The Fathers

by Pope Benedict XVI

Let us now devote our attention to the Apostolic Fathers, that is, to the first and second generations in the Church subsequent to the Apostles. And thus, we can see where the Church's journey begins in history. Pope Benedict XVI

The Fathers of the Church exhorted believers in the face of persecution while fighting heresies and misunderstandings. They were theologians and philosophers, orators and pastors, leaders and problem solvers, martyrs and heroes.
Pope Benedict carefully explains the stories of their rich history and the vital role each one played in not only preserving the Church at the time, but anchoring the Church of today as well as the future.

Bring your faith to life with the spark of history as told by the Pope himself. Gain a fuller understanding of what the Church teaches and why through the critical efforts and experiences of our early Church fathers.

Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome . . . Saint Ignatius of Antioch . . . Origen of Alexandria . . . Saint John Chrysostom . . .Saint Basil...Saint Gregory Nazianzus...St. Maximus of Turin...and more.

These illustrious Church Fathers are the first and second generations of the Church following the Apostles. It is upon their backs that the Church's journey through history is established and solidified.

By defending the newborn Christianity to the point of death and explaining the content of the Faith in a language understandable to the masses, the Apostolic Fathers created a timeless anchor of faith that extends through the challenges of today.

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

201 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Originally Joseph Ratzinger , a noted conservative theologian before his election in 2005, Benedict XVI strove against the influence of secularism during his papacy to defend traditional Catholic teachings but since medieval times first resigned in 2013.

After Joseph Ratzinger served a long career as an academic and a professor at the University of Regensburg, Pope Paul VI appointed him as archbishop of Munich and Freising and cardinal in 1977. In 1981, he settled in Rome as prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, one most important office of the Roman curia. He also served as dean of the college of cardinals.

Benedict XVI reigned 265th in virtue of his office of bishop of Rome, the sovereign of the state of Vatican City and the head of the Church. A conclave named him on 19 April 2005; he celebrated his inaugural Mass on 24 April 2005 and took possession of his Lateran cathedral basilica of Saint John on 7 May 2005.

Benedict XVI succeeded Saint John Paul II, predecessor and his prolific writings on doctrine and values. Benedict XVI advocated a return to fundamental Christian values to counter the increase of many developed countries. Relativism denied objective truth and moral truths in particular; he viewed this central problem of the 21st century. With the importance of the Church, he understood redemptive love of God. He reaffirmed the "importance of prayer in the face of the activism" "of many Christians engaged in charitable work." Benedict also revived a number and elevated the Tridentine Mass to a more prominent position.

Benedict founded and patronized of the Ratzinger foundation, a charitable organization, which from the sale of books and essays makes money to fund scholarships and bursaries for students across the world.

Due to advanced age on 11 February 2013, Benedict announced in a speech in Latin and cited a "lack of strength of mind and body" before the cardinals. He effectively left on 28 February 2013.As emeritus, Benedict retained the style of His Holiness, and the title and continued to dress in the color of white. He moved into the newly renovated monastery of Mater Ecclesiae for his retirement. Pope Francis succeeded him on 13 March 2013.

(more info on Ratzinger Foundation: https://www.ewtn.com/library/Theology...)

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pope Benedict’s book, The Fathers is the compilation of his weekly catechetical talks from March 7, 2007 to 27 February, 2008.

This is the second time I have listened to these talks, but God willing, it will not be the last. Each Church Father is presented in his historical context, along with what is known of his life, his impact on the Church, controversies he dealt with and the corpus of surviving work. In a few cases of the more important saints, such as Jerome, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, Basil and Augustine, multiple lectures were required.

Pope Benedict also did this with the Apostles and St. Paul.


February 17, 2012: I've just finished this and already I am ready to begin it again ... except for the fact that now I have so many other excellent and learned men I want to read. Where to begin?

Pope Benedict's book is a fine introduction to the Church Fathers, but it is only that, an introduction. He barely scratches the surfaces of their writings, seeking rather to give the reader a brief and tantalizing glimpse into the life, times and thought of the many, rather than an in-depth perspective on the few.

