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Home , Apollinaris of Laodicea, Duns Scotus, Hugh of Saint Victor, Jacques Paul Migne, Joachim of Fiore, John Scotus Eriugena

THE WELL-TRAINED THEOLOGIAN

essential texts for retrieving classical Christian

part 1, patristic and medieval

Matthew Barrett

Credo 2020

Over the last several decades, ’s lack of roots has become conspicuous. Many years ago, I experienced this firsthand as a university student and eventually as a seminary student. Books from the past were segregated to classes in church history, while classes on and biblical carried on as if no one had exegeted scripture to the Enlightenment. Sometimes systematics suffered from the same literary amnesia. When I first entered the PhD system, eager to continue my theological quest, I was given a long list of books to read just like every other student. Looking back, I now see what I could not see at the : out of eight pages of bibliography, you could count on one hand the books that predated the modern era. I have taught at Christian colleges and seminaries on both sides of the Atlantic for a decade now and I can say, in all honesty, not much has changed. As students begin courses and prepare for seminars, as pastors are trained for the pulpit, they are not required to engage the wisdom of the ancient past firsthand or what many have labelled classical . Such chronological snobbery, as C. S. Lewis called it, is pervasive. The consequences of such a lopsided diet are now starting to unveil themselves. Recent controversy over the , for example, has manifested our ignorance of like eternal generation, a not only basic to biblical interpretation and Christian orthodoxy for almost two centuries, but a doctrine fundamental to the church’s Christian . Debates over hermeneutics continue to expose our outright towards divine authorial intent and Christological prefigurement, despite the mountain of patristic, medieval, and commentaries that labored to read the like Christ and the apostles. Even a loci as expedient to today’s cultural crisis as theological anthropology is approached as if the church had never about human until now. The list goes on and on. All because we refuse to learn from a pre-modern reading of scripture and its theological heritage, a heritage that has been, until recently, the bedrock of Christian orthodoxy. Something must change. But how? has identified the antidote: “If today is sometimes in disarray—as, indeed, I believe it is—then one of the major is its dislocation from its cultural place…What inhibits Christian theology is…its lack of roots in the traditions of Christian belief and practice which are the soil in which it can grow. …There can be few things more necessary for the renewal of Christian theology than the promotion of awed reading of classical Christian texts, scriptural and other.” I am tired of complaining about the disarray; it’s time to chart a clear path forward. If lasting renewal is to take place, there must be a return to classical Christian texts. Dare I say, even a retrieval. Without retrieval, there will not be renewal. In that spirit, I have written a reading list. It is an “essentials” reading list; it does not pretend to be exhaustive nor definitive, and it is, by my own admission, geared towards works in theology, though not to the neglect of commentary. Consider it a first step, tailor- made for eager students and humble pastors ready to read the Bible with the church.

Ad fontes. Matthew Barrett

PATRISTICS, beginner ______

Creeds Statement of (Expositio Fidei) (pdf) The Apostles Creed (link) Defence of the Nicene Council (pdf) (link) Four Discourses Against the Arians Creed of Chalcedon (discourses 1, 4) (pdf) The Athanasian Creed (link) Letters (e.g., Marcellinus on the Psalms; Serapion on the ; Festal Diognetus and Didache Letter 39) (pdf) Letter to Diognetus Didache On the Trinity (pdf) Clement, , and Ignatius Various epistles Theological Orations (Orations 27–31) with Trypho, a Jew First (pdf) On the Holy Spirit (pdf) Second Apology (pdf) Against Eunomius (pdf) Against Heresies (pdf) On the Holy Trinity (pdf) On “Not Three Gods” (pdf) Anti-Apollinarian Writings (selections) The Five Books Against Marcion (pdf) Against Praxeas (pdf) Augustine On Prescription against Heresy (pdf) Confessions (pdf) City of God (pdf) On the Trinity (pdf) On First (pdf) Answer to Faustus, a Manichean Enchiridion (pdf) The Spirit and the Letter (pdf) The Unity of the Church Nature and Grace (pdf) The Grace of Christ and Arius (pdf) Letter to of Nicomedia The of the (pdf) Letter to Alexander of Alexandria Letter to Catholics on the Sect of the Letter to the Emperor Constantine Donatists (pdf) Homilies (selections on Psalms and Athanasius John) (pdf) (pdf) On the Incarnation (pdf)

Cyril of Alexandria Patrick of On the Unity of Christ (pdf)

