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  1. Ricky Kirk
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    May 17, 2011
    Ricky Kirk
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 4
    Many young, reformed, evangelical types today tend to follow a select number of 'modern' or 'current' church fathers. You know who they are, MacArthur, Piper, Keller, Mahaney, Driscoll, Chan, and even Platt. Don't get me wrong, these are excellent teachers and preachers and they are definitely shaping us young leaders and I have personally benefited from their teaching and practice.

    What is missing in our understanding of church polity, orthodoxy and orthopraxy is some guidance from our church fathers from ages past. You know who they are (well, actually we don't, but just go with it), Ignatius, Origen, Ambrose, Basil and Patrick. There is a wealth of guidance that should be gleaned from these early church fathers, and it is to this end that Haykin has written Rediscovering the Church Fathers. Many evangelicals are unfamiliar with any church father outside of the apostles in the New Testament canon, this book is perfect to introduce these fathers to a new generation of believers. This volume provides an overview of the early church fathers and the insights they contributed to Christendom in apologetics, worship, suffering, evangelism/mission, and God's Word.

    Many times it seems there are questions I am struggling with and no one else has ever had to figure out how to answer them. Then, I turn to the early church fathers and see they not only had similar questions, but they have profound and deeply biblical answers. It is in turning to those who have gone before us, that great cloud of witnesses, that I can find encouragement, strength and the realization that I am not the first to have these struggles.

    This book is only the tip of the iceberg as it relates to the writings of the church fathers. Included is an appendix that helps the reader go further in their study of the church fathers, recommending a few helpful books and a few places to start exploring. For some who read this book, they will find themselves 'rediscovering' the church fathers, but I believe a greater majority of those who read this book just might find they are 'discovering' the church fathers for the first time.

    Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Crossway as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
  2. Grex77
    Visalia, CA
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: male
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    The early church fathers have a lot to teach us!
    April 13, 2011
    Grex77
    Visalia, CA
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: male
    Quality: 5
    Meets Expectations: 4
    Here's a quick pop quiz.

    1) Who called Islam a "still-prevailing superstition of the Ishmaelites that deceives people" and "the forerunner of Antichrist"?

    a) Franklin Graham

    b) Glenn Beck

    c) John of Damascus

    d) What is an Ishmaelite and who is John of Damascus?

    2) When was the following statement made: "Now, this is the perfect and consummate glory in God: not to exult in one's own righteousness, but, recognizing oneself as lacking true righteousness, to be justified by faith in Christ alone."

    a) During the Protestant Reformation

    b) During last year's Desiring God conference

    c) During the fourth century

    d) In Paul's letter to the church at Rome

    3) Saint Patrick first came to Ireland:

    a) As a missionary

    b) As a slave

    c) As a young child and grew up there

    d) Because they were after his lucky charms

    The answers are down below if you're curious...

    But you're probably thinking Who cares? And you'd be right. These questions all have to do with the early church fathers (Christians from the first five centuries or so of church history), and the truth is most evangelicals don't care about patristics. My point in this silly quiz was to show just how relevant the lives and writings of these ancient Christians are for us today. The church fathers wrote about issues that modern Christians care deeply about and they lived their lives amidst a changing world. Some were learning how to live as persecuted people and knew that to follow Christ was to run the risk of being executed. Others struggled with living authentic Christian lives when Christianity became the official state religion and was watered down.

    In Rediscovering the Church Fathers, Michael A. G. Haykin, a church history professor at SBTS invites evangelicals to explore this ancient world that we often overlook. Albeit, not every the church fathers wrote or believed is gold. In fact, many of them struggled to figure out exactly what orthodoxy was (and wandered into heresy). But we have them to thank today for what we've inherited. They fought important theological battles first and we have received the blessing of their work and their faithfulness.

    I mean, just look at the quote above in question # 2. That could have come from the pen of Martin Luther or John Calvin or from a multitude of reformed pastors today, but it came from a relatively unknown theologian of the [spoiler alert!] fourth century, Basil of Caesarea. Although it's popular for emergent types today to say that the issues being addressed by the Reformation were unique to that day, but clearly the concepts of Sola Fide and Sola Christus (and all the other solas) were not invented by the reformers!