Still a fine and worthwhile place to begin one's journey into the wisdom of the early Church.

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple, brief, yet captivating introduction to Church Fathers. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested into learning about the Church Fathers and Early Christianity. It’s a page turner!

[Bojan Tunguz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christian Church has been blessed with a long and noble history, filled with thoughtful and heroic witness of many courageous and saintly individuals. Unfortunately, many of those figures have not been prominently studied and reflected upon in recent years, and even centuries. This is particularly the case with the early Church fathers - the saints and martyrs who have built the Church and the orthodox Christian faith that we partake in today.

This book is made out of lectures given by the Pope Benedict over the course of several months. Each one of the Church Fathers is represented with one or two lectures, devoted to his life and the most significant theological teachings. We are taken into the world of early Christianity and various challenges and struggles - both physical and theological - that the early Christian community faced. This book is a useful reminder that the orthodox Christian faith has been shaped and elucidated by many thoughtful and courageous individuals who oftentimes faced very serious and harmful persecution. The book ends, unsurprisingly, with five lectures dedicated to St. Augustine. Pope Benedict is well known to be particularly fond of this great saint and theologian, and his own writings are deeply imbued with Augustinian thought and sensibility.

Aside from the obvious historical and theological value, this slender tome is of particular relevance for the Christians in the modern world. We live in the age that is increasingly hostile to the Christian thought and ethics, and it can be tempting to give in to despair or adopt a siege mentality and withdraw from the world entirely. However, it is important to remember that the early Church faced a very similar set of circumstances, and the lesson from that era are incredibly relevant for the situation that we find ourselves in today. For that reason alone this book carries incredible value for all practicing and thoughtful Christians who want to have their voices heard in the contemporary society.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overview of a wide variety of Church Fathers, venturing into some less-well-known fathers. Pope Benedict does a good job of focusing on what makes each significant.

[Joshua Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first reading of a Pope's writings, I was very impressed. This book is a very brief intro to some of the great Church Fathers. It definitely sparked a hunger for a deeper level of commitment to Christ.

[Fr. John Clark]

Read as much for Benedict’s pedagogical voice as for his actual survey of fathers. He was truly a magister—here he briefly and selectively, yet comprehensively, interweaves each figure’s historical context, teachings on faith and morals, and exemplary quotes and anecdotes. Given how much of the Fathers’ theology was latent in their catechesis and homilies, it’s clear that the late Pope imbibed not just their content but their methods as well.

[Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to put reading this book on hold to give way to Henri de Lubac's Catholicism: Christ and the Common Destiny of Man. Now that I have finished this, I had a renewed appreciation of Benedict XVI, which, sadly was not greatly appreciated by many and worse, contrasted with Francesco. I have seen here Benedict not merely as a scholar, but also and most importantly, a man of prayer and devotion, something which you cannot separate from his own theology. This is a magnificent treatment of the Church Fathers, with carefully selected texts and passages, and this is one of the few books that I am going to keep in order to remind myself of what it means to do theology well.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this book some time ago, but have read again in preparation for coursework at the seminary. What struck me most in reading about the Early Church Fathers is that most of their writings had some common themes: homilies against Arianism, the centrality of the Eucharist, the preeminence of the See of Peter, a focus on unity of doctrine, and a willingness to suffer for the proclamation of truth, even to the point of martyrdom.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the church fathers. I especially enjoyed how Pope Benedict ended each reflection with an application of the fathers teaching for our daily life as we draw nearer to Christ. This sampling of the church fathers encourages us to spend more time with these great men of God.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of the early Church fathers, focusing on how each one of them contributed to the development of the Faith. I especially enjoyed the chapter on St. Augustine. Another winner from Pope Benedict XVI.

