Need access the primary texts of the CH Fathers? Here are some suggested steps when navigating the sources.
1. First, we recommend beginning with the LOEB Classical Library database. The LOEB primary texts are the current scholarly translations, with Greek and Latin counterparts. They are updated regularly and include critical notes and biblical citations.
2. Second, look for the primary text in the classic ANF/NPNF set, either in print or now online through CCEL. Note that there are Scripture indexes at the back of each volume. For documentation, see the SBL Handbook of Style 6.4.5 (p. 101) for formatting standards.
3. Third, search the JFL for your primary text as a stand-alone publication. Look for any 'critical' editions of the primary text which might be favored over the older ANF/NPNF translation. For example, The Fathers of the Church series offers fresh, updated translations.
4. Fourth, search for the primary text on specialty databases, webpages, and digital commons. However, it is always best to cite from a critical edition or the newest scholarly translation rather than from general websites.
Databases and online sites with Primary Texts in English
The Apostolic Fathers in English
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Here is a video tutorial on how to find primary texts in the ANF/NPNF series, using the CCEL webpage.
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Databases and online sites to research in Greek and Latin texts.
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Additional webpages with links to primary texts or other informative surveys.
The gallery below offers several popular Readers, which offer selected excerpts from many of the Church Fathers. These can function as a quick reference check on a citation or as an introduction to various views on a particular topic. Readers are a great place to get a taste for the thought patterns and theological style of the Fathers.
The titles in the gallery below are some of the most helpful reference works and survey resources on the early church. These offer biographical materials, theological analysis, hermeneutical critique, topical studies, and additional historical backgrounds to the Church Fathers and their writings. Consult several tools in this group.
Below are some tertiary or reference materials to introduce Eastern Christianity and the Orthodox tradition.
The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity
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The Encyclopedia of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, 2 Volume Set
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The Blackwell Companion to Eastern Christianity
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Below are resources for topical searches. These are a great place to begin a primary text search on a particular subject of interest.
A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs
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Interest in the ways of the early church has never been more intense. What did early Christians believe about the divinity of Christ? What did they think about resurrection? How did they regard John the Baptist? What were the beliefs of those who sat at the feet of Jesus' disciples? Now, for the first time, a unique dictionary has been developed to furnish ready answers to these questions and others like them. David W. Bercot has painstakingly combed the writings of these early Christian leaders and categorized the heart of their thinking into more than 700 theological, moral, and historical topics to create this book. Wonderfully suited for devotional or thematic study as well as sermon illustration, this resource offers a window into the world of the early church and affords a special opportunity to examine topically the thoughts of men like Clement of Rome, Ignatius, and Polycarp, who were students of the original apostles, as well as the thoughts of other great lights in the life of the early church such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Tertullian. For anyone interested in historic Christianity, this book cannot be overlooked. This book features: Relevant comments on key Christian concepts from prominent figures such as Origen, Clement of Alexandria, Clement of Rome, and Hippolytus Key biblical verses associated with each topic Brief definitions of unfamiliar terms or concepts A "Who's Who" of Ante-Nicene Christianity to put in context the ancient Christian writers Discussion of more than 700 key theological, moral, and historical topics Strategic cross-references to related topics A topical index to the writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers
Early Christian Doctrine
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This revised edition of the standard history of the first great period in Christian thought has been thoroughly updated in the light of the latest historical findings. Dr. Kelly organizes an ocean of material by outlining the development of each doctrine in its historical context. He lucidly summarizes the genesis of Chrisitian thought from the close of the apostolic age to the Council of Chalcedon in the fifth century--a time teeming with fresh and competing ideas. The doctrines of the Trinity, the authority of the Bible and tradition, the nature of Christ, salvation, original sin and grace, and the sacraments are all extensively treated in these pages. This revised edition of Early Christian Doctrines includes: Sweepingly updated early chapters Revised and updated bibliographies A completely new chapter on Mary and the saints
Classical Christian Doctrine
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This clear and concise text helps readers grasp the doctrines of the Christian faith considered basic from the earliest days of Christianity. Ronald Heine, an internationally known expert on early Christian theology, developed this book from a course he teaches that has been refined through many years of classroom experience. Heine primarily uses the classical Christian doctrines of the Nicene Creed to guide students into the essentials of the faith. This broadly ecumenical work will interest students of church history or theology as well as adult Christian education classes in church settings. Sidebars identify major personalities and concepts, and each chapter concludes with discussion questions and suggestions for further reading.
