Getting to Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction

by Bryan M. Litfin

Augustine. Tertullian. Origen. For too many Christians such names are abstract, one-dimensional legends, innocuous voices from antiquity no longer relevant to modern needs and concerns. However, a closer look at these church fathers reveals writers whose reflections on the apostolic teachings edify all generations of believers. Bryan Liftin helps readers understand the fathers as individuals who cared deeply about preserving the core tenets of the Christian faith, and debunks misconceptions about their religious status and treatment of Scripture. An unveiling of these ten personalities demonstrates how much the fathers can teach us about the doctrines of our faith and the enduring community of which we are a part.

Genres: Church History, History, Christian, Theology, Nonfiction, Biography, Religion

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

Bryan Litfin received his PhD in Religious Studies from the University of Virginia and a Master of Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. His undergraduate work was at the University of Tennessee in the field of Communications.

Bryan now works as Head of Strategy and Advancement at Clapham School, after serving for 16 years as Professor of Theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and 3 years as an editor and writer at Moody Publishers. He is the author of The Conqueror (Revell, 2020), Every Knee Shall Bow (Revell 2021), the Chiveis Trilogy (Crossway, 2010, 2011, 2012), Early Christian Martyr Stories (Baker, 2014), After Acts (Moody, 2015), and Getting To Know the Church Fathers (Brazos, 2007, 2nd ed. 2016), as well as numerous scholarly articles and essays. In early 2022, he will release Wisdom from the Ancients (Harvest House).

Bryan is married to Carolyn, and they have two adult children. He enjoys writing, traveling, teaching, reading, spending time with family, and being involved in his local church.

Reviews

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have a problem in Protestantism. The Protestant Reformation burst into European society with Martin Luther’s posting of the Ninety-Five Theses in Wittenberg in 1517. This the event to which all Protestant denominations anchor their origins. However, there is a gap of well over a thousand years between the time of Jesus Christ and the emergence of Protestantism – a vast expanse of which most Protestant believers are completely ignorant. The fact is that God was at work through those years from the hearts of the apostles, to the church fathers, through the Great East-West Schism of 1054 that divided the Eastern Orthodox from the Western Roman Catholic Churches, and beyond to Valdes’ shepherding of the Waldensians (d. c1205), the monastic movement kicked off by St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226), John Wycliff’s (d. 1384) ministry to get the Bible to all Englishman in their own language , Jon Hus’ (d. 1415) martyrdom to get the gospel to the Czech’s, or even Erasmus’ (d. 1536) work in reformation and transformation within the Roman Catholic Church. In my anecdotal experience, most Protestant Christians do not know the history of the Christian Church and are therefore unequipped to field questions from both themselves and others (believers and unbelievers).

Into this breach, Professor Bryan Liftin offers Getting to Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction. Liftin, as an evangelical, writes for fellow evangelical travelers in the Protestant tradition (it should be acknowledged there are also evangelical Roman Catholics and evangelical Eastern Orthodox believers). I found him to be a fair, reasonable and charitable guide. The book opens with a first century map of the Mediterranean World and a timeline of important events that span the past, present and future of the Church Fathers. While most of these highlights in the history of Christianity are covered throughout the work, chapters are specifically devoted to the following individuals:

100 – 165 AD Justin Martyr
115 AD d. Ignatius of Antioch
130 – 202 AD Irenaeus of Lyons
170 – 215 AD Tertullian of Carthage
182 – 203 AD Perpetua of Carthage
185 – 254 AD Origen of Alexandria
306 – 373 AD Ephrem the Syrian
349 – 407 AD John Chrysostom
354 – 430 AD Augustine of Hippo
378 – 444 AD Cyril of Alexandria
435 – 460 AD Patrick of Ireland

