Four Witnesses: The Early Church in
Her Own Words by Rod Bennett
The Martyrdom Of Four Christians
What was the early Church like? Contrary to popular belief, Rod Bennett
shows there is a reliable way to know. Four ancient Christian writers—four
witnesses to early Christianity —left us an extensive body of
documentation on this vital subject, and this book brings their fascinating
testimony to life for modern believers. With all the power and drama of a
gripping novel, this book is a journey of discovery of ancient and beautiful
truths through the lives of four great saints of the early Church—Clement
of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus of Lyons.
Personal Review: Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own
Words by Rod Bennett
Rod Bennett's "FOUR WITNESSES" indicates that in some instances
there is a vivid image, rather than an obscure image, regarding some of
the figures of early Christianity. This happens to be so regarding four
important martyrs:

Clement of Rome
( Clement of Rome St. Clement of Rome is believed to have been the
fourth bishop of Rome and served during the last decade of the first
century. )
Ignatius of Antioch ( Third bishop of Antioch )
Justin Martyr ( Raised as a Pagan, he had wealth but studied philosophy,
converted to Christianity. He was an astute student of words and their
philosophical meanings. )
Irenaeus of Lyons ( 2nd century AD - c. 202, a Catholic Bishop of
Lugdunum in Gaul (present day Lyon in France)
Each of these men has left an important mark in history.
Roman governors had the power to authorize the death of any citizen
of a Roman province. For example, if it was required that all citizens offer
sacrifice to Roman Gods, and Christians refused, they were subject to
death, usually preceded by horrific tortures to force a recanting of their
faith in Jesus Christ.
By the middle of the 1st Century A.D. (50 A.D.) Rome was near the
peak of its military might in history. It was also an era in which many
Romans were addicted to luxury and excess; but as author Rod Bennett
shows, Rome had also entered a period of disdain for even its own
religion. In fact, Roman religion had entered a period where the
prevalent doctrines closely parallell the modern NEW AGE movement,
in which a sythesis of all doctrines is proposed, producing a confusing
milieu of ideas which lacks substantial meaning. There were no ethical
absolutes. This is the world in which Christianity appeared.
The familiar Nature worship of the past with offerings of Wheat and
Wine, had degenerated into a Sex God worship, through infant sacrifice
and orgiastic sexuality. This was combined with a sophisticated
philosophy of cold cynicism, not unlike that found amongst modern
proposals for Atheism today.
The parallel with modern times is that it was a synthesis by an
immersion in a hundred different philosophies, characterized by an
absence of logic, with nothing but a fatalistic offering of a silent grave to
look forward to.
[As I write this, I am struck by the poignancy of the author's comparisons,
as I have been reviewing several New Age books. Notably, these are

such popular works as "Seat of the Soul," The Secret," "The End of
Faith," "A History of God" and "Captivating".]
Christians in the Roman Empire, were despised as narrow minded
bigots. (Sound familiar?)
Christians emerged in a world where there were a multitude of "Pop"
philosophies, where public speakers offered "long-winded word
games". These were offered in a pursuit to obtain money usually, which
appears so familiar to those of us who review books, and tire of the
endless stream of best-sellers that do not stand up to objective analysis.
However, the modern citizenry seems drawn to such writings, as
though to believe a thing, was to make it factually to be so. Also,
modern people seem to have entirely disregarded Aristotle's Laws of
Thought;
(1) The Law of Identity
(2) The Law of Non-Contradiction
(3) The Law of the Excluded Middle
So that what emerges, is a populace who follow writers, who make no
rational sense whatsoever. They commonly heap contempt upon what
they characterize as FUNDAMENTALISTS, and in fact, they hold a factual
standard in complete disdain.
The Roman citizens had a great deal in common with modern peoples,
at least in the ideological sense.
For More 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price:
Four Witnesses: The Early Church in Her Own Words by Rod Bennett 5 Star Customer
Reviews and Lowest Price!