Lendo as Escrituras com os Pais da Igreja

by Christopher A. Hall

Prefácio à edição brasileira

Prefácio

1. Por que ler os pais
2. A mente moderna e a interpretação bíblica
3. Quem são os pais?
4. Os quatro doutores do oriente - Atanásio,
Gregório de Nazianzo, Basílio o Grande e
João Crisóstomo
5. Os quatro doutores do ocidente - Ambrósio,
Jerônimo, Agostinho e Gregório o Grande
6. Os pais e a Escritura - exegese em Alexandria
7. Os pais e a Escritura - a resposta de Antioquia
8. Dando sentido à exegese patrística

Notas

Ìndice geral

Genres: Theology, Church History, Biblical Studies, Christian, Christianity, Religion, History

244 pages, Paperback

First published August 31, 1998

About the author

Christopher A. Hall (PhD, Drew University) is chancellor of Eastern University and dean of Palmer Theological Seminary in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, and has authored a number of books. He is an editor at large for Christianity Today and associate editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series.

Reviews

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent introduction to the church fathers. I couldn’t stop underlining and adding exclamation points beside passages.

[Andrew T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is what it attempts to be. A nice introduction to the hermeneutic approach of the church Fathers.

[Peter Helm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat ecumenical which was nice. Learning to bridge the gaps between Christian Traditions. Protestants, and Catholics and Eastern Orthodox can learn from one another.

[Jacob Aitken · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book turned out much better than I expected it to be. The author avoided anachronisms and the scope of the text, while very limited, skillfully outlined the Church Fathers' (more on that elusive term later) handling of Scripture.

Christopher Hall argues that Evangelicals should make the Church Fathers routine conversation partners in our interpretation of Scripture. Not to make them the last word, since much of their exegesis is rather forced, but because a regular *re*reading of the Church Fathers provides an important epistemological service: it forces us to examine our own presuppositions and culture as we come to the text.

What is a Church Father? Admittedly, any definition of this term is somewhat arbitrary. Hall summarizes the definition along the lines of someone who has received traditional teaching (Hall 50; cf Irenaeus) and faithfully preserved conciliar conclusions. A Church father must have antiquity, holiness of life (although this can be stretched when it comes to things like temper and gentleness) and orthodox doctrine. Granted, a number of questions are begged at this point, but we must move on.

Hall then survey eight fathers: four Eastern (Athanasius, Nazianzus, Basil, and Chrysostom) and four Western (Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, and Gregory the Great) and points the reader to certain works. Much of this section is a summary of what you would find in textbooks on the Nicene and post-Nicene period. I won't go into it here.

He then contrasts the allegorizing of Alexandria with the more literal approach of Antioch.

What can we take from the Church Fathers? Unlike modern academic tendencies, they did not divorce the reading of Scripture and the doing of theology from liturgy (happily, with the coming demise of the German-based post-graduate system in America, we might be approaching a period when this is possible).

Even more, the Fathers had mnemonic powers that Americans can only dream of. This allowed them to be remarkably sensitive to motifs in Scripture that a concordance might miss. While Hall doesn't cover this, to be a bishop in the ancient church one must have memorized the entire Psalter. (And later, to be a Cossack warrior in Russia one must also have memorized the Psalter. When you get captured by Muslimists chanting the Psalter would help you endure torture).

And to be honest, if you want to memorize large chunks of Scripture, you probably need to chant it. Not recite it nor re-read it, but chant it. That's likely why John Chrysostom had the entire Bible memorized.

As a whole the book is outstanding. Some repetition and for those who have read widely on the Nicene debates, parts of the book can be skipped. On the other hand, this is probably the best introduction to the Church Fathers.

[Kendall Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked parts of this book. This book is a good appeal to conservative protestants to care about the church fathers and I appreciated that even though I didn't really need to be convinced of that. Hall does a good survey of about a dozen or so fathers and highlights how they read the scriptures. I felt that in comparison to some other work I've read, Hall tends to miss the forest for the trees when he tries to present patristic exegesis. I felt his picture was more or less that the fathers read like us but with more allegory and such. That's an oversimplification of course, but I don't know if he really captures the gap between modern exegesis and patristic exegesis. I also disliked how critical he was of allegorical exegesis and Origen. I was surprised at how dismissive he seemed at times of these exegetical practices. I think he's trying to anticipate some of the objections of his audience, but I think there's more going on with allegorical exegesis than he seems to present. All in all a good primer to the fathers and how they think about the scriptures, but not quite the book for me.