Litfin’s presentation has several strong points. Each chapter is well organized to include: an opening illustration, reference to where the individual Church Father fits in the timeline via dates and narrative, context of the subject’s life and ministry, copious footnotes, insights into particular challenges the church and faith encountered in the featured individual’s lifetime, Reflections On… section which details how the influence of this Church Father carries into present day evangelicalism, Provocative Questions segment to stimulate personal or group interaction, Good Books to Dig Deeper in the study of the individual, and a Key Referenced Sources Bibliography. Yet, the presentation remains highly approachable and engaging, without feeling overly formulaic. Liftin presents subjects graciously. He articulates points at which evangelicals would disagree with the subject, areas the Church Father may have experienced failure or difficulty, while highlighting how God multiplied the spiritual maturity of imperfect human beings to be His witnesses from their generation, through 1000+ years, into our day. Much of the debate and scholarship of the infant church concerned Who Jesus was, His attributes, relationship to the Father and the salvation He purchased for all that is to be received by believers. Liftin presents the Lord Jesus as the cornerstone in our beautiful Church foundation with brevity and wonder. The book closes with a helpful Epilogue that focuses on application. I found this paragraph from the Epilogue to provide helpful insight into Liftin’s content and style:

“As you have gotten to know some of your fellow sailors from ancient times, it is my prayer that your perspective on the value of church history has widened. In light of what you’ve learned, I hope you’ll continue to carry out the tasks Jesus has assigned you to do, just as he had tasks for the ancient Christians as well. And as you go about your daily life, discharging your God-given responsibilities, I pray you will do so with an awareness that you are part of something bigger than yourself. You are indeed part of the Church Universal: that great sweep of Christianity through the ages, with all its ups and downs, its twists and turns, its heroes, and villains. This is your story, your family heritage. The fathers and mothers of the church are your spiritual ancestors.” (Getting to Know the Church Fathers, Liftin, pg 276).

Finally, an index aides students in locating subjects, events, and topics within the text. On a topic that can easily become bogged down, it’s important to note the entire text is only 280 pages, presented in a reasonable font size.

In everything, Liftin’s expertise as a teacher emerges: Getting to the Know the Church Fathers is an excellent textbook. I can see how it would also make for outstanding group discussion/ learning. Having finished a first read, I’m already looking forward to a second – hopefully with friends!


For another excellent church history resource, see
Church History, Simonetta Carr, 2022
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Genni]

Just throwing this out there: I think it is sad that we should need a specifically evangelical introduction to the church fathers, but here we are. Liftin addresses three main misconceptions evangelicals have about the church fathers in a grace-filled way, while also offering positive arguments for why evangelicals should study the fathers. He then covers nine fathers and one “mother”. As any good survey would do, he has a hook at the beginning of each chapter, gives biographical details, a short excerpt, and the general controversies that swirled around each one, all in very simple language (sometimes too simple? It reads as though written to middle school students at times).

It is obvious how difficult it is to cover any subject in an introduction or survey with any depth or nuance, but Liftin does this pretty well. He not only presents each father in all of his personal and intellectual strengths and weaknesses, but also manages to sketch the theological culture surrounding the cities where they thrived. There is quite a lot of historical detail for a book just over 250 pages.

If you have no knowledge of the church fathers, this is an excellent place to start. If you are already familiar with their works, as I was, it is still worth a perusal. There is an exhortatory quality when reading almost any historical account, but especially so in this case, seeing each father immediately side by side. The reader sees how little things have changed for the church. She still faces different “-isms”. There are still prophets courageously addressing them. And there is still a whole host of messy people caught up in it all. For anyone committed to the church as an institution, it brings comforting perspective.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Litfin does an excellent job in this introductory work at presenting some - but obviously not a comprehensive list - of the well known Church Fathers to a world that largely has written off ecclesiastical history as unimportant or irrelevant. Litfin's Protestant swing is refreshing, and encouraging, as he does not merely dismiss Tradition as some do, but exhorts the reader to understand that although we are Protestant, we owe the foundation of our faith to these catholic doctors.

This book really opened my eyes to the reality and importance of such historical figures. Litfin's main thesis, namely, that these church figures are important for evangelicals to understand today, and also, the Edict of Milan was not the "fall" of Christianity, but to the contrary, are well proven throughout his book. I would recommend this book as a great introduction to anyone who has no experience with the Church Fathers. This is a great stepping stool to dig further into material that Protestants today are largely ignorant of.

Brent McCulley

[Bob Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a period of history that remains too distant an unknown, it is often hard to find an access point to the study of it.

Getting to Know the Church Fathers does just this. It allows people who are unfamiliar with the church fathers to get a grip on who is who and what their contributions are.

