and whispers of angels. Endorsements: "Charles Ringma has crafted a unique genre of inspirational literature. . . . Many of these meditations are riveting--stopping us in our tracks and pointing us to God and life. Far from being otherworldly and cloistered, Ringma takes us deeper into this life and, at the same time, the life to come. Walking with these godly men and women then and today . . . is a rich and not-to-be missed experience." --R. Paul Stevens, Professor Emeritus, Regent College "Hear the Ancient Wisdom is a book worthy of our time, commitment, and investment, as you will (like me) be sustained and nourished by the astonishing breadth of understanding and depth of spiritual insight contained in these meditations and reflections. Here is lived wisdom given a voice for the twenty-first century, enabling us to find a way to engage with the paradox and complexities of real life as it is today. Highly recommended!" --Reverend Trevor Miller, Abbot of the Northumbria Community "In Hear the Ancient Wisdom these early voices are not antiquated echoes; instead, their voices resonate through the centuries. Empowered by this great cloud of witnesses that surround us through history, Charles takes us on a discipleship journey that is both beautiful and deeply challenging." --Right Reverend Justin Duckworth, Anglican Bishop of Wellington "Students and colleagues of Charles Ringma . . . know him to be a trustworthy guide in matters of the Spirit. In this book, as in his life, he unites a rich, intellectual grasp of the broad tradition of Christian spirituality with a rigorous ethic of service, leading the reader beyond the rhetoric of faith into a life of worship and service. This is a book I will gladly make my companion for a year--or more." --Maxine Hancock, Professor Emerita, Regent College "This book of meditations fills a spiritual void in a time when modernity has spent itself and people are longing for a way of seeing life whole beyond ideologies and an efficacy beyond tools. For those of us in the Majority World, it connects us to a spiritual tradition whose depths can be owned as part of the continuities of our historic Christian faith, even as we shed off elements from that past that necessarily ought to be discontinuous with our own pathways to encountering and loving God. I thank Charles Ringma and his work for being a bridge to that important past and a companion in our present journey as nonwestern churches." Melba Padilla Maggay, Ph.D. President, ISACC Author Biography: Charles Ringma is Emeritus Professor of Regent College, Vancouver; Research Professor at Asian Theological Seminary, Manila; and PhD Supervisor at The University of Queensland, Brisbane.

442 pages, Paperback

First published March 8, 2013

Reviews

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A daily meditational reader for an entire year, focussing each day on a small but profound thought from a variety of Christian writers. The selections cover a period of about a millennium and a half from the early church fathers to the time just before the Reformation.

Some of my personal favourites:
Clement of Alexandria believed that all things in the ordinary world can point us to Christ. "Philosophy was a 'schoolmaster' to bring the Greek mind to Christ,as the Law brought the Hebrews."

Many Christians in the west today are quite bored with the church , hardly ever read Scripture and have no interest in theological reflection. They are only interested in God being the magical extra in their lives.

I'd never heard of the Breastplate (or Lorica) of Laidcenn before, but finally found it in full at: http://journeymansfiles.blogspot.com/...

John Cassian remarked that too much self-denial brings weakness and induces the same condition as carelessness.

Nurtured into God's likeness rather than commanded into God conformity is the way of God with us.

Richard Rolle, the medieval mystic, spoke of God "stabling" in us.

The will needs to be "captured" not to negate it but to transform it so it is marked by the love of God.

"His feet are nailed, that He may stay there. His side is open for you that He may let you enter there." Bonaventure

In lucent shadows [they - ancient seers] announced the Living Light. Hildegard of Bingen

The concepts of law and grace have longed plagued Christianity. The one is usually played off against the other whereas the two should be dynamically related.

[Glenn Crouch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst I did enjoy this book as part of my daily devotional, it took me a while to “get into it”. I was expecting more content from the Early Church Fathers et al, whereas this is more a small quote with the Author’s development / understanding of the topic as seen be the person being quoted, and applying that to our present day. Don’t get me wrong, there are many phenomenally good devotions in here :)

A good book to add to your daily devotional time.