[Tre Wiggins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn, as this book probably deserves 3.5 stars. Perhaps my expectations were too much, but it mostly failed to meet them. I thought reading a book entitled "Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers" would give me more insight into their hermeneutical principles, but only the last 8 pages or so dedicated any time to it at all. I understand the fathers read differently, and it would be hard to capture exegesis that would cover them all, but I would have just appreciated more. I did enjoy the first couple chapters. The information included on the differences between the Alexandrian and Antiochene schools of interpretation was also interesting. I would probably not read again.

[Willy Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Livro fundamental para quem deseja entender a exegese patrística. O autor faz uma breve introdução definindo os conceitos de "Pais da Igreja", mostrando os requisitos para alguém entrar nesta categoria. Depois mostra a divisão existente entre os Doutores do Ocidente e Doutores do Oriente, passando para a análise da forma como cada um dos principais leram as Escrituras.
Na parte sobre os Quatro doutores do Oriente o autor analisa as obras de: Atanásio, Gregório de Nazianzo, Basílio o Grande e João Crisóstomo. Em os Quatro Doutores do Ocidente ele analisa Ambrósio, Jerônimo, Agostinho e Gregório o Grande. Depois faz uma analise mais detalhada nas escolas de Alexandria e Antioquia. Recomendo!

[Joshua Bethay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author’s intent is to introduce today’s church with a largely forgotten branch of its family history, the early church fathers. This introductory guide acquaints the reader with the patristic fathers, their work, their context, and how they interpreted Scripture. The book is clear, helpful, and incredibly encouraging.

For those of us who love Luther, Calvin, Wesley and the like, we should familiarize ourselves with their heroes of the faith: men like Basil, Augustine, Chrysostom, and Gregory the Great. We stand upon their shoulders, and being that they lived in different times than us, we have blind spots that they don’t posses (and vice versa) which would be greatly aided by their wise hands.

[Garrett Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful introduction to patristic hermeneutics.

The fathers believed scripture should be read holistically, christologically, communally within the church and prayerfully within the context of worship and holiness. They debated the value of allegorical interpretations, but they agreed that the entire Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit to testify about God’s plan to save the world through Jesus Christ.

The book really shines in chapters 6 and 7 as he lays out the issues at play in the debate between Alexandria and Antioch.

[Peter Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hall helped me learn the basics of who major church fathers were and what they believed. It also made me want to read more. This book might be simplistic for those who have already read a lot of the church father’s work.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last in a series of re-reads for me. In fact, this particular book has been rather formational for me; a fact that I couldn't have anticipated when I bought it around 1997-1998 on a whim (I was at loose ends in a book store and this caught my attention, in the days when I still impulse bought books). It sat on my shelf for two or three years, but I picked it up after I left my PhD program in 2000. I'm sure the fact that I had been pursuing a Classics degree set me up for an interest in patristics, but this book started me off on was, for a time, one of my typical scholarly obsessions. I retain an interest now, of course, but patristics is no longer the only thing I read these days.

Christopher Hall's book is a kind of companion volume to Intervarsity Press' Patristic commentaries to the books of the Bible. It is meant to make the case for reading the Church Fathers, especially for Evangelicals. It was part of a Evangelical resourcement, parallel to the Catholic resourcement around the time of Vatican II, but even more unlikely given Protestant hostility to reading the Church Fathers, especially in the modern period. Hall makes the case for reading these early Christian writers, based on their attitude to Scripture. It is a convincing case, especially for the history nerd who has a strong respect for tradition. I won't go into the details of Hall's case, but it makes a strong case that we need to reconnect to the traditional authors of Christianity, if only to counteract our own post-modern theological predilections. Hall is a convert to this view, so he has the zeal of the convert, but he is rigorous and persuasive.

This is, in my opinion, the best of the introductions to the Fathers produced in the Evangelical resourcement. It is also the introductory volume to a trilogy which also address theology and worship. The last I heard is that there is plans for a fourth one, dealing with social justice, but still no word on release for that. Meanwhile, if you are interested in the Church Fathers, this is a must read introduction.

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Hall provides an easy entrance into the world of the Church Fathers. He samples portions of the Four Doctors of the East: Athanasius, Gregory of Nazianzus, Basil the Great and John Chrysostom; as well as the Four Doctors of the West: Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great.