Bryan Litfin gives a basic introduction to ten Church Fathers by providing an overview of their lives, their contribution and giving a small excerpt from their writings.

Writing from an Evangelical point of view, Litfin also brings modern questions to bear on the Church Fathers and allows for modern church people to hear authentically from them.

The writing in the book is smooth and simplistic.

Overall, this book is perfect for pastors, seminary students, or church members who want to beef up on their history.

[Justin Wilkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel that the writing of this book deserves 5 stars but in the goals that Liftin set out to accomplish, I give it 3. He begins the book with 3 misconceptions of church history, all of which, in my view, he fails to prove are misconceptions from any point of view except for his in which the ECF are to be strictly viewed as the orthodox developers of Christian doctrine. On the other hand, the biographical information is well written and gripping, which makes the book a fun read for anyone who likes the history of 100-500 AD. Especially gripping to me was the horrific martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity, and the monastic backgrounds of Augustine and John Chrysostom. I would definitely recommend this for the biographical details, but not so much for the purposes Liftin outlines in the first chapter.

[Mary Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to the early church fathers. The historical context that he offers is very helpful in understanding their times. This is the part that really has stayed with me. It is easy to criticize people from a distance of a millennium and many centuries when you are relying on their scholarship and what has been learned since then to criticize them. Bryan Litfin does a great job of appreciating them for their work, while not ignoring the flaws. He talks about them with grace, for the times they lived in and shows us that we can still learn from them now. If more intensive study is wanted, he offers books by the early church fathers and books about them at the end of the chapter on the particular person.

[Daniel Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t give out the five star rating lightly. If you approach this book with the appropriate expectations it is excellent. It is not overly academic and full of heavy dense content. It is rather a pleasant introduction to some of early church fathers. Each chapter covers a church father but in such a palatable and enjoyable manner. The bulk of each chapter is an overview of that church father’s story followed by the author’s reflection on their legacy (for better or worse). Then a list of resources for further reading is provided along with a list of very thoughtful questions for reflection. Each chapter ends with a sizeable excerpt of that church father’s writings. Loved the structure and the overall spirit of the book. Don’t be fooled by the boring cover.

[Logan Vlandis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very accessible overviews of 12 church fathers. The author teaches at Moody, and his fundamentalist take on things shone through a few times. Still, this was a great taste of the lives of early Christian figureheads. I’m disgruntled that I had never heard their names or testimonies in my own church experience.

[Matt & AmyLaura Duraski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only would I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to learn more about their early church heritage I’d recommend even to those who don’t. I think it’s our responsibility to know our own history. Dr. Litfin does a more than fine job accurately exposing you to a number of early church fathers and figures while not neglecting to mention some of their failings as well. I think he strikes a balance hard to get that is neither overly critical of overly permissive of men and women who were doing their best to serve the Lord this side of eternity in bodies and a world still riddled with sin.

[Grant Blackmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful introductory book for understanding 10 of the early church fathers! It is eminently readable, not overly pedantic, and quite informative! I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in early church history!

[Kyleigh Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent. Litfin has written mini-biographies of 12 church fathers (including a "mother," Perpetua), including much about their personal lives, broader church history of that time, theological growth and debates, and application to our own day--and somehow manages to keep it all accessible! He has great "provocative questions" at the end of every chapter and readable translations of primary sources.

Highly recommended.

[Jeffrey Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a semester of church history at Bible College, and about a decade later read through the whole text-book. But that didn't give me a handle on a lot of the people, let alone help me relate to them. This book does an excellent job at that.

In the first edition of this book, Litfin selected ten people from the first five hundred years of church history; in this second edition, he adds two more. With each one, he gives a more contemporary illustration that either was connected to the perception of the church father or an event in their life (such as dealing with twins as an example of the debate on Christ's natures in the intro on Cyril of Alexandria). He then gives a short history of that person's life, and concludes with a section titled "Reflections on ________". This is followed by five or six discussion questions, helping bridge the gap between the historical person and our current times. A list of sources for further study are provided, and followed by "A Taste of __________" where it gives a sample of the writing of that individual.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive work on Church History. Neither of what I call the Clement Brothers (respectively of Rome and Alexandria) are dealt with, nor is Jerome. You learn some about people (good and bad alike) like Polycarp, Marcion, Montanus, Ambrose, and Leo the Great when they're mentioned in connection with one of the twelve highlighted people. I do think Perpetua seems a little out of place, and included only so there's a church mother there with all the church fathers. Likewise, while I consider Patrick of Ireland a hero of the faith, I would not consider him a church father.

