When the Church Was Young: Voices of the Early Fathers

by Marcellino D'Ambrosio

If the word trinity isn’t in Scripture, why is it such an important part of our faith? And if the Bible can be interpreted in many ways, how do we know what to make of it? And who decided what should be in the Bible anyway?

The Church Fathers provide the answers. These brilliant, embattled, and sometimes eccentric men defined the biblical canon, hammered out the Creed, and gave us our understanding of sacraments and salvation. It is they who preserved for us the rich legacy of the early Church.

D’Ambrosio dusts off the dry theology and brings you the exciting stories and great heroes such as Ambrose, Augustine, Basil, Athanasius, Chrysostom, and Jerome. This page-turner will inspire and challenge you with the lives and insights of these seminal teachers from when the Church was young.

Genres: History, Religion, Catholic, Christian, Church History, Theology, Christianity

304 pages, Paperback

First published May 20, 2014

About the author

Raised in Italian/Irish neighborhood in Providence, RI, Marcellino D’Ambrosio never thought about being anything else but Catholic. But like other Catholic teens, his faith was the last place he looked for fulfillment. Following in the footsteps of his parents, both professional performers in their single years, Marcellino set his sights on stardom, playing bass guitar in several popular rock bands by the time he was 16. At that time he encountered a group of Catholics whose Christian life was an exciting adventure, an adventure worth living for. So he laid his bass guitar aside and embarked on a road that led to a Ph.D. in historical theology from the Catholic University of America. His doctoral dissertation, written under the direction of the renowned Jesuit theologian, Avery Cardinal Dulles, focused on one of the theological lights of the Second Vatican Council, Henri Cardinal de Lubac, and his recovery of biblical interpretation of the Early Church fathers.

Though a specialist in the interpretation of scripture and tradition, Dr. D’Ambrosio’s teaching has covered a broad range of subjects from historical, dogmatic, and sacramental theology to evangelization, ecumenism, and Vatican II. Yet throughout his academic career, Dr. D’Ambrosio always remained deeply involved in pastoral work, especially teen evangelization and Hispanic ministry, assuring that his teaching remained relevant to the challenges of everyday life.

Dr. D’Ambrosio, the father of five and a business owner, brings to his teaching a practical, down-to-earth perspective that makes his words easy to understand and put into practice. Audio and video recordings of his popular teaching are internationally distributed. He often appears on the international Eternal Word Television Network is regularly heard on nationally syndicated radio shows such as "Catholic Answers Live." Dr. D'Ambrosio has been repeatedly called upon to serve as an expert commentator on religious and moral issues for Fox News Geraldo Rivera, At Large and Bill O'Reilly's radio show.

In 2001 Dr. D’Ambrosio left his position at the University of Dallas to develop the work of Crossroads Productions, the apostolate of Catholic renewal and evangelization that he co-founded twenty years ago, and to more directly oversee the growth of Wellness Opportunities Group a company dedicated to helping people improve the quality of their lives physically, mentally, and financially. He, his wife Susan, and their five children, reside just outside of Dallas, TX.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Church Was Young is gripping, compelling, and fast-moving. It's hard to believe it's about a bunch of old dead guys, honestly, and D'Ambrosio inspires a love of history, crafts a great story, and plants an appreciation for where we are 2000 years later. I've wanted to learn more in the 300-page adventure with this book than I have since college. D'Ambrosio doesn't just bring the past alive: he makes it relevant and he makes the Church Fathers into the superheroes they deserve to be.

This book would be the perfect companion for new Catholics. It will fill your reference shelf with information that's fun to revisit. And, best of all, it will make you understand what happened back when the Church was brand-new.

Homeschooling moms, converts, people who like to read: take note. This is a book you'll want to buy two copies of (because no, I'm not letting you borrow mine).

[Jeff Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to books on the Early Church Fathers there seems to be an increasing wealth of good books on the subject. One of my favorite books in this area is Rod Bennett’s “Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words”. The reason I so loved this book is that Rod Bennett is a natural storyteller along with being a good historical researcher. His writing not only brought these men alive, but the historical era as well.