In his opening chapter entitled "Why Read the Fathers?" Hall references the idea that many of us 21st century Christians have an absence of memory. He quotes Robert Wilken, "many modern theologians and Christian laypeople find themselves rootless and drifting in a barren secular and ecclesiastical landscape, largely because they have forgotten their Christian past."

Reading about the Fathers and reading portions of the Fathers was refreshing. A bridge began to be constructed from my modern mind back into history before modernity had taken precedence. Modernity has, I think we can agree, tempered our approach to God and the reading of Scripture. The Fathers challenge my modern beliefs.

Toward the end of the book Hall compares modernity with the ancients. "Unlike most modern people, including too many Christians, the fathers are in no rush. You will not find them providing ten easy steps for spiritual fulfillment, nor evincing great sympathy for those who might find their writings difficult to grasp for the first time. The problem and realities Scripture addresses and elucidates - sin, evil, death, life, incarnation, redemption, creation, recreation - demand the attention of a mind and heart that has learned to be patient, to listen, to be silent, to study, "with the mind of the heart."

I think this is a book that would be good reading for anyone exploring their Christian roots. Perhaps it will encourage you to go to one of the father's works and read. That would be a good thing. Blessings!

[Deiniol Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read introduction to the principles the early church fathers applied to interpreting the Bible. Two chapters are given to the differences between interpretation at Alexandria and at Antioch, and these chapters are a good introduction to the issues that need parsing out in deciding whether allegorical readings of Scripture are legitimate.

[Michael Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb book that serves as an essential primer on the Church Fathers. What did I love specifically?

LAYOUT
The book's layout brought depth and was yet concise and accessible. It effectively dealt with the issues that are relevant when working with the Church Fathers. Then, Hall packs a punch in covering 8 fathers in greater depth, and a number of others as examples on specific issues, to give a fantastic and meaty overview of each Father.

SUCCES OF PURPOSE
Hall delivers on his thesis. I walked away feeling that I heard from, learned about, and engaged how each major figure interpreted the Bible.

PRACTICAL EMPHASIS
The book's final chapter and the heartbeat of the book was challenging to my personal walk with the Lord. It challenged me to read like the fathers in the best way -- in the Church and alongside the personal transformation of holiness and worship that is necessary for good interpretation and the fruit of right reading. The Christo-centric reading and emphasis on the work of the Spirit was encouraging.

SKILL AND INSIGHT OF THR AUTHOR
Hall let the specific Church Father speak along with other reliable experts in such a way that gave me grear confidence. It is a secondary source rich with primary texts throughout. Hall also offer incredibly faithful, nuanced, and helpful commentary.

HERMENEUTICAL INSIGHT
Hall could have been reading right alongside my other resources advocating for an orthodox, faithful, and rich hermeneutic. His last chapter was amazing.

[Anna Warren · Rating 3 out of 5]

A difficult book to read. Although crammed with knowledge about eight of the church father, it overly emphasizes many aspects of why one should read the church fathers. So much so that I became bored. Will keep in my library as a resource, but will probably not read the entirety again.

[Aleksandar Jovcic · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has good information but the point that it’s trying to make is very uninteresting and unconvincing.

As a summary of the early church fathers and their beliefs this book does a good job. The beginning of the book has so much unnecessary philosophical commentary just for the sake of sounding relevant but it isn’t at all. The middle includes the summary of the fathers which is interesting and has a good balance of original quotes and secondary commentaries.

The latter part of the book is where the author tries to make a point on how to read the fathers which can pretty much just be summarised to “have an open mind”. Then at the end there’s a small argument made for a Protestant view of the bible which is so unconvincing because all it is is a justification against the catholic view since the whole book is basically vindicating Catholicism, he makes no original point for the Protestant view so it really just convinced me more of Catholicism.

[Matthew Bramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Review: Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers by Christopher A. Hall

Christopher Hall’s Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers is a fantastic introduction to how the early Church understood and interpreted the Bible. The book opens up the world of patristics—the study of the early Church Fathers—and helps readers learn how they approached hermeneutics (the theory and method of interpreting Scripture) and exegesis (the close, careful explanation of a biblical text in its original context).

Hall highlights several key Church Fathers and their unique approaches to reading Scripture:

Origen is known for his deep spiritual and allegorical interpretations. He believed that Scripture had multiple layers—literal, moral, and spiritual—and that mature believers should press beyond the surface to find deeper truths.

John Chrysostom emphasized the literal and historical meaning of Scripture, especially in his sermons. He believed that clarity in understanding God’s Word could lead to moral transformation in the listener’s life.