It gave me an appreciation for my favorite church fathers, Tertullian and Athanasius. It also helped me gain an understanding of others like Ignatius and especially John Chrysostom. My pastor and I also took some time reading this book and going through the discussion questions.

I would highly recommend this book both for personal knowledge and for small groups.

[Marie-Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides a helpful overview of a selection of Church fathers. I enjoyed the historical context which places these fathers and their teachings in perspective. This explains my three star rating.

I did not like everything about the book, though. I would have preferred more information about the church fathers' teachings. The historical context was very interesting, but also took up the majority of the book. Now and then I felt that the teachings of certain Church fathers as presented in this book could be effectively summarized in only one or two sentences. I expected more, even for an introduction.

Another point of criticism concerns the Evangelical angle. I read this book in the Dutch translation, in which the indispensible subtitle 'an Evangelical introduction' is regrettably omitted. Liftin seems to pick and choose parts of the teachings of the Church fathers that he feels onderline his own (Evangelical) theology, leaving out the parts that don't, and once or twice even making negative remarks about the Catholic church. I would have preferred a more impartial introduction to the Church fathers, a more well-rounded summary of THEIR theology, not just a selection of their teachings that are consequently put in a Catholic, Evangelical or any denominational point of view. If you are considering reading this book, ask yourself whether you are looking for an Evangelical point of view. If so, this might just be the book for you. If not, it's probably not for you.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. Overall it was just an "okay" read. I appreciated his comments on Monasticism and Asceticism but unfortunately he left out a lot of important details--I suppose you can only say so much in an introductory book, but it appeared to me that he willingly left out details in order to cater to his Protestant / Evangelical audience.

While he made mention of Irenaeus' parallel between Adam and Jesus, he neglected to mention his parallel between Eve and Mary. Liftin commonly replaced "priest" with "pastor" and when he spoke on the canon if scripture he did not mention the books that were originally excepted (which include what Protestants would call the apocrypha or duetero canon).

All in all I suppose it may be a good for you if you haven't had any exposure whatsoever to the Church fathers. My main problem with the book is that Liftin let his own Protestant beliefs color how he wrote about the Fathers--He did not present an overall balanced view but rather left out some things that may perturb evangelicals... This being the case, again, I appreciated the effort and over all encouragement to evangelicals to look past their own bias about the fathers, monasticism etc

[Jaap Tilburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boeiend om kennis te nemen van waar de vroege kerk mee bezig is geweest.
Een van de kern onderwerpen was de gecombineerde godheid en de menswording van Jezus.
Als kernthema's van de vroege kerk vond ik in dit boek:
- wetticisme. Rol van de wet
- Jezus komst in het lichaam
- het evangelie uitleggen zodat filosofen het kunnen plaatsen. De rol van de Heilige Geest daarbij.
- De geloofsbelijdenis, geloofsregel.
- De bijbel, de Canon.
- Allegorien en bijbel uitleg.
- Profetie en woorden van kennis.
- De 3-eenheid
- Afzetten tegen Joodse gebruiken. Antisemitisme.
- Sexuele verleidingen en genade
- Het menselijke en het goddelijke van Jezus.

[Jeremiah Gumm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Litfin provides an excellent primer for the study of ancient church history. He examines the life and work of 10 figures from the Ante-Nicene through Post-Nicene eras, provides suggestions for further study, and a sample of their writings--all while writing in a popular, engaging style. While I did have some quibbles with some of his theological conclusions, I still think this book is a great resource to have.

[Joe Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For many of those cracking open the pages of Bryan Litfin’s book, Getting to Know the Church Fathers, this is their first real glimpse of the ancient Christian church. Rather than returning to old, familiar friends, they are embarking on an exploratory journey that will hopefully enrich and deepen their appreciation for the church fathers (p.1).

