By allowing us to read holy writings with ancient eyes, the church fathers help us drink deeply from the only water that can give us true life. A follow-up to the previous Ancient Christian Devotional, which follows lectionary cycle A, this devotional guide follows lectionary cycle C, which begins i[...]

The Revelation to John--with its vivid images and portraits of conflict leading up to the marriage supper of the Lamb, the cosmic destruction of evil, and the formation of a new heaven and a new earth--was widely read, even as it was variously interpreted in the early church. Approaches to its inter[...]

How does an infinite God relate to finite human beings? How does the death of Jesus Christ bring about human salvation? How are Christians able to actively address the world's ills while maintaining their citizenship in the kingdom of God? These are questions the church grapples with today, as it al[...]

Genesis 12-50 recounts the history of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. From their mentors Paul, Peter, Stephen and the author of the letter to the Hebrews, the early fathers learned to draw out the spiritual significance of the patriarchal narrative for Christian believers. The Alexa[...]

A 2001 Christianity Today Book of the Year While patristic commentary on St. Paul's shorter letters--Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, the Pastorals and Philemon--was not so extensive as that on his longer letters, certain passages in these letters proved particularly important in doctrinal disputes a[...]

"To search the sacred Scripture is very good and most profitable for the soul. For, 'like a tree which is planted near the running waters, ' so does the soul watered by sacred Scripture also grow hearty and bear fruit in due season," writes John of Damascus in Orthodox Faith (4.17). By helping us to[...]

Africa has played a decisive role in the formation of Christian culture from its infancy. Some of the most decisive intellectual achievements of Christianity were explored and understood in Africa before they were in Europe. If this is so, why is Christianity so often perceived in Africa as a Wester[...]

This is a three-volume set, each volume focusing on one person of the godhead: volume 1 explores the Christian understanding of God, creation and providence; volume 2 discusses Christ and the incarnation; and, volume 3 considers the presence of the Holy Spirit in history and His power in the lives a[...]