Augustine of Hippo (I actually have his biography!) blended both spiritual and literal readings. He believed love was the ultimate goal of biblical interpretation—any correct reading of Scripture should lead us to love God and our neighbor more.

Athanasius focused on how Scripture reveals Christ. He saw Jesus not only in the New Testament but foreshadowed all throughout the Old Testament, showing a Christ-centered view of interpretation.

Irenaeus emphasized the “rule of faith”—the core teachings passed down from the apostles—as the guide for proper interpretation. He fought against heresies by interpreting Scripture within the boundaries of orthodox Christian teaching.

One of the key themes Hall explores is the balance between literal interpretation and allegorical or analogical (spiritual) readings of Scripture. The Fathers didn’t see these approaches as competing but complementary.

The literal sense provided the foundation—what the text meant historically and grammatically. But many Fathers believed that beneath the surface lay analogical meanings, pointing to Christ, the Church, or spiritual truths.

For example, the Exodus wasn’t just a historical event—it also pointed to Christ delivering us from sin. Hall shows that while some Fathers (like Origen) leaned heavily into allegory, others (like Chrysostom) focused on the literal, yet all saw Scripture as a living Word, rich with depth and unity.

Hall helped me understand that the Church Fathers didn’t read the Bible in isolation—they read it in community, with prayer, and with deep reverence.

Reading this book has made me excited to learn more about the Church Fathers, and also to dig deeper into Scripture using solid exegesis, faithful hermeneutics, and thoughtful homiletics (the art of preaching). I want to keep growing—not just in knowledge, but in wisdom and love—as I study how the early Church taught and preached God’s Word.

[Chandler Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative, in-depth, but also accessible look at the biblical hermeneutics of various church fathers from East to West. Patristic biblical interpretation is anything but monolithic. Even in the East fathers were divided on the validity of allegorical interpretation. The western fathers are marked by variety in interpretation. Ambrose, for example, was deeply influenced by Greek allegorical interpreters and passed on both a literal and allegorical hermeneutic to Augustine. Therefore, it may be improper to refer to a singular “patristic biblical interpretation,” and to instead refer to the interpretive practices of the many fathers. Hall delves in-depth into the follow fathers:
- Athanasius
- Gregory of Nazianzus
- Basil the Great
- John Chrysostom
- Ambrose of Milan
- Jerome
- Augustine
- Gregory the Great
- Origen of Alexandria (my fave)
- Diodore of Tarsus
- Theodore of Mopsuestia
Hall also discussed the difference between Antiochene and Alexandrian exegesis, but as much contemporary scholarship is beginning to recognize, Hall reveals a great deal of commonalities between interpreters in Antioch and Alexandria. Specifically, I do think that Diodore’s distinction of theoria from allegory in biblical interpretation is a terminological splitting of hairs. I think, at the end of the day, he is trying to do the same thing in exegesis as Origen. Diodore, like Origen, desires to maintain the literal sense of a text and see a deeper meaning in the Scriptures. One major thing I learned from this book: Alexandrian theologians were not the first to interpret the Bible allegorically (think of Philo), but they were the first to use allegorical methods on the New Testament. Though Hall does not discuss Irenaeus in too much detail, another highlight of the book is the discussion on Irenaeus’s typological and vertical allegorical exegesis, which preserves the relevance of the OT in contrast to the Gnostic’s dualistic theology. For Irenaeus, God created both heavenly and earthly things, and both OT and NT communicate the truth for believers through heavenly and earthly meanings.
Ultimately, many fathers in the East and the West recognized that the biblical text contains a deeper meaning in light of God’s action in Christ, and the fathers desired to hear the symphony of the gospel in the Old Testament text.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introductory book to the hermeneutics of Church Fathers. Hall surveys 4 Eastern Fathers (Athanasius, Gregory of Nazianzus, Basil the Great, & John Chrysostom) and 4 Western Fathers (Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Gregory the Great) of the church. He samples a variety of their writings such as, their theological treatises, sermons, letters, etc. to examine how each Father read and interpreted God’s Word. Hall later examines Origen, Clement of Alexandria & the Alexandrian School, and lastly Diodore of Tarsus, Theodore of Mopsuetia, & the Antiochan School.

I think Hall effectively argues for why contemporary, Modern (Post-Modern?) readers ought to read the writings of the early church. Today, just as readers should be in the habit of listening to multiple voices, outside of their own cultural context, it is of equal, if not greater importance, for them to be listening to voices from earlier times.

