Discovering John of Damascus
Church history is endlessly fascinating. For one, it is populated by remarkable individuals, many of whom I hardly know and whose lives beckon and promise wisdom and inspiration. Such a one is John of...
View ArticleScripture for Hilary of Poitiers
Some great words from Hilary of Poitiers (c.315-367/8), whom I have long desired to study more and even write a biography of him: “The Apostle, who instructs us on many things, also teaches us that the...
View ArticleWhy Seek out the Fathers
A dear friend, John Clubine, recently passed along to me a couple of pages from The Berean Call, 23, No.3 (March 2008), an article by T.A. McMahon entitled “Ancient-Future Heresies.” There are a number...
View ArticleWhere to Start in Reading Patristics
I was asked by one reader (www.letmypeopleread.blogspot.com ) about where I would recommend beginning a reading programme in the Fathers. Here is my brief reply. (And thanks, brother, for the great...
View ArticleThe Ancient Church Fathers: senior partners in a conversation
I vividly remember a conversation in the early 1990s I had with a person transitioning from Fundamentalism to something further to the left theologically. It was, for me, a defining moment. The topic...
View ArticleJohn Gill and Basil of Caesarea
Ove the past few weeks I have been sourcing patristic citations from Basil of Caesarea mostly (but today also Gregory of Nazianzus) in John Gill’s The Cause of God and Truth, and I cannot find any of...
View ArticleWe believe in the Holy Spirit
The Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed is the capstone of the doctrinal development of the Ancient Church as it relates to the Trinity. From a creedal standpoint what is unique about this text is the...
View ArticleLearning from St Patrick
Lest anyone think I forgot St Patrick’s Day, I did wear green on the day (some friends urged me to wear orange, and one even black!!). But I wore green, which was also Jonathan Edwards’ favourite...
View ArticleThe Cappadocians and creating culture
Recently, my family and I had a tremendous vacation in Sarasota. Among the things I did, this one with my daughter Victoria, was to go downtown Sarasota, where I found in a fabulous bookstore, Parkers,...
View ArticleSt. Patrick or Patrick the Christian saint
When judged from the vantage-point of the New Testament, the entire medieval project of elevating some Christians to the status of “saints” is an illegitimate undertaking. In that yardstick of...
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