The Fathers by Pope Benedict XVI
Incredible History Of The Church Fathers
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 Churchs 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 Churchs
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.
Personal Review: The Fathers by Pope Benedict XVI
A couple of years ago, I picked up a book on the Church Fathers, those
leaders of the early Church who came within the first few generations after
the Apostles. It was a heavy tome with small print; it seemed very
intimidating and I never did get around to reading it. That is why I was so
excited to get my hands on a copy of "The Fathers" by Pope Benedict XVI
(Our Sunday Visitor, 2008). The material in this book is a slightly edited
record of the weekly general audiences Pope Benedict gave on this topic
from March 7, 2007 to February 27, 2008. It is incredibly readable and very
interesting.
The Church Fathers are fascinating to learn about. Many were converts to
the faith and arrived at the Church through a variety of spiritual journeys.
They were highly educated and several worked to integrate Greek
philosophy with the Christian faith. They also struggled with many of the
theological questions that now form the foundation of our faith: Christ as
both God and man; the Trinity, and what it means to be a baptized
Christian.
Pope Benedict began his treatment of this subject with St. Clement, the
third successor of St. Peter who led the Church in the last years of the first
century. He intervened in the Church of Corinth in what was the first
exercise of Roman Primacy after St. Peter's death. In his letter to Corinth,
"he clearly explains the doctrine of Apostolic Succession. . .The Father

sent Jesus Christ, who in turn sent the Apostles. They then sent the first
heads of communities and established that they would be succeeded by
other worthy men. . . .The Church is above all a gift of God and not
something we ourselves created."
Pope Benedict then devotes his attention to St. Ignatius of Antioch who
was "the first person in Christian literature to attribute to the Church the
adjective 'catholic' or 'universal'." St. Justin did his best to both defend the
faith and explain it. He believed that both the Old Testament and Greek
philosophy were two paths that led to Christ. St. Irenaeus of Lyons wrote
the first catechism of the Catholic Church. Origen of Alexandria preached a
message of love, as he was convinced that "the best way to become
acquainted with God is through love." Tertullian would eventually join the
Montanist sect but he gave the Church the terms "one substance" and
"three persons" for help in explaining the mystery of the Trinity. Cyprian
reflected on the communal message of the "Our Father": "Our prayer is
public and common; and when we pray, we pray not for one, but for the
whole people, because we, the whole people, are one."
Other Church Fathers Pope Benedict invites us to spend time with include
St. Cyril of Jerusalem who emphasized the Christian's rebirth through
baptism. St. Basil was one of the Fathers of the Church's social doctrine
and encouraged interaction with the culture at large. St. Gregory of Nyssa
reflected on the beauty of man as being created in the image of God. St.
Hilary of Poitiers defended the divinity of Christ by quoting from both the
Old and New Testament. St. Jerome translated the Bible into the Latin
vernacular. St. Paulinus of Nola wrote beautiful poetry and made use of
religious art to instruct pilgrims. Lastly, Pope Benedict focuses on St.
Augustine of Hippo, perhaps the most famous Father of them all, who
maintained that "faith and reason . . . must always go hand in hand."
Pope Benedict is a gifted teacher, speaker, and writer, and "The Fathers"
is more evidence of this. He is able to take a complicated history and make
it accessible to all. "The Fathers" provides a great introduction into the
lives and works of many of the great men who helped to form the early
Church. It is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more
about Church history.
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