As the book’s subtitle indicates, it’s oriented towards evangelical readers who might not know much about the Patristic era. Litfin, who is himself an evangelical professor at Moody Bible Institute, has a task made more difficult by the suspicion and skepticism towards the early church fathers held by some parts of the evangelical community. It seems that keeping his audience in mind is important for properly understanding the purpose of Litfin’s efforts. He is striving to accomplish two main goals: acquaint readers with some of the early church fathers (and a mother), and dispel harmful misconceptions held about them by some (thought not all) parts of contemporary Christianity.

Learning about the Fathers

Rather than mainly recounting the development of Christian doctrines, Litfin focuses more on introducing his readers to the church fathers “as individual personalities” (p.5). He tells readers that, “I want to help you get to know some folks who are part of your own spiritual legacy and heritage in the faith” (p.5).

What does it mean to call someone a church father? This term strikes some as odd given Jesus’ words in Matthew’s Gospel, “And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven” (23:9, NRSV). Jesus also speaks out against calling people “teachers” or “instructors” in the same passage, terms that are regularly used without much controversy. Therefore, Litfin thinks it wasn’t the title itself that mattered to Jesus so much as the hypocritical way it was being used by some of the scribes and Pharisees (p.7). Having dealt with that objection, Litfin shifts to explaining the origins of the term “church father.”

In the ancient world, “The idea of one’s spiritual mentor serving as a father figure was very common” (p.7). Paul even referred to himself as a father to his audience in 1 Corinthians 4:15, “Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel” (NRSV). The term was used in a similar way throughout the first few centuries of Christianity by writers like Clement of Alexandria.

Litfin explains that the Church has generally used a fourfold standard for identifying someone as a “father of the church”: such figures must be “ancient, orthodox in doctrine, holy in life, and approved by other Christians” (p.8). The presence of these categories can already be seen in the writings of the 5th century theologian Vincent of Lérins (p.8). Of course, there were also a number of influential women in the Patristic era (for example, Macrina the Younger, sister of Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa) (p.5). Unfortunately, few works written by them have survived, and it’s necessary to remember that the Patristic church could be, and lived in a society that often was, all-too-patriarchal. In sum, Litfin suggests that readers see the church fathers as “men and women whose beliefs and lifestyles were consistent with what is recorded in the apostolic teachings…Thus the ancient fathers provide us with the first links of continuity to our Christian past” (p.8).

Misconceptions about Patristic Theologians

The first myth Litfin addresses is the idea that the church fathers weren’t biblical (p.9). It’s true that the church fathers were fallible and susceptible to error. However, that doesn’t mean that they ignored Scripture or have nothing to offer us in terms of wisdom. For Litfin, this myth comes from viewing the fathers through an anachronistic Reformation era lens (p.9). Litfin believes that the Roman Catholic Church over-emphasized the significance of the great traditions of the faith during the time leading up to the Reformation, leading to a “two-source” theory of revelation with Scripture and Tradition pitted against each other (p.9). Arguments can be had about how fair of a characterization this is, but either way it’s anachronistic to read it back into the early church fathers’ view of Scripture and Tradition. Here’s Litfin’s summary of the issue:

The truth of the matter is that the church fathers loved the Scriptures immensely. You cannot read the fathers without immediately noticing how the pages of their writings reverberate with scriptural quotations and themes. Scripture was in the very air they breathed; it was what nourished their souls. (p.10)

Some people also think that the church fathers aren’t worth studying because they were all Roman Catholics (which is understood to be bad). Litfin writes, “Once again, we commit the error of anachronism if we read our later concept of ‘Roman Catholic’ back onto the church fathers” (p.11). He explains that the term “catholic” is derived from a Greek expression that speaks of “pertaining to the whole” or being “universal.” Therefore, “When it was used to describe the Christian church in the patristic period, it referred to the unified community of all true believers in the world” (p.11).

Litfin dates the rise of a centralized Roman Catholic church, one that understood Rome to be the seat of Christianity in the world, to the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD, during and following the time of Leo the Great (pp.12, 246). Indeed, some of the wrangling that occurred during the Christological controversies that culminated in the Council of Chalcedon were influenced by power struggles between major Christian centers like Rome, Alexandria, and Constantinople (p.246). Hence, Litfin contends that during this time period, “Rome, though an important center of Christian life, was not the dominant head of a unified church hierarchy that always did its bidding” (p.246).