So I was delighted to find another book on the Church Fathers that was as readable as “Four Witnesses” because of storytelling and grasp of the history. This book is Marcellino D’Ambrosio’s “When the Church Was Young: Voices of the Early Fathers.” This book covers the period from Saint Ignatius of Antioch to St. Gregory the Great. The actual category as to the time period of early Church Fathers is rather loosely defined and subjective as the the end of it. Marcellino D’Ambrosio offers a good definition. “The Church Fathers are those great Christian writers who passed on and clarified the teaching of the apostles from approximately the second through eight centuries.” This definition makes more sense when you think of early ecclesiastical writers such as Origen and Tertullian as it does not rely on the writers sanctity or full orthodoxy.

I am generally read in this era of history and so the stories of the men contained were not unfamiliar to me. Still I learned a lot more along with more being put into context. This book is much more than a historical litany of facts. The presentation brought to me a larger view and helped me integrate the information I already knew with the wealth of stories regarding these men. Plus with enough of their writings to want you to go to the sources and read more. This was totally an engaging read that will not just pass out of my memory in a fog of facts. When I compared this to Rod Bennett’s book I consider that high praise indeed and these two books together certainly have my recommendation.

[Justinian the Great · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an amazing book on the church fathers.

[Thadeus · Rating 5 out of 5]

D’Ambrosio brings life and context to the lives of those who led the Church in the years following the deaths of the apostles. This book was a fast read with an engaging style. What struck me most was the ongoing and strong heresy of Arianism (the belief that Jesus was not coequal with God the Father). I also truly appreciated the weight given to the use of terminology and how people can believe that they disagree because of the different terms they’ve come to use in describing something, but that in real terms they are of the same belief. (Athanasius & Basil)

Chapter 18 on Basil the Great, and his participation in the defense of the Holy Trinity, I believe, is worth the price of the book itself. It is amazing to follow the development of the creedal faith and the struggles that went on for decades and decades in order to defend against and stamp out heretical forms of belief and teaching. It gives some perspective as to our current age and the differences that have developed between the Catholic Church and protestant churches, as well as the different facets of Catholics who do not submit to the authority of the magisterium on matters of faith and morals.

Another aspect of the times that the book brings out is the political governance of the nations, as well as the changing tides of the episcopal governance. The fluidity of calling people to serve as catechists, priests, and bishops was very surprising. The Fathers are treated to somewhat of a modern (not in a bad way) treatment, in that the author shares the good and the bad of what they accomplished. I thought it was very well balanced.

Finally, this book gives you a chance to connect with very early practices of the Church that look very much like the liturgy and ecclesial structure that we see in the Catholic Church today. It is encouraging to see how much turmoil the leaders of the early Church went through to preserve what we enjoy, and sometimes take for granted, today. This gives me a much greater appreciation for the Nicene Creed that is recited at the mass and I think that it serves any Christian well to learn about these early days of the Church.

[John Martindale · Rating 3 out of 5]

D'Ambrosio is a good writer, the book moved along at a nice pace. I did quickly discover the book is written from an overtly catholic perspective and was likely intended for a catholic audience. The main emphasis of the book is how concepts like apostolic succession, Transubstantiation, prayer to saints, the emasculate conception, the elevation of Mary to the "Mother of God", paying penance, infant baptism, etc... were taught by the church fathers, and therefore, it should be assumed that they originated from the Jesus' apostles. However, some of the church fathers arguments, for these doctrine listed above, in response to the damnable "heretics" who opposed them, sounded absolutely illogical, silly and ridiculous, yet D'Ambriosio presented them as knock down irrefutable proofs for Catholic doctrine... but just because a beloved Saint says 2+2=5 doesn't make it so Joe. But yeah, overall, I did enjoy the book and I liked D'Ambrosio's high admiration for the church fathers, it helped bring the history to life.

[Javier Muñoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Libro muy ameno para profundizar en los primeros siglos de cristianismo y en las figuras de los Padres de la Iglesia, todos ellos con vidas de película; el autor combina muy bien su perfil biográfico y sus principales aportaciones para la consolidación y expansión de la fe católica.
Una época bastante desconocida que queda muy bien perfilada por este libro y deja con ganas de conocer más sobre esos gigantes que nos precedieron, que fueron valientes y que nos dejaron un patrimonio de fe que hay que explotar y defender.
Por último, no son nada desdeñables las claves históricas que ofrece el libro sobre el Imperio Romano, su declive y el papel relevante de la Iglesia como autoridad moral y ejecutiva ante el caos existente.