PATRISTICS, advanced ______

Creeds An Answer to the The Apostles Creed A Treatise on the The 7 Ecumenical Councils (creeds) On Prescription against Heresy The Athanasian Creed The Five Books Against Marcion Creed of Arminium Against Hermogenes Against the Valentinians Clement, Polycarp, and Ignatius Against Praxeas Various epistles Apology On the of Christ Diognetus etc. On the of the Flesh The Odes of Solomon On Letter to Diognetus The Muratorian Hippolytus Didache The Refutation of All Heresies The Apostolic Constitutions Fragments (e.g., Dogmatic) On the Apostolic Tradition Justin Martyr Dialogue with Trypho, a Jew Perpetua First and Second Apology The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Exhortation and Discourse to the Felicitas Greeks The Monarchy of the Rule of God Origen On First Principles Irenaeus Against Celsus Against Heresies Exhortation on Martyrdom The Demonstration of the Apostolic On Prayer Preaching Dialogue with Heraclides Commentaries (Gen; Lev; Matt; Lk; Jn; Athenagoras Rom) The Embassy for the Christians Cyprian The Unity of the Exhortation to the Heathen On the Lapsed On Spiritual Exhortation to Martyrdom On Against the Jews Christ the Educator The Lord’s Prayer The Blessing of Patience Tertullian

Letters (e.g., To Donatus; To Letters (e.g., Marcellinus on the Psalms; Demetrian; Mortality) Serapion on the Holy Spirit; Festal On the Church (select treatises and Letter 39) letters) Macarius-Symeon Gregory Thaumaturgos 50 Spiritual Homilies Creed or Exposition of Faith Dionysius of Against the Sabellians Apollinaris of Laodicea On the Union in Christ of the Body with The Trinity the Godhead

Lactantius Cyril of The Divine Institutes Lectures on the Christian

Arius (256) Didymus Letter to Eusebius of Nicomedia On the Holy Spirit Letter to Alexander of Alexandria On the Trinity (this might not be by Letter to the Emperor Constantine him) Thalia Hilary of Poitiers Eusebius of Caesarea On the Trinity Against Marcellus Commentary Matthew Preparation for the Proof of the Gospel Gregory of Nazianzus Church History Theological Orations (Orations 27–31) Life of Constantine Anti-Apollinarian Writings Ecclesiastical Theology Letters (selections: e.g., Apollinarian Letters (e.g., Describing the Council of Controversy) Nicaea) Basil of Caesarea Athanasius On the Holy Spirit Against the Heathen Letters and Homilies (selections) On the Incarnation Against Eunomius Statement of Faith (Expositio Fidei) On the Human Condition Defence of the Nicene Council Against the Arians Gregory of Nyssa On the Councils of Arminum and Against Eunomius Seleucia An Answer to Ablabius Life of Antony On the Holy Spirit against Macedonius On the Spirit On the Holy Trinity On “Not Three Gods” Anti-Apollinarian Writings

Life of Macrina Debate and Answer to Maximinus the The Great Catechism Arian An Address on Religious Instruction True and Resurrection The Advantage of Believing Letters (selections) Faith and the Creed Homily on Perfection to Olympius Faith in the Unseen Faith and Works Enchiridion On the Christian Faith Answer to Faustus a Manichean On the Holy Spirit The Catholic Way of Life and the On the Belief in the Resurrection Manichean Way of Life Letters (selections: e.g., To Marcellina as Answer to the Letter of Manni (The to the Arian party) Foundation) The Punishment and Forgiveness of Sins and the Baptism of Little Ones Against Vigilantius The Spirit and the Letter The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Nature and Grace Mary The Grace of Christ and Original Sin Dialogue against the Pelagians The Nature and Origin of the Soul Commentaries (Pss; Jer; 12 Prophets; Answer to the Two Letters of the Isa; Eccl; Matt; Gal;) Pelagians Answer to Grace and Free Homilies [selections from OT & NT] Rebuke and Grace On the Incomprehensible Nature of God The Predestination of the Saints On Repentance and Almsgiving Letter to Catholics on the Sect of the Discourses against Judaizing Donatists Christians Baptism On the Priesthood Psalm against the Party of Donatus On Marriage and Family Life Answer to the Writings of Petilian and The Cult of the Saints Parmenian Homilies (Gen; Pss; Sermon on the Mount; John) On the Nicene Creed Augustine Second and Third Letters to Nestorius Confessions On the Unity of Christ City of God Commentary on John On the Trinity Teaching Christianity (De Doctrina Nestorius Christiana) First Sermon against the The Arian Sermon and Answer to the Second Letter to Cyril Arian Sermon First Letter to Celestine