The final—and possibly most damaging—misconception addressed by Litfin is that church fathers represent the “fall” of Christianity from its unblemished biblical roots (p.13). He explains:

It seems there is a certain historiography… subtly being transmitted among many evangelicals today. It goes something like this. The New Testament era was “good,” and for a century or two the church was “pure.” But then the subsequent generations started perverting the apostolic truth… I know this historiography is being taught today because I have encountered it many times in my students. (p.13)

Who is the guilty culprit in this construal of church history? Most often, blame falls on the Emperor Constantine, who granted toleration to Christianity in the early 4th century (pp.13-14). It is argued that Constantine caused the Church to become watered down and corrupted. In the aftermath of Constantine, most of the Church became the Body of Christ in name only.

Litfin opposes this historical narrative for a number of reasons. “First of all, I find it to be an overly-simplistic way of doing history… History tends to be messy, not easily lending itself to portrayals that make absolute statements about positives and negatives” (p.14). Another obstacle for proponents of this “fall” narrative is that the Reformers themselves, according to Litfin, didn’t think that the church fathers represented the early Church’s “fall.” On the contrary, they “often used the ancient church as an exemplar, the very thing to which they were trying to return” (p.14). The final reason that he judges the “fall” historiography to be inaccurate is because it “robs contemporary believers of vast portions of their historical legacy” (p.15). He resolutely maintains that “all the centuries of Christian history are our rightful possession” (p.15). Each period of church history has both its bright spots and ugly stains, and we have to take the good along with the bad.

Of course there are some areas of scriptural interpretation where most evangelical readers will disagree with the church fathers, and that’s okay. Nevertheless, “when it comes to the general thrust of Christian doctrine, we must stand alongside them if we want to be considered orthodox” since “the church fathers have collectively blazed a theological trail for us” (pp.16-17). Litfin also points out that:

When we get to know the church fathers as individuals, we will begin to understand something of the grandeur of the community to which we belong—what the Apostles’ Creed calls the “communion of saints.”… [This] should give us a sense that we are not alone, that we are part of something grand and magnificent, that we must fight the good fight in our own generation like those who went before us. (p.17)

Having set out his reasons for valuing the church fathers, Litfin spends the rest of the book actually introducing his readers to them. He discusses twelve figures: Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyons, Tertullian of Carthage, Perpetua of Carthage, Origen of Alexandria, Athanasius of Alexandria, Ephrem the Syrian, John Chrysostom, Augustine of Hippo, Cyril of Alexandria, and Patrick of Ireland (p.iii).

In each chapter, Litfin begins with a brief biographical narrative, explores the theological issues/controversies that the church father was involved in, and ends by reflecting on the importance of the person for later Christian belief and practice. He also includes at the close of each chapter a list of further, usually more academic, books and translations available for those wanting to dig deeper. At certain points, the evangelical lens through which he reads the church fathers does become unhelpfully noticeable. Some of his analogies are also clunky. For example, I was distracted by his comparison of Tertullian with a cowboy from the wild west, firing “white-hot pamphlets at the heretics like bullets from his six-gun” (p.83).

Similarly, Litfin approvingly compares Justin Martyr’s apologetic framework to Bill Bright’s The Four Spiritual Laws tracts (p.42). He praising Bright’s tracts for presenting a “spiritual version of the American Dream” that captures the idea of a solitary all-American hero striving for a goal and obtaining the blessings of God (p.43). I cannot help but find The Four Spiritual Laws to be a significantly incomplete, overly-individualistic conception of the gospel. That’s not to say that people didn’t come to Christ through it, only that it’s an unfortunately “thin” rather than “thick” version of the good news about Christ, missing out on the communal nature of the faith that Litfin rightly highlights earlier in the book.

Conclusion

Despite these shortcomings, Litfin’s Getting to Know the Church Fathers is a fairly solid introduction to the patristic writers, especially for those suspicious that they are too “Catholic” to have anything good to say to evangelical ears. Litfin’s portrayal of the fathers is not flawless, but I’m whole-heartedly onboard with his overarching project of rehabilitating the reputation of the church fathers in the evangelical community. What are some good next steps for those hungry to learn more after finishing this book? I would definitely suggest Robert Louis Wilken’s beautiful The Spirit of Early Christian Thought. Another excellent choice for further immersing oneself is Christopher A. Hall’s series of books: Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers, Learning Theology with the Church Fathers, and Worshiping with the Church Fathers. What many Christians seek in this day and age is a greater sense of rootedness. The Patristic era isn’t the only place to turn to, but I do think it truly is a rich resource that many readers can use to grow deeper in their faith. Getting to Know the Church Fathers is a fairly good starting point for that journey.