[Isabella Lash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely would recommend (to any denomination/branch of Christianity). Great intro to the Church Fathers. I'll be reading it again!

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is no dry and dusty history book: it’s an examination of the lives, times and personalities of the men who shaped the first seven hundred years of the Church. The Church Fathers kept the Faith going through the era when Christians were in imminent danger of martyrdom, refined teachings on the Trinity and Christ’s human and divine natures, defended the Faith and shaped our traditions of worship.

Dr. D’Ambrosio vividly describes what it was like to live as a Christian in those first seven centuries, examining the political climate of the times, the infighting between various factions, the writings of early Popes, and even the very first Catechism.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro que nos permite adentrarnos en el origen de la fe cristiana a través de un recorrido por los Padres de la Iglesia. Su estilo accesible permite una buena comprensión de las aportaciones más fundamentales de cada uno de ellos. Un breve recorrido que despierta el hambre de seguir leyendo los textos de los Padres.

[Andre Abija · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful pastoral intro to the Church Fathers. I would characterize this as a layman level survey of the church fathers and themes they wrote and taught about. So it’s good for someone trying to get their feet wet in Church history.

The author is Catholic, but does a sufficient job of focusing on universal Christian discussion (although at times, he veers into territory that seem more inclined towards Catholic apologetics, though it’s not too disruptive or distracting for Protestants in my opinion).

O’Neal, I would recommend this to someone interested in learning church history but don’t know where to start, with the caution the one should not base any denominational or doctrinal changes solely on this book - study wide before making a change like that

[Mikal Lambdin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully in-depth yet accessible history of the first 600 years of the Church. I learned so much. Perfect for Orthodox and non-Orthodox alike.

[Avery Amstutz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a thoroughly Catholic telling of the early church. It was never dishonest but definitely told as a way to give validity to many of the Catholic beliefs. I enjoyed it once I could appreciate it for what it was, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a standalone text for early church history. But if you are one who as a general disdain for Catholics, or are curious about how they come to some of their conclusions, this book gives a good background for why they believe what they believe.

[Karl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might suggest a different title for this book: “The Bliss of Orthodoxy: An Introduction to Patristics”, category: Young Adult. It covers the usual list of church fathers, dedicating 8 to 16 pages to each. The author tells a tale of each church father so that each one discovers and better explicates some new piece of church orthodoxy, each adding to the breadth and depth of the Church’s glorious magisterium. Those teachings of the church fathers that were later found to be inconsistent with orthodoxy or condemned as heresy are largely ignored, unless the heresy is so prominent as to be unavoidable, then it is usually attributed to some character flaw of the church father. The message is consistent throughout: Yeaaay orthodoxy, Booooh heresy. This is particularly noticeable when the author dismisses the simple and consistent Christological conception of the Aryan heretics as “arrogance”, while accepting the incomprehensible mystery of the Trinity is “submission to the divine.” This tendency makes hash of his treatment of the historically and philosophically complex figures of Origen, Tertullian, and Hippolytus, of whom we get only a very glossy, children’s-book account.

Similarly, the historical context surrounding each figure is woefully inadequate to understanding the context in which each church father was operating. Complex situations in imperial politics are reduced to a sentence. Powerful heresies and schisms are described only through passing innuendo. In a few places, the historical account is so cartoonish that it would be better described as false, such as the author’s constant suggestion that the pagan religion went largely disbelieved by the Romans. The only historical event close to adequately described is The Great Persecution and the conversion of Constantine, which makes up its own chapter.

One place where the simplicity leads to falsehood is in the telling of Augustine's conflict with the Donatists. The author outright states that Augustine provided the theological tools to fight the Donatist heretics. While Augustine certainly did write extensively about how all sacraments derive from God’s power and do not depend upon the officiant’s state of grace, this explanation ignores the fact that the Donatists and the orthodox Catholics had lived together for a century, and the Church had successfully combatted their theology thus far. It goes unmentioned that Augustine was most effective in fighting the Donatists largely because he assented to their anathemization and sent Roman soldiers to destroy the Donatist cathedral, something he did with very mixed feelings. This is emblematic of my complaints with the book; it hides the messiness of history.

