History of Theology: The Patristic Period (History of Theology)

Originally produced in Italy, this book on the first through seventh centu­ries begins a monumental history of Catholic theology. The second and largest volume, covering the eighth to fourteenth centuries, will have two parts, while the third will cover the period from the Council of Trent to the twentieth century. This series focuses on theological method ralher than the history of dogma or significant theologians. Method is interpreted broadly in an aware­ness that theological work is done in a historical and cultural setting. The book discusses the complex relationships between early Christian thinkers and the late antique religious, literary, and philosophical culture in which they lived. Attention is also paid to the influences of prayer, liturgy, pastoral care, and ethics on theological reflection. Theology is understood as reasoned reflection on the revelation embodied in Scripture in light of human experience, so biblical interpretation and the relationship of faith and reason are discussed. Most chapters, including the extensive contributions of Basil Studer, manifest a Catholic theological perspective. Some contributors, such as Eric Osborn, approach the material more as secular cultural historians. The work is encyclopedic in character and scope. Although the index is brief and not very informative, readers will appreciate the detailed ten-page table of contents and Angelo Di Berardino's thirty-page chronological tables. Each chapter concludes with a useful bibliography, and the 105 pages of notes yield many fascinating insights [from the review of Nonna Verna Harrison in Church History, vol. 67, no. 4, Dec. 1998, p. 745]. In this, the first of a four-volume series, Father Studer offers a detailed study of how theology was done" in the socio-cultural scene of the Christian community in the Constantinian and Theodosian eras (known as the age of "the Church of the Empire" or the "Imperial Church"). It defines the conditions in which pastors sought to help the faithful understand their religion and develops the thought through which the writers of the post-Nicene Church set out to actualize the Word of God as found in the sacred writings. Rather than narrowly focusing on major figures and their works, this historical investigation defines the context in which patristic theological inquiries were formed, since what is termed "theology" today only gradually took shape in the early centuries of Christian living. Terminology, literary genres, the Bible, philosophy, heresy, art and architecture, theological currents, and sociopolitical circumstances in addition to people and events are some of the categories this volume explores to integrate in a holistic manner the developing theological methods of the Church. Translated from Italian, this scholarly work is carefully organized and annotated. Text and chronological tales are included along with a list of abbreviations and a topical index. Chapters in Part One are: "The Beginnings of Christian Theology," "The Greco-Roman World: Challenge and Response," "Defense of Truth and Attack on Heresy," "The School of Alexandria and Its Fortunes," "A Theology Without Learning," "The East After Origen," "The Beginnings of Theological Reflection in the West," and "The Christian Apocrypha and Their Significance." Chapters in Part Two are: "The Situation of the Church," "Instituta Veterum," "Concluding Thoughts," "Eruditio Veterum," "Sapientia Veterum," "The Characteristics of Theological Work," "The Bible as Read in the Church," "Synodal Orthodoxy," "The Fathers of the Church," "The Beginnings of the Doctrinal Authority," "A Rational Knowledge of the Bible," "A Search for a Synthesis of Biblical Thought," "Summaries of Christian Doctrine," "The Role of Heresies," and "Reflection on Theological Systematization." Basil Studer, OSB, a monk of Engelberg Abbey in Switzerland, is professor of history of ancient Christianity and patrology at the Collegio di San Anselmo and the Instituto Patristico Augustinianum in Rome. He is also the author of Trinity and Incarnation , also published by The Liturgical Press. " The history of theology presented in this four-volume study is meant to be a history of the whole of Catholic Christian theology, from which the Second Vatican Council has served as both a point of arrival and a point of departure. The authors provide a history of theology that covers the twenty centuries of theological thought beginning with biblical revelation. They focus on the word "theology" and its accepted meaning and offer a careful history that shows what "theology" meant in successive periods The multiple volumes that encompass this study bring theology out of its small circle of experts, and show it for what it is to all: a cultural expression of faith that is sensitive to the needs of the day and developed in close dialogue with other forms of the culture.History of Theology will be published in multiple volumes. Translated from Italian, this scholarly work is carefully organized and annotated. I. The Patristic Period / Edited By Angelo Di Berardino And Basil Studer ; Translated By Matthew J. O'connell -- Ii. The Middle Ages / Edited By Giulio D'onofrio ; Translated By Matthew J. O'connell -- Iii. The Renaissance / Edited By Giulio D'onofrio ; Translated By Matthew J. O'connell. A Michael Glazier Book. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The age of the Fathers of the Church is undoubtedly of special interest to anyone desirous of knowing the origins of Christianity and Western civilization. 1. The patristic period / edited by Angelo Di Berardino and Basil Studer 3. The Renaissance / edited by Guido D'Onofrio.