My only quibble is that the editors of the edition did a poor job with the citations and sometimes did not clearly state the referenced material but used indecipherable abbreviations. Sometimes I could figure out what the referenced material was later in a chapter because the Pope would reference the title directly, sometimes I would have no clue. This makes it hard to look up the source material, which is diappointing.

[Doug Schreiber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book by Pope Benedict is an excellent introduction to great thinkers in the early Church. He starts with Saint Clement and ends with Saint Augustin. In simple form he describes the contribution of these great leaders of the early church that created the foundation we used today for our faith.

[Patrick O'Hannigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this in 2009, but it was more fun to re-read this year with friends in a men's prayer and bible study group. Each of the 26 chapters in this book introduces readers to a different father of the Church. Given the timeline involved (the book starts with Saint Clement, the third man to succeed the Apostle Peter as Bishop of Rome, and ends with Saint Augustine of Hippo, who died August 28, 430), it's safe to say that the patrimony discussed here, while unmistakably Roman Catholic, belongs to all Christians.

One gets the impression that Pope Benedict XVI did not have to do a lot of research in preparing these vignettes, because he's long been familiar with the lives and works that he surveys here for our benefit.

Pope Benedict's language is not always as clipped and Hemingwayesque as American readers might prefer, but his appreciation for what the Fathers did comes through loud and clear. Every chapter is educational, and more than a few have hidden gems. I learned, for example, that Ignatius of Antioch was the first to describe the Church as "catholic" or "universal." Meanwhile, Justin Martyr boldly proclaimed that "whatever things were rightly said among all men are the property of us Christians." Irenaeus of Lyons agreed with Justin, but was also careful to point out that there is no secret doctrine concealed in the Church's common Creed, and "no superior Christianity for intellectuals." Pope Benedict mentions that it was Tertullian who introduced language about "one substance" and "three Persons" to conversations about the Trinity. The pope also notes that Tertullian went off the rails late in his life because he lacked the humility to fully integrate himself with the Church.

Christians who too often ignore Church history in the interval between Saint Paul and Martin Luther might be pleased to find out that Saint Cyril of Alexandria was writing in 433 that "the Christian faith is first and foremost the encounter with Jesus, "a Person, which gives life a new horizon."

More gems: Ambrose of Milan was the bishop who got Augustine of Hippo to straighten up and fly right. Maximus of Turin, "without being too obvious," managed to "preach a profound relationship between a Christian's and a citizen's duties," because "in his eyes, "living a Christian life also meant assuming civil commitments." Not long after that, Saint Jerome, who is famous for translating biblical texts from Greek into Latin, was also making the point that "the privileged place for reading and listening to the Word of God is the liturgy."

In other words, everybody was up to something. There are men here from the East, and men from the West. Pope Benedict treats every one of them as illustrious peeps to whom Christians still owe a great debt.

[Sigurður · Rating 5 out of 5]

Á miðvikudögum flytja páf­arnir venjulega ávarp fyrir almenning og tala á ítölsku. Benedikt hefur í þessum ræðum oft bor­ið niður í lífi og kenningu kirkjufeðranna, sem snemma á öldum rituðu merkar bœkur um kristni. Hér hefur verið safnað saman í enskri þýðingu 36 slíkum ávörpum páfans. Svo að einhvers stað­ar sé borið niður, skal Origenes nefndur, sem er í hópi hinna umdeildari kirkjufeðra, þótt ekki sé á allra fœri að vita, í hverju kenningu hans var áfátt. Og það er ekki viðfangsefni páfans, heldur skýrir hann út gagnið, sem má hafa af ritum og aðferð Origenesar – fjallar satt að segja um manninn á mjög nærfœrinn og upplýsandi hátt. Svo að kaflinn um heilagan Hieronymus sé tek­inn sem annað dœmi, bendir páfi á leiðbeiningar hans um lestur á Biblíunni, á hverjum einasta degi og með bœnagerð á undan og eftir, sem allt fólk eigi að temja sér. Þetta finnst bloggaran­um ágæt bók, bæði út af slíkum heilræðum og traustum fróðleik. Þar sem kaflar eru sjálfstœðir og hóflega langir, má lesa hana með ýmsum hætti. Framsetning páfa á gömlum og flóknum við­fangsefnum kirkjufeðranna verður að teljast svo aðgengileg, að byrjendur í þeim frœðum geta vel haft af henni gagn. Mörg þessi fornu rit liggja frammi á vefnum, ef fólk langar til að lesa meira. - Ef galla skyldi kalla, er bókin auðvitað ekki samin sem bók, heldur sem mörg ávörp af áþekkri tímalengd. Þess vegna vinna kaflarnir ekki saman sem ein heild, á sama hátt og algengast er í samfelldum bókum. Þetta er bara svona, eins og í pottinn er búið, og ber ekki að skoðast sem gagnrýni á höfund eða útgefanda.