    The book is presented as a brief survey of the early Christian world. In fact, "survey" might be too strong a word. It's more like a sampler pack of early church history. You get some variety, but some of the best flavors are missing. (For example, there's no Didache, and there's no Augustine.) With that in mind, each chapter stands by itself (although there is some cross-referencing when themes or lives intersect). This can make the work appear more or less like a textbook at times. On the other hand, this book is a great introduction to some wonderful early Christians and could serve as a springboard for more detailed study. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more of the actual writings from the fathers. For me, the highlights in this book were the chapters on Ignatius of Antioch, Origen, Basil of Caesarea, and Patrick. I wouldn't say this is a book for everyone, but if you like historical theology

    If you got to the end of this review, here's your reward. The answers are: 1) c. 2) c. 3) b.
  3. Debbie from ChristFocus
    Harrison, AR
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    Good introduction to the topic
    April 11, 2011
    Debbie from ChristFocus
    Harrison, AR
    Age: 35-44
    Gender: female
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 4
    "Rediscovering the Church Fathers" is an introduction to early church history which focused on seven men whose lives and teachings helped shape church doctrine. The writing is somewhat formal in tone, but it's a quick read and easy to follow. The author gave some historical background for each man, quoted from some of their writings, and commented on those writings. I'd recommend this book to those who'd like a quick overview of how some current Christian doctrines were formed.

    The first chapter explained why we should care about what the early church fathers taught. Chapter 2 was about Ignatius of Antioch and mainly focused on his letter about martyrdom, it's historical context, and what it showed about his view of martyrdom and of Christ. Chapter 3 was about the contents of the Letter to Diognetus (a defense of the Christian faith against the pagan misrepresentations of it) plus what can be gleaned from it about how the writer viewed Christ.

    Chapter 4 was about Origen's life and writings, what he taught about Christ (against heresy and in his Bible commentaries), and about his method of Bible interpretation. Chapter 5 was about the teachings of Cyprian and later of Ambrose about the Lord's Supper (and the rise of the Catholic doctrine about it). Chapter 6 was about Basil of Caesarea's life and writings with a focus on the monastic movement (why Christians became monks/nuns, etc.).

    Chapter 7 was a brief history of how Christianity came to Britain and about the writings of St. Patrick on his life and in promotion of missionary work aimed at "barbarian" peoples. Chapter 8 was about how the author got interested in early church history. The appendix contained suggested books for further research on church history and information on the writings of Jaroslav Pelikan about church history.

    I received this book as a review copy from the publisher.
  4. Da Panda
    Taylorsville, NC
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: male
    2 Stars Out Of 5
    "Rediscovering the Church Fathers" Book Review
    April 21, 2011
    Da Panda
    Taylorsville, NC
    Age: 18-24
    Gender: male
    Quality: 2
    Value: 2
    Meets Expectations: 1
    There seems to be a resurgence of interest as of late in church history. No doubt this is in part to authors such as John Piper, who quotes extensively from Jonathan Edwards and John Calvin. Men such as N.T. Wright have also sparked much interest in Early Judaism as well. However, one area where students in my generation simply do not seem as interested is the early church fathers. Michael A.G. Haykin's book Rediscovering the Church Fathers: Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church seeks to educate and, hopefully, rekindle an interest in the church fathers.

    Unfortunately, Haykin's book, while educational, does little to rekindle interest. The book mostly feels like a random collection of essays concerning different fathers in the church. Perhaps the biggest shortcoming of the book is that Haykin provides little commentary on why these church fathers are relevant for today. While he insists on their contemporary importance, little application is given.

    Some chapters are particularly perplexing within his book, such as his chapter on Origin's exegetical practices. After spending the entire chapter pointing out the shortcomings, Haykin never comes around to explaining what we can learn. The question is simply crying out to be asked, "Why did he decide to pick Origin?" Again, Haykin spends a great deal of time discussing Ignatious of Antioch's somewhat graphic (and joyous) description of martyrdom. While he dismisses any suggestion that Ignatious was wrong in his perspective on suffering, he never builds a conclusive case as to why we should listen to Ignatious.

    Haykin's book also seems to ramble. His final chapter discusses his own experience with the church fathers. While interesting, the chapter simply concludes with Haykin essentially saying, "That is how I got into the church fathers." What is left out is how they are relevant, what we can learn from them, and how to apply them to today.

    All is not lost, however. Chapter 6, on Basil of Caesarea, stands out as a particularly practical and powerful chapter. His chapter on St. Patrick is also quite interesting as well. Also, Haykin should be commended for his use of quotations of the early fathers. He quotes extensively from the original sources without using so many quotes that it disrupts the flow of the book. Each chapter was also quite readable and the chapters seemed to be a good length.

    Perhaps the biggest problem with Haykin's book is that it does not really offer anything new to the market of introductory studies on the church fathers. For example, Learning Theology with the Church Fathers by Christopher Hall offers both a thorough introduction to the thinking of individual fathers and provides relevant application. In my mind, at least, Hall's works are a sort of paradigm for introductory material. Rediscovering the Church Fathers simply does not measure up. With so many better books out there on the church fathers, I would suggest passing this one up.

    *Thanks to Crossway publishers for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for a fair review*
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