*Disclosure: I received this book free from Baker Academic for review purposes. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.

**More theology book reviews can be found at Tabletalktheology.com

***This review was for the newly released 2nd edition of "Getting to Know the Church Fathers", published in July 2016 by Baker Academic.

[Kevin Godinho · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book. I am trying to get more familiar with Church history and want to work my way up from the time of the Apostles. It is crazy to think that we have some writings from fathers in the Faith who were discipled by the Apostles John and Peter. A lot of what these men went through is foreign to us. A lot of what they believed is foreign to us. The emphasis they put on baptism and the Lord's Supper is something that is lost among the broad stretch of Christianity in America today.

It is interesting to see the battles these men of faith faced. The heresies that crept up and the debates and counsels that took place. The different schools of thought; allegorical and exegetical. Understanding why certain counsels convened and the creeds that came from them to define what the Faith truly is is crucial. These men paved the path for us having the doctrine of the Trinity. They labored to make sure we understand Christ's hypostatic union as one Person with two natures, co-existent with the Father from eternity; begotten, but not created. From the beginning the fathers taught a form of Original Sin, but it was Augustine who coined the term and really emphasized it. These are pillars of the Faith.

Augustine's conversion is glorious. Once you understand the fullness of his life, what he was doing, what he was going through, what he was in search for, and then see how the Lord grabbed him and converted him is amazing. I really enjoyed learning how Justin Martyr was one of the first Christian philosophers and how he used Greek philosophy to evangelize; using Jesus as the Bridge to heaven the Greek's were looking for. I loved John Chrysostom. I'm drawn to monks and a monastic type of lifestyle. Seeing how a man who despised worldly pleasures was placed as a great Bishop for a time is always a victorious story. How he stood for the Faith and didn't hesitate to hold any punches, including against the Emperor's wife. Reminds me of how John the Baptist rebuked Herod for adultery.

If you are looking to get your feet wet with Church history, specifically with the fathers, this is a great place to start.

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Check out my blog!
https://laymansprogress.com/

[Phillip Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative. Enjoyable. Challenging.

First of all this was an informative survey of 12 church fathers. I really feel like a have a better grasp of the first few centuries of the Christian church. The information is not simply biographical of these 12 people. The background information and side notes about what is going on are extremely helpful.

Second, it was enjoyable to read. The modern illustrations to begin each chapter were well done. The writing style was clear and easy to follow. I simply enjoyed learning more as I enjoyed reading his book.

Lastly, the application questions throughout and the list of questions at the end were challenging. They were thought provoking and convicting. It made me stop and think about my own life, my own church and it made me hungry to study further certain topics that were new to me.

I highly recommend for pastors, church leaders and church members. It seemed accessible and useful to a variety of audiences.

[Dónal Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to major Church Fathers written from a broadly evangelical perspective. Consists of short bios on 10 major figures. It does a number of great things with them: puts them well into their historical context, has great connections to the modern day with relevant discussion and application questions and brings out the historical lessons we Christians can learn from them. It is brilliant at simplifying doctrinal issues of the day, the broad sweep of issues and contentions the early church dealt with while all the while being put in easy and engaging writing. The laudatory tone of the book at times made me wonder if the author was giving his subjects too much of the benefit of the doubt when they were wrong but overall more balanced than not. A brilliant book to give to anyone ignorant of church history and the lessons we can learn. Praise God for his faithful witnesses who have gone before us!

[Hunter List · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't spent a lot of time studying the church fathers but I am very glad that I read this book. In this book, Liftin acknowledges three misconceptions that are associated with the Church Fathers and dispels them by explaining the stories of 10 different church fathers. I think before reading this book (and during the first few chapters) my attitude towards studying the church fathers was rather apathetic. I didn't think that I would pull a lot from this book but I actually found it to be an encouraging read and quite helpful in understanding the roles of the church fathers in Church History.

