The Later Christian Fathers: A Selection from the Writings of the Fathers from St. Cyril of Jerusalem to St. Leo the Great

By Henry Bettenson

Book Overview

The century and a quarter following the Council of Nicaea (A.D. 325) has been called the 'Golden Age of Patristic literature.' It is this period that Henry Bettenson covers in this companion volume to The Early Christian Fathers, selecting from the writings of Basil the Great, Gregory of
Nyssa, Jerome, Augustine of Hippo, Cyril of Alexandria, and other Fathers of the Christian Church. Their central concerns were formulating the doctrine of the Trinity after the Nicene conclusions, and enunciating the doctrine of the divinity and humanity of Christ. The writings served to clarify
if not to solve the issues and they continue to be valuable and relevant for all who wish to understand the Christian doctrine. As in The Early Christian Fathers, Mr. Bettenson has translated everything afresh and provided some brief sketches of the lives of each of the Fathers represented in the
selection.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192830120
• ISBN13: 9780192830128
• Release Date: January 1973
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 302 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

A Ready Reference for Beginners

Henry Bettenson, a teacher in Patristics and Classics has made an important contribution to the students who wish to delve into the Fathers of the Church. The present book provides an introduction. The book deals with the Church Fathers from the council of Nicea to Pope Leo the Great. This period from 325 to 461 is called the golden age of patristic literature. The Fathers represented here are Cyril of Jerusalem, Hilary of Poitiers, Basil of Caesaria, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, Theodore of Mopsuestia, John Chrysostom, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine of Hippo, Cyril of Alexandria, Theodoret of Cyrus, and Leo the Great. It contains short biographic sketches of the Fathers represented here and citations from their writings carefully categorized under different headings. The great contributions of the post-Nicene Fathers of the Church in the direction of the development of dogmas on Trinity, Holy Spirit and the nature of Christ are well brought out. A thorough study of the contexts in which these patristic writings appeared, is essential to understand the texts. Bettenson is short and sketchy in these contexts, since the book is intented to be only an introduction.