Isaac of Ninevah Directions on Spiritual Training Leo Tome of Leo Patrick of Ireland Confession

MEDIEVAL, beginner ______

Boethius Breviloquium Consolation of Philosophy (pdf) Gregory the Great Theologiae (selections) (pdf) The Book of Pastoral Rule (pdf) , (selections) Commentary on John (selections) The Cosmic Mystery of Christ (pdf) The Orthodox Faith (pdf) Predestination, God’s Foreknowledge, and Future Contingents Monologion (pdf) Eight Questions on the Power of the Proslogion (pdf) Why God Became Man On the Incarnation of the Word On the Procession of the Holy Spirit Concerning the Cause of God against Pelagius On Loving God (pdf) On Grace and Free Choice of Divine Love (pdf)

Hugh of Victor On the Sacraments of the Christian Concerning the Church Faith Letter from Prison (to followers in Bohemia) Four Books of (selections) Thomas a Kempis The Imitation of Christ (pdf) Concerning the Trinity John Wyclif The Power of the Pope On the

Gabriel Biel The Circumcision of the Lord

MEDIEVAL, advanced ______

Pseudo- The Fount of Knowledge The Divine Names On Heresies Three Treatises on the Divine Images

Boethius Consolation of Philosophy On the Holy Icons The Trinity is One God not Three Gods Against Eutyches and Nestorius Johannes Scotus Eriugena On the Catholic Faith On Divine Predestination

Benedict of Nursia Photius of Constantinople The Benedictine Rule Treatise on the Mystagogia of the Holy Spirit Encyclical Letter to the Archiepiscopal The Ladder of Divine Ascent Sees of the East

Gregory the Great Homilies (selections) Division of Nature The Book of Pastoral Rule God and the Moral Law On Christian Doctrine and Practice Maximus the Confessor Letter to of The Cosmic Mystery of Christ and the of the Western Empire Opuscule 7 The Trial of Maximus Remigius of Lyons (and Florus of On Difficulties in Sacred Scripture Lyons) Two Hundred Chapters on Theology Reply to the Three Letters (of Hincmar On the Ecclesiastical Mystagogy and Rabanus) – in defense of Gottschalk On the Ruin of All Humanity John of Damascus through Adam and the Special The Orthodox Faith Redemption of the Elect through Christ Dialogue between a Muslim and a On Steadfastly Holding the of Christian Scripture and Faithfully Following the Concerning the Divine Images Authority of the Holy Orthodox Fathers

On the Trinity Concerning the Body and Blood of the Peter Lombard Lord Four Books of Sentences Commentary on Romans Concerning Christ’s Body and Blood Hildegard Bingen The Book of Divine Works Simeon the New Theologian The Discourses Richard of Saint Victor The First-Created Man Concerning the Trinity Mystical Comments on the Psalms Anselm of Canterbury Ezekiel’s Vision, Prologue Monologion Proslogion Stephen Langton Why God Became Man A Question on Original Sin On the Incarnation of the Word Fragments on the Morality of Human On the Procession of the Holy Spirit Acts On the Conception and Original Sin De Concordia: The Compatibility of The Everlasting Gospel God’s Foreknowledge, Predestination and Grace with Human Freedom Canticle of the Sun Anselm of Later Rule of 1223 Fragment on Original Sin The Testament A Question on Original Sin Albert the Great On Job Sic et non (Yes and No) On the Body of the Lord Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans History of my Calamities Bonaventure The Journey of the to God Bernard of Clairvaux Breviloquium On Conversion Disputed Questions on the Mystery of On Loving God the Trinity Sermons on The Song of Songs Retracing the Arts to Theology On Grace and Free Choice Commentaries (e.g., Eccl; Jn; Lk) Steps of and Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologiae The Moral Ark of Noah Summa Contra Gentiles On the Sacraments of the Christian Commentaries: Matt; John, Paul’s Faith Epistles; Job

Academic Sermons Wessel Gansfort Commentary on the From the Letter in Reply to Hoeck by Wessel Gansfort On Ecclesiastical Power Julian of Norwich Revelations of Divine Love Sermons John Huss Concerning the Church Dante Alighieri Exposition of the Faith, the Ten De Monarchia Commandments, and the Lord’s Supper Divine Comedy Letter from Prison (to followers in Bohemia) John On Opus Oxoniense Commentary on the Sentences Thomas a Kempis Questions on ’s The Imitation of Christ

