The early church fathers were great theologians--though they did not think of themselves as such. They were working pastors, involved in the daily life and leadership of their congregations. Yet they were wrestling with many of the great and formative questions of the Christian faith, such as the Trinity, the incarnation, the providence of God and the nature of the church. These beliefs were defined in the crucible of spiritual leadership, pastoral care and theological conflict, all set against the background of the great cultural movements and events of their day. For the church fathers, theology was a spiritual exercise woven into the texture of life.What would it be like to sit under the preaching and instruction of these great men, to look over their shoulders as they thought and wrote, or to hear them debate theological issues?Learning Theology with the Church Fathers offers us that experience. With the same insight and love of his subject that he brought to Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers, Christopher A. Hall opens the door on patristic theology. Focusing on the great questions, we view these issues in their settings and find greater appreciation for the foundations and architecture of our Christian faith.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Needed Bridge to the Past:
Learning Theology is the second in Christopher Hall's three-volume introduction to patristic theology. The first volume, Reading Scripture with the Fathers, recounts the approaches to biblical exegesis of eight theologians of the catholic tradition. The third proposed volume, Praying with the Church Fathers, will examine the spiritual disciplines and worship of the ancient church. Learning Theology explores the major loci of Christian dogmatics, (for example, the Trinity, Christology, ecclesiology,... more info
Theology based on "The Faith Once Delivered":
Probably more books have been written in the last 50 years on "pop theology" in the religious book market than any other type of book. Now here is a book on the ancient faith that was delivered to the ancient church.
It is not "easy beliveism" but is rich with the words of the Apostles and those who sat at their feet.
Both comforting and challenging, it is a most valuable resource for a serious seeker.
Helpful review of selected fathers:
I found this book to be very useful, but in a rather limited way. While Hall clearly is a master in his field, he falls into the common pitfall of most books of this sort. In a sense this is unavoidable, but then the title should not be taken to mean (or meant to mean) that the book covers all the main themes on a given subject in the fahters. I do not mean the minor opinions of some main fathers either. For example, in his discussion on the human condition, ,Hall fails to represent the Eastern Orthodox... more info
Excellent book.:
This is an excellent overview of the theological approach to Christian doctrine as practiced by the early Church Fathers. While Hall's previous book in the series lacked some degree of practicality, this book is full of useful historical and doctrinal detail in dealing with how the Church explored issues such as the Trinity, the Divine-Human Nature of Christ, and Original Sin and Human Nature. A must for anyone interested in rediscovering the ancient ways of thinking about the Christian Faith. I can't wait... more info
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