[Robert Glover · Rating 4 out of 5]

God bless Pope Benedict. In his day, he was a great theologian and a real scholar. Each of the church fathers described gets a small chapter or more, each chapter derived originally from speeches he gave as Pope. The chapters are surveys, and provide only a small dose of each patristic father's dogma, but they're a good starting point for anyone interested in reading more.

[Argene Clasara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This compilation of Pope Benedict's catecheses on the Church Fathers is a good primer on the said topic. He excellently provided a brief biographical notes on every Church Father that he discussed; hence, establishing the historical context of the persona. Moreover, he cited passages from their writings which reflected orthodox teaching.

[Kerstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pope Benedict XVI did an entire series on the Church Fathers during his Wednesday Audiences. This is the first part of them published in book format. Benedict brings to life these early prominent figures of the Church in a accessible way, to give us a glimpse of who they were and the contributions they made to the Church from which we all still benefit today.

[Harry Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even having studied the Father's of the church in the past - I found this to be a great review and overview that re-sparked my interest. One can see the rootedness of our Church teaching and the connection between our faith and life. This was very worthwhile read during this Year of Faith.

[John Keenan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just started it, and it excells.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to the early Church fathers.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful for cataloging the church fathers exhibit books.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's good background on the Church fathers, although some of the talks on the lesser knwon ones are a bit dry. Best to read in small increments.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of vignettes concerning the Apostolic, Pre-Nicene, and Post-Nicene Fathers up to St. Augustine. Certainly worth reading, especially the section on Augustine.

[Quân Nguyễn · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[Carmen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estupenda introducción a los Padres, apta para todos. Escrita con la sencilla profundidad, humildad y amor habituales en Ratzinger.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the last few years, I have read a number of books by and about Pope Benedict XVI. Of the popes in my lifetime, I find his writings of immense spiritual benefit. I would state that I underappreciated him until his resignation. And since then, I have read much. And with each piece I read I appreciate his wisdom, faith, and stand against modernism. This was another excellent read. There are two editions of this work, and they are very similar. In Europe this volume was published by the Catholic Truth Society called The Fathers of the Church. In North America Ignatius Press published this version. I had tracked down the CTS version and was reading it when I picked up this eBook from Ignatius. I ended up reading about half the book in each edition.

The descriptions on the back of the two volumes are very different. The description of the edition of the book is:

“Following his best selling book, Jesus of Nazareth, and his talks published in Jesus, the Apostles, and the Early Church, Pope Benedict?s Church Fathers presents these important figures of early Christianity in all their evangelical vitality, spiritual profundity, and uncompromising love of God. Benedict tells the true story of Christianity?s against-all-odds triumph in the face of fierce Roman hostility and persecution. He does this by exploring the lives and the ideas of the early Christian writers, pastors, and martyrs, men so important to the spread of Christianity that history remembers them as ?the Fathers of the Church?.

This rich and engrossing survey of the early Church includes those churchmen who immediately succeeded the Apostles, the ?Apostolic Fathers?: Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus of Lyon. Benedict also discusses such great Christian figures as Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian of Carthage, the Cappadocian Fathers, as well as the giants John Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustine. This book is a wonderful way to get to know the Church Fathers and the tremendous spiritually rich patrimony they have bequeathed to us..”

