Lexham Press
184 pages
ISBN-10 : 1683595831
ISBN-13 : 978-1683595830
Recently there has been much interest in learning about the Church fathers and their writings. Certainly all those who start this noble and arduous task will find some challenges, such as numerous patristic writings, diversity of topics addressed and in some cases a different way of reading or interpreting the Bible in relation to ours. This short and concise book, written by Professor Gerald Bray, helps the reader in this latest challenge.
How the Church fathers read the Bible is an important issue not only to better understand their writings but also not to impose our contemporary forms, methodologies or thoughts.
This book is divided into six chapters, in the first presents the key terms and background in relation to the Church fathers (a very important chapter); in the second, the interaction of the Church fathers and their writings in the Greco-Roman and Jewish world. From chapters three to five, the author addresses issues related to interpretation, beginning with the four senses of interpretation (another master chapter). Finally, chapter six deals with seven theses that condense what the Church fathers affirmed regarding the interpretation of the Bible, considering as the author writes that “the fathers were not perfect, and not everything they had to say has stood the test of time, but on certain fundamental principles they remain authoritative guides for the church today.”[1]
I personally find this to be a very valuable resource for those of us who want to learn about the Church fathers and their writings. What makes this book very different from others (apart from its focus) is that it provides the reader with a rich background, so that even if you know little or nothing about the church fathers, you can read this book very easily.
Let's continue knowing our Christian history and learning together with the voices of yesterday.
I received this book for free from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review for the book.
[1]Gerald Bray, How the Church Fathers Read the Bible: A Short Introduction (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2022), 181.
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