In the final chapter of the book, pgs. 190 & 191, Hall quotes C.S. Lewis, among others, to make his final case for why readers ought to do the hard work of reading the much older, Great Philosophers/Theologians/Writers firsthand.

“Lewis does not fault his students for turning to secondary literature, knowing that they are often intimidates by the great thinkers. ‘The student is half afraid to meet one of the great philosophers face to face. He feels himself inadequate and thinks he will not understand him. But if he only knew, the great man, just because of his greatness, is much more intelligible than his modern commentator . . . . It has always therefore been one of my main endeavors as a teacher to persuade the young that the first-hand knowledge is not only more worth acquiring than second-hand knowledge, but is usually much easier and more delightful to acquire.” (From ‘On the Reading of Old Books’, God in the Dock, p. 200)

And another Lewis quote from the book,
“How is the ordinary reader, Lewis asks, to judge the quality of a new book that purports to represent the Christian faith? Only by gaining a familiarity with “mere Christianity” through reading Christian authors writing outside of a modern context.” (From ‘On the Reading of Old Books’, God in the Dock, p. 201)

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars)

I picked up this book (and three other books by Mr. Hall on the church fathers) because I haven't read deeply in the Church Fathers and was curious about how they studied and interpreted Scripture. The title to this book is a little misleading because you're not actually reading scripture with the Church Fathers. You're just reading about how the Church Fathers interpreted scripture, so it would probably be more accurately titled: "How the Church Fathers Interpreted Scripture."

I could have skipped the second chapter "The Modern Mind and Biblical Interpretation," where the author discusses modern theologians, most of whom (at least the ones he discussed), I'm not a bit interested in, blah, blah, blah, I really don't care what Rudolf Bultmann thought of Scripture. However, once I waded through that boring (and in my mind, unnecessary) chapter, when he got to the actual Church Fathers, the book held my interest well.

Having said that, rather than reading much of the Scriptures with the Church Fathers, the rest of the book was just how the Fathers (or some selected Fathers) interpreted Scripture. This was interesting, but not really what I was looking for. I'm hoping in his next three books he delves more into actual discussions of specific scriptures, rather than general matters of interpretation.

I do like Mr. Hall's good desire to get us to take up the Church Fathers and learn from them.

[James Horgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super introduction to the riches of the Church Fathers, why they matter, how they read scripture and how their approach to the Bible can help us to read it more Christologically.

We are not the first to read the Bible and we benefit from the wisdom of our Christian forebears. Yes, the way to Christ is plain in scripture but we will gain wisdom from hearing the reflections on scripture from Christians throughout history. Often this will guard us from theological errors we might otherwise blindly fall into. There is only one self-contained teachers, Jesus Christ. We need to read the Bible in the fellowship of the church.

In this attractively written book Hall introduces us to four teachers from the East: Athanasius, Gregory Nazianzus, Basil the Great and John Chrysostom; and four from the West: Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine and Gregory the Great. It is deeply encouraging to learn something of their lives, and read a little of what they so helpfully wrote.

Hall then looks at the Alexandrian and responding Antiochian schools of exegesis before helping think through how to use the Fathers wisely as we read the Bible and to learn from their approach.

If you don't know much about these figures or have never thought about why reading the Bible in the fellowship of faithful Christians both now and through the ages matters, this is a great place to start.

[Mike DePue, OFS · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is an associate editor of the landmark Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (ACCS). The rationale for this book: “Many people using a series such as the ACCS will find that a guide [such as this] is helpful as they begin to study the exegesis of the fathers. …Scholars already familiar with the fathers will find little new. …Both space and purpose have limited my discussion and analysis.” (pp. 7-8) Note that the winners take home the whole pot—Gnostics, Arians, and rabbinic sources get left by the wayside; even the Syriac and Coptic traditions are largely overlooked. It’s good to see that the Mothers of the Church at least get six pages, however; the mutually respectful relationship between the deaconess Olympias and John Chrysostom, for instance, shines an important light on early church history.

The last sentences of this very fine book: “I invite you to read the fathers because they are part of your family, relatives perhaps long forgotten who long to be remembered as part of the family tree. For too long they have been shut out of the family circle. Welcome them home.” (p. 200) Eloquently and accurately stated.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hall has produced an insightful overview of eight Church Fathers and how their hermeneutics have influenced Christian thought through the centuries. There is a distinct focus on the two dominant schools of biblical interpretation in the early church - Antioch and Alexandria.