It should be noted the chapter breakdowns are significantly different between the two editions. They cover the same information. The Ignatius version includes the date and location of the audience the text is taken from and has a separate chapter for ever audience. The CTS edition has a chapter for each Church father with four of them having subsections. A few of the CTS chapters also combine more than one address into a single chapter. The chapters in this edition are:

1. Saint Clement, Bishop of Rome
2. Saint Ignatius of Antioch
3. Saint Justin, Philosopher and Martyr
4. Saint Irenaeus of Lyons
5. Clement of Alexandria
6. Origen of Alexandria: Life and Work
7. Origen of Alexandria: The Thought
8. Tertullian
9. Saint Cyprian
10. Eusebius of Caesarea
11. Saint Athanasius of Alexandria
12. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem
13. Saint Basil (1)
14. Saint Basil (2)
15. Saint Gregory Nazianzen (1)
16. Saint Gregory Nazianzen (2)
17. Saint Gregory of Nyssa (1)
18. Saint Gregory of Nyssa (2)
19. Saint John Chrysostom (1)
20. Saint John Chrysostom (2)
21. Saint Cyril of Alexandria
22. Saint Hilary of Poitiers
23. Saint Eusebius of Vercelli
24. Saint Ambrose of Milan
25. Saint Maximus of Turin
26. Saint Jerome (1)
27. Saint Jerome (2)
28. Aphraates, “the Sage”
29. Saint Ephrem
30. Saint Chromatius of Aquileia
31. Saint Paulinus of Nola
32. Saint Augustine of Hippo (1)
33. Saint Augustine of Hippo (2)
34. Saint Augustine of Hippo (3)
35. Saint Augustine of Hippo (4)
36. Saint Augustine of Hippo (5)

It should also be noted there is no introduction of conclusion to the volume. And the CTS edition does not contain the footnotes found in the Ignatius edition. Making the CTS a great reading edition and Ignatius excellent for study.

I have read much about the church fathers and by the church fathers over the years. Both in school and personal reading, much of it by Mike Aquilina. This is an absolutely fantastic volume. You can read it from beginning to end, or jump around and pick and choose the Fathers in a random order.

This is a wonderful volume to read, no matter which edition you pick up. I enjoyed both the editions I have worked through. There is a continuation of this volume with the title of Church Fathers and Teachers: From Saint Leo the Great to Peter Lombard in the Ignatius press edition and it is published as two beautiful hard covers from the Catholic Truth Society called Spiritual Masters Fathers and Writers of the First Millennium and Spiritual Masters Medieval Fathers and Writers.

A great resource that any Catholic would benefit from reading, it would be great for any Christian. An excellent volume.


This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan!

[Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pope Benedict XVI's Church Fathers is actually a collection of his talks about the lives and works of these great men. He talked about Clement, Ignatius, Augustine, and others who helped shape the Church and protect her from her detractors.

As it is a collection of talks, it felt like I was listening to the Pope. I too am reminded that if we are to stay on the correct path of Catholicism, we need to know the true tradition that forged this, lest we lose our way.

The book is an easy and inspiring way to meet the first great Christians. It is a call to deepen our faith, that hundreds of years ago, there are these men of great faith.

[Hilary Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful introduction to the Church Fathers for someone like myself, who was woefully ignorant about them.

Pope Benedict XVI succinctly sums up the lives and theology of the most influential thinkers during the Church's beginnings and I frequently found myself underlining certain profound truths to read again and inwardly digest.

If you know a lot about the Church Fathers already, this is not the book for you. But if you're a newbie like me, this is perfect!

[Anne Farrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a series of talks given by Pope Benedict. It was interesting but not one of my favorites that we've read in our parish book club. I was unfamiliar with most of the church fathers discussed, but I would have preferred going into only a few and in more depth than skimming the surface for a lot of them.

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and accessible

[Lucas Bradburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very good. I learned a lot!