That said, there is much to like about this book if you are not reading it as a history book or philosophical compendium. To those who are not familiar with the subject, this is a good introduction to the words and deeds of the people who formed Christian orthodoxy. This is increasingly important today when a disconcerting number of religious ideas and social movements are recognizable as mere recurrences of ancient heresies and everywhere you find heretics who have never bothered to learn why their ideas are heretical. This book is a bit of a cartoon, but it is a place to start.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the Church was Young is a book about the Early Church Fathers and the latest book from Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio, also known as Dr. Italy. The book covers more than 500 years; both Eastern and Western Fathers; and men from Asia, Africa, and Europe. Some of the big names in this book are St. Augustine, St. Gregory the Great, St. Jerome, and St. John Chrysostom. However, there are many other names in this book including St. Basil, Terutillian, and St. Cyprian.

Dr. D'Ambrosio begins the book by trying to determine which Church Fathers to include in his book. It is definitely a tough list to trim and one that many people have had to wrestle with. He decided on the definition of "great Christian writers who passed on and clarified the teaching of the apostles from the second through eighth centuries." He then divides them into four periods - 1. Apostolic Fathers (50-150 A.D.), 2. Apologists (150-325 A.D.), 3. Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (4th and 5th Centuries), 4. 6th through 8th Centuries (didn't see a name for this period).

We then take a chronological adventure through the Fathers starting with St. Clement of Rome and ending with St. Gregory the Great. The chapter which I really enjoyed was the one on Origen. The chapter begins by telling us about the piety of Origen's father Leonidas. In the middle of the night, Leonidas was taken away to be martyred. We learn about Origen's brilliant mind, him taking over the School of Alexandria, his many writings, his composition of the Hexapla (six Bible translations side-by-side). Unfortunately, we also learn that all his teachings weren't orthodox. He believed in ideas such as pre-existence of the soul and salvation for all. Of course these were wrong, but at his time, many of these doctrines weren't defined yet. It is because of these beliefs that many of his works were destroyed after his death, and it is also the reason that he is not a saint, which is a shame in my opinion.

At 26 chapters and 300+ pages, you can either breeze through this book or you can take a chapter a day and spend a whole month immersing yourself in the early Church. I did the former, due to my knowledge of the Fathers, but if you are unfamiliar with Patristics, then you will want to take your time with this book. It is a top-notch introduction to the Early Church Fathers and one that I would heartily recommend alongside other books on the Fathers, like those by Mike Aquilina. I hope Dr. D'Ambrosio keeps writing about the Fathers and chooses to write about Fathers from different eras, perhaps Desert Fathers, or just goes more in-depth on these Fathers. I feel like he has a wealth of information to share with us, and we have only seen the tip of the iceberg.

[Mike Cymbor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a masterful summary of the words of the early Church Fathers. I have read other books on the early Church and early Church Fathers and they were fine, but this book brings both to life. Each Father has an intriguing and compelling story that is told in a conversationalist manner so as to leap off the page. For example, when threatened with torture and death, Justin Martyr responds (page 57) to the prefect of Rome by saying, “We ask nothing better than to suffer for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and so to be saved.” These men are not contained on dusty pages in a dusty old history tome; these men are alive today in the living and breathing Christian Church.
This book does an outstanding job explaining heresy’s within the early Church such as Gnosticism and Aryanism and shows how each was debunked and defeated and by whom. We present day Christians take difficult topics like the Trinity for granted. This book is a reminder of how it wasn’t always so and how Christian thought solidified through apostolic Tradition.
Perhaps most importantly, this book reminds us that early Christians were willing to die for their faith. How many present day Christians are ready to do the same? In those days it was expected and embraced.
The pithy recap of the apostolic Tradition’s points of convergence in Chapter 26 is brilliant and concise.
The early Church Fathers would be outraged to see the many divisions within present-day Christianity. Their words and, in many ways, this book is a call for unity. Thank you, Dr. D’Ambrosio for writing and compiling it.

[Lisa Hendey · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the same way that I used to lovingly tell my sons bedtime stories about our family of origin to help them proudly appreciate and more fully love their ancestors, Marcellino D'Ambrosio offers us the story of our Fathers, the master builders of the Church instituted by Jesus Christ. With rich historical context that is at once comprehensive and highly readable, When the Church Was Young is the perfect primer for any Christian. Revisit history, place worship into context and better understand the roots of the Church you love with this wonderful new resource from a trusted scripture scholar.

