The Apostolic Fathers Writings Refer To: 1
POPE SHENOUDA III COPTIC THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE SYDNEY - AUSTRALIA LECTURES IN PATROLOGY THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS Preparatory edition 1993 FR. TADROS Y. MALATY St. George’s Coptic Orthodox Church Sporting - Alexandria Egypt For the English Texts of the Apostolic Fathers writings refer to: 1. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1. 2. J.B. Lightfoot: The Apostolic Fathers, Michigan, 1956. 3. Penguin Classics, Maxwell Stanifort: Early Christian Writings, 1968. 4. The Apostolic Fathers, Light and Life Publishing Co., Minnesota, 1978. English text is revised by: Yuvone Tadros Sydney- Australia 2 3 4 5 LECTURES IN PATROLOGY INTRODUCTION TO PATROLOGY 6 THE CONCEPT OF PATROLOGY1 The importance of Patrology is of a growing interest, for this science researches in the lives of the Fathers, their literature, and thoughts. Contemporary Christians are eager to discover the faith of the early (Universal) catholic2 Orthodox Church and acknowledge her spirit. In fact, the story of the Fathers is the story of the early church in all its aspects of worship, pastorship, social concepts, preaching, spirituality, etc. It is the story of the living church of the time, who embraced her children through divine love. It taught them to face the pagan world and the heretics with love, to deliver them as her beloved children, guide them to overcome their evils, and to acknowledge their errors and heresies. The mother church strives for their spiritual growth and ultimately their salvation. METHODS OF PATRISTIC STUDIES In studying Patrology, we face two integral systems: 1- The scientific system, which the West adopts: Scholars are interested in publishing the texts of the Patristic literature in a scientific accurate translation to modern languages, criticizing them and studying their doctrines and thoughts: theological, ascetic, spiritual, biblical, etc.
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