Ryan's Reviews > Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol 1

This collection is a vibrant, fascinating look into the earliest extant Christian writers after the manuscripts of the Bible itself. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in the earliest theology of post-biblical Christianity. The faith of these early believers jumps off of every page with words of wisdom, faithfulness, and at times vast intellect. The knowledge and recollection of the Old Testament by Justin Martyr and Irenaeus of Lyons is, to be blunt, astounding. The power in these works is only furthered by the fact that several of these men boldly went to their executions for the name of their Lord (Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna, and Justin Martyr that we know of for sure). The accounts of their martyrdoms can't fail to stir the heart of the reader as these men face their deaths with peace, courage, constancy, and even joy.
The only thing that might knock this down to a 4.5 stars instead of 5 is that the translation is rather outdated, having been produced in the late nineteenth century. Some of the language is fairly antiquated and the translators often followed the conventions of the King James style of translation, with "thee"s and "thou"s and "wherefore"s aplenty. A new translation of the early fathers would be much appreciated, but, until that happens, this collection is more than sufficient for a look into the early years of Christianity.