[Jillien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

This book was comprehensive yet free flowing and engaging. I was able to get a good understanding of each father, while also having additional references to explore. Great read.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my short review: the best book that I read in 2014.

[Garrett Bagwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.5 ⭐️

This is the most fun-to-read and compelling book on Church History this reader has read to-date. The author gives a helpful overview of more than two dozen early Church father, focusing on the persons and not just their theologies or their writings. The inherently human story told within these pages makes what could be a relatively dry subject a deeply fascinating tale.

Above all, the Word of God and the power of His Spirit finds center stage; not the Fathers, not even the Church in and of herself. All of the greatest Fathers of the faith are but mirrors reflecting the light of Christ. The best of them were set apart for their humility and not their glory-seeking. So often, it is easy in books on the Fathers or on Church History at large, to celebrate the Fathers to an unhealthy fault. On the whole, this book does well to avoid this error.

Two places this book does fall short are worth noting. Firstly, the subtitle identifies one of the pitfalls here—very few women make the list in this survey. Many of the Fathers were deeply influenced by women of faith (Ambrose and both Gregory’s come to mind), but even these women are mentioned only in passing in this book. The Church owes a debt of gratitude certainly to the Fathers for their formal contribution to the preservation of the Christian message, but countless Mothers of the faith are so easily overlooked for their sacrifices that preserved and promoted the Church’s witness in these early years. One would have liked to see more treatment of these women in this otherwise thorough account. Secondly, the author does little to curb his own theological biases as he recounts the theology and doctrine and praxis of the early Church. Personal bias is to be expected and is unavoidable, but the author’s personal Catholic bias at times comes across in the writing in an apologetical or polemical way that could create a stumbling block for readers of different theological camps.

[William Schrecengost · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the early church fathers. The author claims to be putting forth the fathers who were before orthodoxy, catholicity and evangelical split and that they are the fathers of all the church, then he proceeds to push apostolic succession, perpetual virginity of Mary, veneration of the saints, and some other doctrines more specifically Roman. One of the most glaring exclusions from this book is John of Damascus. He's typically considered the last of the church fathers, but the author chose to end the book on Gregory the Great instead and concluded the book glorifying the papacy and monasticism. I was also disappointed that he left out Ambrose's excommunication of Theodosius and Jerome's role in the condemnation of Origen's writings. I found it interesting to see how influential Origen truly was. I was surprised to find out that he influenced the Cappadocians and Jerome himself. Usually he is represented as being the Father to the theology of Arius, although that is not the case.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a lover of history, this book is an golden narrative on patristic thinking. D'Ambrosio has authored an accessible work without sacrificing the historical details that make it substantive.

I believe that after sacred Scriptures, it is the voice of the Spirit through the church that offers truth's greatest repository. This book holds a similar stance. Key Church Fathers are presented for their notable contributions and their equally evident humanity. When the Church was Young is neither hagiography nor revisionism.

The author dwells on the remarkable histories, including the theological, social and even political dynamics, yet comes away with applications for the reader to consider. Most of all, he introduces us to the wealth of wisdom that lead the Church in the early centuries - a wealth that we would be remised to neglect.

[Diego Estrada · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great book! Everyone should read and know more about the Early Fathers of the Catholic Church! All of the questions, they have answered: How is Jesus really in the Eucharist? How is Jesus God and man at the same time? How is the Catholic Church the 'real' Church?

We're standing on the shoulders of countless giants that we don't even think about! I love the Catholic Church deeply, it is insane how rich she is.

(Amigos mexicanos mochos, a leer los padres de la Iglesia ASAP)

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent introduction, but I can tell this is only brushing the surface of the depth of the Church Fathers' writings and early Church history!

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

D'Ambrosio really brings the Church Fathers to life in this enjoyable and inspiring book. Not only is it informative, it challenged me to reassess some of my own devotion, as well as some of the beliefs and practices of the Apostolic Fathers in particular.

There is some light apologetic for Roman Catholicism in the final chapter, but the author is respectful of other Christian traditions and anyone with an interest in the church fathers or who, like me, was largely ignorant of them beyond the doctrinal issues, should benefit from this.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by the author who did a very fine job.