Each section offers an analysis of a patristic figure and a specific example of the respective father's hermeneutical approach. I appreciate how this book cultivates a healthy esteem for church history's role in developing sound theology.

The book delivers a distinct call for broader voices in our reflections on Scripture and closes with an appeal that we not become myopic in our biblical understanding. Given the Church Fathers chronological proximity to Jesus and the apostles, Hall proposes that their voices can offer a unique depth to our Scriptural comprehension, thus setting us free from many of the contemporary schools of biblical thought that shun past voices that have illuminated so many believers through two centuries.

[Tanja Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I borrowed this book from a priest who I approached to learn more about the church fathers and what they wrote. I felt this was an area of study lacking in my seminary education. I found this to be a nice introduction, though I found it interesting this book is written from a conservative evangelical perspective, which is neither mine, as a liberal Protestant, or the Catholic priest who loaned me the book.

Clearly the author is not a fan of allegorical interpretation, as he strongly critiques Origen on this point. But I have to admit he’s right in that interpreting allegorically can take someone in some pretty odd directions. And I also agree that Biblical interpretation, now or in the days of the church fathers, is best done communally, with prayer and reverence. While I come from a tradition that believes in the individual’s ability to interpret scripture for themselves, I am increasingly seeing the need for some sort of “guard rails” to keep the interpretation from going so far afield it is no longer the good news.

I look forward to reading more about the church fathers.

[Corben L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this is certainly not a story book. It's definitely not like much of the popular mainstream Christian books of today that give majorly personal anecdotes to paint a picture, rather this is a great and relatively light introduction to the Church Fathers. I myself was unfamiliar before this read, however I leave wanting to digest more.

I found this book to be majorly an argument for the reading of the church Fathers, with key blurbs from certain church Fathers as to what their perspective was and why it might challenge the modern Christ follower. I found that I was at points disengaged and bored, but as I forced myself to really hear the perspective, my eyes were oft opened to something that I would likely not discovered on my own. I really appreciate the clarification that the beliefs of the church Fathers aren't necessarily more correct than the beliefs we carry today, but that there is much to learn from the reading and study of them.

[Joel Wentz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid and accessible introduction to reading the patristic writers. Hall includes short biographical sketches for many of the key figures (Jerome, Athanasius, Augustine, etc.) as well as helpful summaries of their theological and exegetical methods. He wisely surveys they much-misunderstood "allegorical" approach favored by certain early theologians, and nicely captures the tension around this method in the early centuries.

Overall, it's a thoughtful survey, as well as a persuasive apologetic for reading the church fathers. Hall's whole argument is clearly oriented to an evangelical audience that has not had much exposure to ancient Christian writing, but may not offer much to readers who already have deeper familiarity with the subject matter.

[Isaac Maxson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A call to reexamine and learn what we can from the hermeneutics of the patristic fathers. Halls appeal is that not all the principals that the fathers held to are wrong. In fact he would advocate the modern exegete to learn from the fathers especially to learn the spiritual approach to the scripture. Interpreting the word from a context of earnest prayer, meditation and a mind saturated in the study of the whole of Scripture.

I appreciated the book for the purpose it was written. It helped me become more acquainted with the patristic fathers. However I was not very enthralled with the ecumenical elements that traced their way through the chapters.

[Jordan Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read (I listened).

The first section is an attempt to encourage reading the father and to bridge the theological and cultural gaps between us. It was helpful but there was some nonsense about the fathers neglecting women. This section seemed totally forced and incongruous with the remainder of the book.

Second section is 8 short biopics: 4 western and 4 eastern fathers. This included snippets from some of their writings to demonstrate their methodology and hermeneutic.

Third section was by far the best. A heads up comparison of the Alexandrian and Antiochene schools of interpretation by specific their respective theologians. Really good.

[Ariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hall provides insight to the ways, texts, and lives of early church fathers. Explaining the purpose of studying church fathers, expounding and extracting the good we can learn from them. The fathers have a perspective, proximity and contextual advantage we can't attain without looking to them. They refute early heresies, and some fathers even veered into heresy. Nevertheless, we have much to learn from them. If we don't know the mistakes of them, we can't learn from their mistakes, what not to do.

[Aaron Lockhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that acquaints one not only with some of the Church Fathers, but with their exegetical practices as well. An excellent read.

This quote sums up the book and its importance:

"How can we hope to understand the Bible if we needlessly cut ourselves off from our own community’s reflection and history? We need one another and each other’s insights, past and present, if we are to understand the Bible."