Getting to Know the Church Fathers

"For an evangelical world awakening to the importance of the early fathers of the church, this second edition of Dr. Litfin's work makes an important and continuing contribution to those seeking access to the writers and writings of that period. I am delighted to recommend this introductory work. The selection of twelve representative figures from the period of early Christianity is prudent and presented in an artful and practical manner. I am thrilled that the ancient church is being seriously retrieved by competent evangelical scholars, that valuable reservoir of the collected wisdom of the past brought to life for twenty-first-century readers."

"After years of neglecting the fathers, evangelicals are waking up to the importance of the patristic era and the various significant authors who inhabited it.‎ And this new edition of Bryan Litfin's book on this period of church history is an extremely lucid and reliable guide. A must read."

"A tremendous service is provided by Litfin's introduction of the fathers for an audience that might be uninformed or even suspicious of an era of Christianity crucial to our identity. Insightful, studied, and clear, the work announces key figures, showing their relevance for the contemporary church. The new additions are a refreshing complement to the corpus of the early church where Christ-centered passion shaped writing and leadership from which the church eternally benefits."

"If you are an American evangelical who is curious about the strange world of the early church, this book is just what you need. The church fathers are both very like us and very different from us, and the differences will probably hit you hard when you first encounter them. Litfin is well aware of the disorientation you will feel, and he anticipates--and answers--most of the questions you might think to ask about what you are learning. In doing so, Litfin is a comforting and reliable guide through territory that is so unfamiliar. But this book will do more than allay your suspicions. The church fathers have much to teach us about Christianity, and Litfin's honest and probing discussions will help you think through your own faith in light of the grand narrative of the early Christian past."

"Bryan Litfin introduces twelve towering figures from the church's history, from far east (Syria) to far west (Britain), inviting the reader into the thought world of the church fathers. Setting them within their social, cultural, and historical contexts, Litfin introduces the theologians, martyrs, pastors, and missionaries of the first five centuries, demonstrating their relevance for the church today. These men (and one woman) built on the apostolic foundation through their lives and ministries and made the church strong in times of persecution and doctrinal uncertainty. Didactic and well-researched, this volume portrays the fathers fairly, displaying both their achievements and flaws. It is perfect for evangelicals who wish to connect with those who shaped a vital and rich period in Christian history."

Praise for the First Edition

"A lively and engaging introduction to the church's earliest and most venerable teachers for evangelical readers. Shattering the stereotypes of the church fathers, Litfin shows that they were animated by the Holy Scriptures and love for Christ. Getting to Know the Church Fathers challenges evangelicals to claim the great tradition of Christian thought as their own and invites them to embrace it as their story and their heritage, not solely that of Catholics and the Orthodox."

"A new generation of evangelicals is discovering the riches of the wider Christian tradition, including the wisdom of the early church fathers. Bryan Litfin's patristics primer is a perfect guide for those who are on this journey, and for others who would like to take the first steps. Well researched and well written, this is a gem of a book!"

"Bryan Litfin has written a lively, extremely accessible introduction to the church fathers that students unfamiliar with the patristic world will find very helpful. Litfin is particularly gifted at helping evangelicals understand why the church fathers should be embraced as worthy members of the church's family."

"Litfin represents a new generation of evangelicals who have been trained in patristics and can make the ancient writers accessible to contemporary readers without sacrificing solid scholarship. This book, as the title suggests, offers a creative way to explain select works of the church fathers for Protestants whose religious traditions have long forgotten them."

"Evangelicals' longstanding neglect of the writings of the early church has impoverished both their lives and their theology. Bryan Litfin is a wise and welcoming guide to a firsthand, attentive knowledge of these forbears who enrich and guide our worship, service, and understanding. His thorough knowledge of these ancient Christian writings and the contemporary scholarship on them provides a winsome, accessible introduction and a sound foundation for further study."

"Bryan Litfin's Getting to Know the Church Fathers provides the reader with an inviting, manageable, and devotional introduction to early Christianity's indispensable deposit of faith and practice. I hope it will inform and enrich the contemporary evangelical community."

"This book is a treasure--an exposition of the writings of the early church fathers without an agenda to prove that they support either evangelical or Catholic theology, but rather to simply understand what they wrote and believed! This book fills a gap in evangelical theology, reminding us that every century of church history has something to teach us, including those early centuries when seeds were planted that later grew to have a profound impact on the Christian church. I recommend this book to all who care about doctrine and the progress of history from the early apostles onward. Here is a rudder to guide us, not an anchor to weigh us down."

"Bryan Litfin's book not only introduces ten key figures of the early church but also shows why the study of the church fathers is still beneficial for Christians today. This is an excellent primer to the life, faith, and writings of these pillars of the church. Litfin leads us smoothly from the age of persecution and martyrdom to the period of division and doctrinal controversy, always showing how Christ and his gospel remained the central concern and strength of early believers."

"As they say, 'It's not what you know, it's who you know!' And in this case, knowing the church fathers will enrich what you know with confidence and fresh insight. A big thanks to my friend Bryan Litfin for getting us reacquainted in an understandable and stimulating way."

"Getting to Know the Church Fathers offers a clear and engaging introduction to the lives of some of the most significant Christians of the early church. Bryan Litfin has managed to take a subject that is often tedious and remote and transform it instead into one that sparkles with personal interest and contemporary relevance. The questions and bibliographies that end each chapter provide opportunities for further reflection and study, and the brief selections from these early Christian writers offer a glimpse into the hearts and minds of these key figures. Litfin's work offers a superb introduction to the formative Christian leaders of the church, one that is eminently readable and enjoyable."

"Bryan Litfin's work offers the everyday churchgoer windows into the shared heritage of the Christian faith. His assessment of the church fathers (and one mother) highlights their contributions to the flow of history and theology, as well as the contemporary impact that each one has today. Litfin is also careful to analyze their theological warts, while keeping the reader firmly grounded on the pathway of orthodoxy. Balanced and fair, Litfin brings back into the spotlight some forgotten Christian leaders. I recommend this book for every believer who wants a better understanding of our 'family tree.'"