[Sean-Paul Kosina · Rating 5 out of 5]

“God is not what you imagine or what you think you understand. If you understand you have failed.” -Augustine of Hippo

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much good stuff, I could read and re-read continuously. Love how it is church history in story form- something I can keep coming back to.

[Jack Schulz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good intro to church fathers without getting too in the weeds for any one of them. The character infused into each patristic figure is helpful to distinguish them and remember their stories.

[Peter McNamee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional entry into the world of the early church.

[Jordan Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A popular level treatment of the Patristic period of church history. Here is a delightful overview of the main characters and theological developments of this epoch. As a Reformed Presbyterian, I felt myself connected to the long line of faithful saints who have gone before and now compose the great cloud of witnesses. What a joy to read the words of so many who gave their life for our Lord. While the book is written from a decidedly Roman Catholic perspective, I appreciate the authors attempts to incorporate evangelicals (I don't even know what that word means anymore) and Orthodox. There is a strong thrust throughout the book to recognize common ground between Protestants, RC, and Orthodox. The book reads more like you are sitting around a campfire and someone is telling you stories as opposed to a church history book. If you haven't read anything about or from the Patristic Age, "tolle lege"!

[Brian Kiczek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ignorance of Church History is Ignorance of Christ

This book is all about all the major church fathers called the Early Fathers starting with the first Fathers Pope Clement and St. Ignatius of Antioch and leaving us with last in Pope St. Gregory the Great, and in between is so many amazing heros and defenders of the faith. You will learn about them and also learn what it is that they teach us about Christ.

This book is perfect for you to learn more about Christ and His Holy Church than any book I can think of. Not many books can do that. It is not only inspired, it is very funny as the church fathers used humor many times to get a message across. One heretic name was Vigalantius(which means alert), St. Jerome called him Dormitantius or (Sleepy Head) because he claimed that the saints and martyrs were chained to either heaven or chained to their grave. St. Jerome states from the Bible, “They follow the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth” Rev 14:4. St. Jerome then proceeds to take down Vigalantius’ argument piece by piece and you are left with an amazing apologetic of the Church’s veneration to the Saints.

So get this wonderful book and read it, then give it to anyone you know who is on the fence regarding the truth of the Catholic Church, anyone who needs to know Christ. Anyone at all but especially give yourself the greatest gift you can ever give yourself which is knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ especially through His Body the Church and it’s History.
Here are my top ten quotes/excerpts from this amazing book:

Take a personal interest in everyone you talk to, just as God does…Seek out everybody by name~St Ignatius of Antioch

Though philosophy is not on par with the Old Testament, God in His Providence, sent it to the Greeks as a preparation for the Gospel in a similar way that God sent the Law and prophets to the Jews to prepare them for His Son.~Clement

A welfare state based on conquest and slave labor bought the loyalty of the mob with free bread and gladiator games. The people were all too ready to trade their liberty for creature comforts. (Ancient Rome but sounds just like America)

Follow the saints, for those who follow them will become saints~St. Pope Clement

The flesh hates the soul and treats it like an enemy, even though it suffers no wrong, because it is prevented from enjoying its pleasures; so too the world hates Christians, even though it suffers no wrong at their hands, because they range themselves against its pleasures.~Letter to Diognetus

Even if the Apostles had not left their writings to us, ought we not to follow the rule of tradition which they handed down to those whom they committed the churches?~St. Irenaeus

All Christians, whether they are aware of it or not, depend on apostolic tradition , preserved by the early Church Fathers, every time they pick up their Bibles. It is time they learn to appreciate and articulate the sound reasons for the confidence they place in the book they hold in their hands.

I want to be a man of the church. I do not want to be called by the name of some founder of a heresy but by the name of Christ, and to bear that name which is blessed on earth. It is my desire. In deed as in Spirit, both to be and be called a Christian.~Origen (Think of Luther, Calvin and others)

Children! Do not lose heart! For just as the Lord has been angry, so again He will heal. And the church will again regain her proper beauty and shine as before.~St. Athanasius

Justina knew better than to lay a hand on the beloved bishop. Perhaps she realized the precariousness of her position when a troop of soldiers sent to enforce the decree decided to go into the church to pray with the Catholics.

So I hope you order this book today both for yourself and anyone you know who could learn more about Christ and His Body, the Church.