Book Description

A Timeless Argument for Traditional Christianity
If you think orthodoxy is boring and predictable, think again. In this timeless classic, G. K. Chesterton, one of the literary giants of the twentieth century, presents a logical and personal reasoning for Christianity in model apologetic form. Gilbert Keith Chesterton was a self-described pagan at age 12 and totally agnostic by age 16. Yet, his spiritual journey ultimately led to a personal philosophy of orthodox, biblical Christianity. The account of his experiences, Orthodoxy bridges the centuries and appeals to today's readers who face the same challenges of materialism, self-centeredness, and progress.

"Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all. And faith mean believing the incredible, or it is no virtue at all."
--G.K. Chesterton

A unique book, Orthodoxy addresses our faith struggles and how we communicate our faith to others. Through philosophy, poetry, reason and humor Chesterton leads us on a literary journey toward truth.

This edition includes a foreword by Philip Yancey who, like C. S. Lewis and other leading Christian writers, found this book to be pivotal his Christian experience. Yancey credits Chesterton with helping to revive and define his faith. ... Read more

Reviews (50)

Wordy, but well worth a read
"Orthodoxy" is described by Chesterton as "a slovenly autobiography", a description that's really not too far off the mark. Instead of depending upon rigorous logic, the contents of this work are rather "mental pictures" of a sort, which is what the author states at the outset. This sort of approach is easy to attack by any contrarian skeptic, but I can't criticize Chesterton, as he and I are really cut from the same cloth. Loath to state the obvious, we both prefer to *illustrate* the truth via induction. This is a perfectly valid method of presenting ideas, it's just that it's easy to misunderstand and misrepresent. It's for this reason that this book probably wouldn't change someone's mind-kind of a litmus test for the open-minded, which, it turns out, self-proclaimed 'skeptics' or 'freethinkers' are anything but.

Chesterton makes two really good points throughout the book: 1) sanity lies in maintaining seemingly opposed extremes in a kind of dramatic tension. It's not balance, it's both at once. It's not a contradiction, it's a paradox. Christianity fits this like nothing else: singularity/plurality, freedom/servanthood, individuality/assimilation, etc., all are fused together in seeming contradiction of common sense. But don't we always find truth to be stranger than fiction? In contrast, monomania is a kind of insanity, like total belief in oneself, or the belief that one unfalsifiable human construct, like evolution, completely illuminates everything. 2) The importance of maintaining a kind of humble childlike wonder about the world, the universe, about existence itself. What if you saw a four-inch-long fully-functional helicopter hovering about? Wouldn't that be delightfully incredible? Not too long ago, after reading this book, it dawned on me, upon observing a dragonfly, that that was precisely what I was looking at. I'm not even talking about creationism, irreducible complexity, any of that. It is in fact, neither here nor there. Just the fact that such a marvelous thing should exist, by any means, is truly stupendous. It should inspire deeper thought about fundamental issues. The modern-day 'scientific' priesthood is perpetually at pains to systematically dismantle the ability to see things this way even as they proclaim it superficially.

The funny thing about Chesterton's writing is that he gets so wrapped up in his ideas that rather strange-sounding, apparent non-sequiturs come up every so often. A sample Chestertonism: "As a fact, anthropophagy [cannibalism] is certainly a decadent thing, not a primitive one. It is much more likely that modern men will eat human flesh out of affectation, than that primitive man ate it out of ignorance." Well, duh!? As in his Father Brown mysteries, Chesterton loves to toss off sweeping statements, and is a bit too shy of explicating his ideas with the utmost clarity sometimes; chalk it up to slovenliness, I guess.But for the most part his ideas are sound and his writing thought-provoking.

a "singular grace note in God's creative purpose"

Those who have read Chesterton realize that he is the sort of man with whom the world is blessed every 100 years or so. A master writer and wry philosopher, Chesterton provides in his book Orthodoxy one of the best summaries available concerning the life in Christ. Even though he found God calling him to the Church of Rome, readers from a wide range of backgrounds - evangelical Protestants of all "flavors", fundamentalists, Eastern Orthodox, Episcopalians, Baptists, Pentacostalists, Lutherans, and yes, Roman Catholics - will discover new insights into their walk with the Christ.