Spirit of Early Christian Thought
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Written by a religious historian, this is an introduction to early Christian thought. Focusing on major figures such as St Augustine and Gregory of Nyssa, as well as a host of less well-known thinkers, Robert Wilken chronicles the emergence of a specifically Christian intellectual tradition. In chapters on topics including early Christian worship, Christian poetry and the spiritual life, the Trinity, Christ, the Bible, and icons, Wilken shows that the energy and vitality of early Christianity arose from within the life of the Church. While early Christian thinkers drew on the philosophical and rhetorical traditions of the ancient world, it was the versatile vocabulary of the Bible that loosened their tongues and minds and allowed them to construct the world anew, intellectually and spiritually. These thinkers were not seeking to invent a world of ideas, Wilken shows, but rather to win the hearts of men and women and to change their lives. Early Christian thinkers set in place a foundation that has endured. Their writings are an irreplaceable inheritance, and Wilken shows that they can still be heard as living voices within contemporary culture.
Learning Theology with the Church Fathers
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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.
These websites offer a biblical verse index to determine if any Church Father has made explicit or implicit reference to your text.
Specialty commentaries that present interpretations and excerpts from the Fathers.
Printed series that offer fresh translations of the Fathers
Here are some key resources to start a study on councils, creeds, confessions, and faith statements.
Creeds, Councils and Controversies
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This sourcebook of primary texts illustrates the history of Christianity from Nicaea to St. Augustine and St. Patrick. It covers all major persons and topics in the "golden age" of Greek and Latin patristics. This standard collection, still unsurpassed, is now available to a wider North American audience.
Early Christian Creeds
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A comprehensive study of the rise, development and use of credal formulaines in the creative centuries of the Church's history.
Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition
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This remarkable four-volume set assembles the principal creeds and confessions of the Christian Church, from biblical times to the present and from all over the globe, and places them in their historical and theological context. An introductory volume, Credo, by eminent church historian Jaroslav Pelikan, surveys the history of these creeds, delves into the meaning and purpose of creeds, and probes the issues and controversies that spawn new creeds, as well as the origins of new religious movements within Christianity. The set includes over 225 texts, with translations from many languages. Pelikan and Hotchkiss provide a brief introduction to each creed and confession, as well as commentary and notes identifying its biblical and other sources. A massive and unique comparative index serves as a comprehensive guide, doctrine by doctrine, to all the creeds and confessions. And a CD-ROM, which contains all the translated texts in their original languages, is also included.
The Story of Creeds and Confessions
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Creeds and confessions throughout Christian history provide a unique vantage point from which to study the Christian faith. To this end, Donald Fairbairn and Ryan Reeves construct a story that captures both the central importance of creeds and confessions over the centuries and their unrealized potential to introduce readers to the overall sweep of church history. The book features texts of classic creeds and confessions as well as informational sidebars.
Know the Creeds and Councils
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In every generation, the Christian church must interpret and restate its bedrock beliefs, answering the challenges and concerns of the day. This accessible overview walks readers through centuries of creeds, councils, catechisms, and confessions--not with a dry focus on dates and places, but with an emphasis on the living tradition of Christian belief and why it matters for our lives today. As a part of the KNOW series, Know the Creeds and Councils is designed for personal study or classroom use, but also for small groups and Sunday schools wanting to more deeply understand the foundations of the faith. Each chapter covers a key statement of faith and includes a discussion of its historical context, a simple explanation of the statement's content and key points, reflections on contemporary and ongoing relevance, and discussion questions.
Credo
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One of the world's leading scholars offers unique insights into the history and significance of Christian creeds Eminent theologian Jaroslav Pelikan has been translating, editing, and studying the Christian creeds and confessions of faith for sixty years. This book is the historical and theological distillation of that work. In Credo, Pelikan addresses essential questions about the Christian tradition: the origins of creeds; their function; their political role; how they relate to Christian institutions, worship, and service; and how they help to explain the major divisions of the Christian church and of Christian history. Credo standsas an independent reference work devoted to the subject of what creeds and confessions are and what their role in history has been. It is also the first of the four volumes of Creeds and Confessions of Faith in the Christian Tradition, edited by Pelikan and Valerie Hotchkiss.
Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms
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Creeds, Confessions, and Catechismsgathers 13 of Christian history's most important documents--including the Apostles' Creed, the Belgic Confession, and the Heidelberg Catechism--into one beautiful collection.
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The Ecumenical Councils of the Catholic Church
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There have been twenty-one universal gatherings 'ecumenical councils' of the Catholic Church. The first opened in 325, the last closed in 1965, and the names of many ring out in the history of the church: Nicea, Chalcedon, Trent, Vatican II. Though centuries separate the councils, each occurred when the church faced serious crises, sometimes with doctrinal matters, sometimes with moral or even political matters, and sometimes with discerning the church's relation to the world. The councils determined much of what the Catholic Church is and believes. Additionally, many councils impacted believers in other Christian traditions and even in other faiths. In this accessible, readable, and yet substantial account of the councils Joseph Kelly provides both the historical context for each council as well as an account of its proceedings. Readers will discover how the councils shaped the debate for the following decades and even centuries, and will appreciate the occasional portraits of important conciliar figures from Emperor Constantine to Pope John XXIII.
Retrieving the Tradition and Renewing Evangelicalism
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