A quote that I didn't expect to find in this book but one that I loved was "If we make the church into a country club for the spiritually elite instead of a 'hospital for sinners,' we have misunderstood the very nature of God’s grace" (pg. 145).

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feared this was going to be a dry read. And yet nothing could be further from the truth. I'd always been given the vague impression that the church is who we are today "inspite of" our early fathers rather because of their contributions and faithfulness. Yet the author presents us with ten figures who we learn to love, who pioneered orthodoxy, apologetics, different methods of Scripture interpretation, asceticism, and a passion-filled life whose highest Joy would be to be a martyr for our savior. Perhaps the greatest highlight of this book was perpetua, an early church mother whose life is the story of the miraculous and how she lay down her life for her faith. As the author says in this book, every church history is our history, and we need to be familiar with how God used these men and women to make the bride who she is today.

[Warren Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Litfin has crafted a delightful set of vignettes that each highlight the life and importance of an early church member. He carefully guides the reader through the historical context of each individual, and pays close attention to include many who might not traditionally be considered “Church Fathers” (such as Perpetua and Ephrem).

I particularly enjoyed the digestible length of each chapter. Like a helpful appetizer, each biography gives enough information to satisfy a curiosity about the person while also inspiring a healthy desire to learn more and read more. I’ve added a great number of books to my reading list based on Litfin’s recommendations!

I would highly recommend this book to anybody who is interested in an introduction to church history!

[Matt Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is simply an introduction. In fact sometimes the attention getting secular metaphors that are presented at the beginning of each chapter take away from the real diving in each father. That’s why I have to get this four stars instead of five. It is an excellent summation of what was going on at the time of each father and what their response is. It is extremely brief and explaining the theology behind it. But it does also have a little sample of the writing at the end of each chapter as well as discussion questions for those wanting to use this in a group such as Bible study or class. It’s not a difficult read and it runs quite smoothly.

[Ben Zornes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really helpful book as an introduction to some key characters in Church history. For both clergy, but especially layman, this is a great way to gain some familiarity with how the Spirit of God has raised up godly men to help preserve the Church and the Gospel, throughout history. I did find it curious that he included a woman, Perpetua, as a Church father. Though her story of martyrdom is certainly inspiring, it seemed a bit out of place given the overall focus of the book. Regardless, this is a worthwhile book as an introductory overview of early Church Fathers.  

[Bobby Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an “introduction” in the fullest sense of the word. It will be a beneficial read to anyone who has absolutely no previous knowledge of these church fathers. Liftin writes in a very readable fashion yet it sometimes feels as if he has low expectations of his audience’s ability to engage with history and/or their attention span. Nevertheless this book would be very helpful for grade school ages or as a helpful starter for anyone who is looking to learn about the church fathers for the first time.

[Singleton Makin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book line for line and chapter for chapter.
Each on another person loaded with endless references!
This is not only spiritual history but scholarly history too which makes all the difference in the first being more powerful and not just snake oil .

In fact this is textbook intro without reading like a textbook.
Each with an example of each person studied writings. And then references to learn more from many sources.

It led me to many other books and libraries as well as journals for more than a lifetime reading but enough to give inspiration without turning rusty!

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably a good book, but I got tired of reading it and was definitely ready to be done. I guess I am not as interested in church history as I should be! And while the story of Perpetua was extremely interesting and her martyrdom was tragic, it doesn't appear that she added anything to our understanding of doctrine or theology the way the other "fathers" did. I got the feeling that the author thought he ought to include a woman.

[Drew Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably my favorite book on introducing the church fathers. Each chapter includes biographical info, a summary of the most important works, and thoughts for appropriating their work and example from an evangelical perspective. I think it’s helpful to get a grasp of who these “fathers in the faith” were and to let the “clean sea breeze of the centuries” flow through us as Lewis says. If you are looking for an introduction to the church fathers, I recommend this one

[Cody Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid introduction to some of the prominent figures of the early church. Litfin also does a good job of mixing in important details about the socio-political setting of the day. If you're looking to get your feet wet in early church history, this is a good place to start. In addition, recommended reading lists appear at the end of each chapter for those who want to do more digging.