William of Ockham John Wyclif Predestination, God’s Foreknowledge, The Power of the Pope and Future Contingents On the Eucharist Eight Questions on the Power of the Pope On the Pastoral Office Philosophical Writings (selections) Pope Pius II Execrabilis Lectures on the Wisdom of Solomon Gabriel Biel Gregory Palamas The Circumcision of the Lord Triads in Defence of the Holy Hesychasts Sylvester Prierias Word and Thomas Bradwardine Concerning the Cause of God against Cornelisz Hoen Pelagius A Most Christian Letter

John Brevicoxa Cardinal Cajetan, Thomas De Vio A Treatise on Faith, the Church, the The Celebration of the Mass Roman Pontiff, and the General Council Jacobus Faber Stapulensis Jacob Hoeck Introduction to Commentary on the Excerpt from a Letter of Jacob Hoeck to Psalms Wessel Gansfort Introduction to Commentaries on Paul’s Letters

Sacrosancta (Council of Constance, Johann von Staupitz 1415) Eternal Predestination and its Execution in Time

Other Sample sets and series in modern English

Popular Patristics Series (SVSP) Ancient Christian Doctrine (IVP) Cambridge Texts in the History of Philosophy (CUP) – This series is Creeds & Confessions of the Christian accessible for beginners and classroom Faith (Yale) use, with volumes by Augustine, Aquinas, etc. The Works of Saint Augustine (NCP)

The Fathers of the Church, Patristic Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae Series (CUA) (CUP) (click “show more titles” at the bottom of each page) Thomas Aquinas, Summa Contra Gentiles (UNDP) Ante-Nicene Fathers (Hendrickson) Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Gospel of John (CUA) (Hendrickson) Bonaventure, Works of St Bonaventure Fathers of the Church Medieval (FIP) Continuations (CUA) Duns Scotus, The Philosophical World Writings (FIP)

Penguin Classics William of Ockham, Theological Works (FIP) Library of Christian Classics (WJK) William of Ockham, Philosophical Ancient Christian (Paulist Press) Works (FIP)

Ancient Christian Commentary on Loeb Classical Library Scripture (IVP) The Classics of Western Spirituality Ancient Christian Texts (IVP)

Sample anthologies

Patristic: Michael Holmes, ed., The : Greek Texts and English Translations (Baker Academic); idem, The Apostolic Fathers in English (Baker Academic); Henry Bettenson, ed., The Early Christian Fathers and The Later Christian Fathers (OUP); William G. Rusch, ed., The Trinitarian Controversy, Sources of Early Christian Thought (Fortress); Richard A. Norris Jr., ed., The Christological Controversy (Fortress); Rick Brannan, trans., The Apostolic Fathers (Lexham); J. B. Lightfoot, trans. and ed., The Apostolic Fathers (Baker Academic).

Medieval: William C. Placher and Derek R. Nelson, eds., Readings in the History of Christian Theology, vol. 1, From Its Beginnings to the Eve of the Reformation, revised ed. (WJK); , ed., Forerunners of the Reformation: The Shape of Late Medieval Thought Illustrated by Key Documents (Fortress).

Original languages and guides to primary sources

Advanced readers should consult Patristic and Medieval works in Greek and .

Patristic: e.g., Jacques-Paul Migne, the and the Patrologia Graeca. For French, consult Sources chrétiennes.

Medieval: for a guide to the primary sources, see e.g., Farrar and Evan’s Bibliography of English Translations from Medieval Sources; Mary Anne Ferguson, Bibliography of English Translations from Medieval Sources, 1943-1967

Note as well how often academic publishers release new translations of primary sources. Two recent examples of such projects include: John Behr’s translation of Origen’s On First Principles (OUP) and Richard J. Regan’s translation of Thomas Aquinas’s The Power of God (OUP).

Also recommended are commentaries and guides to primary sources. An example of this type of work are Brian Davies’s Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Contra Gentiles: A Guide and Commentary and Thomas Aquinas’s Summa Theologiae: A Guide and Commentary (OUP).

For a guide to secondary literature, start with James E. Bradley and Richard A. Muller’s Church History: An Introduction to Research, Reference Works, and Methods (Eerdmans). Then consult specific surveys of literature, such as Hubertus R. Drobner’s The Fathers of the Church: A Comprehensive Introduction (Baker).