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Title: Faith of the Early Fathers: Three-Volume Set
ISBN: 0814610250
Author:
William A. Jurgens
Publicate Date: 1980-06
Publish: 1980-06
List Price: $53.50
Average Customer Rating: 5.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $33.71
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $31.00
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Excellence reference of Catholic Doctrines
This three-volume set is an excellent reference of Catholic Doctrines, as written about by the early Church Fathers. In the back of each volume is a list of each tenet of Catholic doctrine, with the index numbers showing which of the Fathers quoted in the three volumes addressed that issue. This list also includes a few heresies, which are thoroughly addressed by footnotes in the text. For anyone who wishes to study the development of Catholic Doctrine, this is a must-have resource.
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2: An indespensible source
I teach adult education at our parish and this set of books is a "must have" for my research. I never walk away saying I could not find what I needed. Any Christian who wants to understand the Church from the beginning needs this set. You cannot walk away from these books and still hold to erroneous notions like "the Eucharist was a 12th century invention", or "Jesus did not become God until after the Resurrection", or "it doesn't matter which Church you go to." All of the doctrine and sacraments of the Catholic Church are found in the historical Church from the beginning, and Jurgens has compiled a marvelous compendium of the teachings, from the words of the Early Fathers themselves, to confirm this. This had to be a labor of love for Jurgens because it is done with such care and scholarship. He clearly had the intended audience in mind by the way he cross-referenced and indexed everything. The ease with which one can use this set is a marvel. No Christian, and certainly no Catholic, home should be without it. If you are trying to decide on which books you should have in your library, do not hesitate over this set. Just get it. You will not be dissapointed. And if you are a seminarian, or thinking of becoming a priest or professed religious, you need this set.
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3: Indispensible for anyone interested in early Christianity
This is the best--the very best--of all the collections of the sayings of the early fathers. The choices are superb. The explanations of the translations are direct and clear and the short biographies that introduce each author include every drop of information you need.
Want to look up 1 Clement? Jurgens includes a biography with all the facts listed, plus speculative information: "Whether or not he was Peter's convert, as the Pseudo-Clementines would have it..." p 8). And in the footnotes: "This is the first time the word 'layman' was used in Christian literature" p 13).
The depth of the information, the perfect choices are remarkable. You might be able to live without these three volumes, but studying the early fathers without them would be much, much more difficult.
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4: Most thorough
Without exception the best collection of early church teachers. In addition to the writings of the early church is a thorough general index but more than that an invaluable doctrinal index to find the seeds of virtually every doctrine imaginable. Do not presume to understand early church history without this reference. All three volumes are ideal but, at the very least, get volume 1. Do not learn church history by other sources, return to the original documents and rediscover the church that Jesus Christ founded. You will be richly rewarded in what you find.
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5: Catholic Church is the church founded by Jesus Christ
The writings of the early church fathers leave no doubt that they are linked directly to the 12 apostles and that their beliefs in dogma which go back 1500 -2000 years ago are consistent with the teachings of the catholic church to-day.The catechism of the catholic church which sets forth what catholics are required to believe to-day is consistent with the teachings of the early fathers.Is would be impossible for this consistency to last 2000 year if the catholic church were not the church founded by Jesus Christ.This volume of books proves this beyond any doubt.Excellent reading for any Christian!
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