Chesterton has the ability to make us see things anew. In Orthodoxy, he helps us to see the Church in a new way, and he helps us to see afresh the One who founded His Church - Jesus Christ. The book is not an apologetic for Roman Catholicism, but rather one for orthodox Christianity itself.

Chesterton is simultaneously a master of the written word and one who knows his Master. To borrow a phrase (applied to something else, but applicable here) of Richard John Neuhaus, Chesterton is a "singular grace note in God's creative purpose". For those who have not read Chesterton, Orthodoxy is probably the best place to start, followed by The Everlasting Man, followed by the delighful (and insightful) Father Brown stories, followed by ...

an entertaining read, even when you violently disagree
Chesterton was a gleefully confessed madman and a genius with language, but he's also very "Johnsonian" in his own way--and by that I mean that much like dear Dr. Johnson he says everything so well ... that sometimes you're so delighted by the prosity that you don't consider the message. I'm less blinded by the textual pyrotechnics than I once was, and I'm less wholeheartedly dazzled by the philosophy than I once found myself ... but it's still an interesting read and it still makes some remarkable so-obvious-you-never-noticed-it observations about life, the universe and everything.

The best thing you can say about Chesterton is that you don't have to agree with him to enjoy reading him.

A detective's romance
Before his series of Father Brown mysteries, G.K. Chesterton wrote "Orthodoxy," an autobiographical 'detective' story of how he came to believe the Christian faith. Drawing from "the truth of some stray legend or from the falsehood of some dominant philosophy...an anarchist club or a Babylonian temple what I might have found in the nearest parish church," Mr. Chesterton playfully and inductively reasons his way toward the one worldview that best explains and preserves the phenomena in the world he found around himself.

The world around Mr. Chesterton was rife with Modernism in the early twentieth century. Based on philosophies of the late nineteenth century, religious and political traditions were being questioned. Anarchism, communism, and socialism were the parlor topics of the day; the merely symbolic importance of religion was being settled upon. These are the roots of our post-modern society today in which the meaning of nearly everything (even words, according to literary deconstructionists) is now in doubt. At one point in the chapter entitled "The Suicide of Thought," Mr. Chesterton quips, "We are on the road to producing a race of men too mentally modest to believe in the multiplication table." An exaggeration even today, undoubtedly. Still, we have traveled quite a distance philosophically since the era before the World Wars, and "Orthodoxy" is an excellent snapshot of where we've come from.

But be warned: This snapshot captures a lot of active thought. It took me a couple of reads over as many years to get a handle on the structure of the book, and now the rest of it has been becoming clearer to me. Part of the problem is Mr. Chesterton's writing style. There is much playfulness in his language, and a reader could mistakenly conclude that the author's reasoning relies heavily upon wordplay, the turn of a phrase to turn the tables on his opponents. It can become frustrating if one isn't careful. Mr. Chesterton himself acknowledges this impression, "Mere light sophistry is the thing that I happen to despise the most of all things, and it is perhaps a wholesome fact that this is the thing of which I am generally accused." But don't miss the meat for the gravy (or the salad for the dressing, as your case may be). The potency of his arguments doesn't rely on his clever semantics but on his connections between observed facts and the ancient, corresponding orthodoxy of Christianity. Mr. Chesterton has fun with words because he can, not because he needs to.

This mixture of cleverness and careful thinking ultimately leads Mr. Chesterton to this conclusion: Christian faith is well-reasoned trust in Christ. And the desire for well-reasoned trust is a "practical romance," as Mr. Chesterton calls it--a need in the ordinary person for "the combination of something that is strange with something that is secure...an idea of wonder and an idea of welcome." A way to accept the knowable while looking beyond it toward what is yet to be known.

Mr. Chesterton wrote "Orthodoxy" for people looking for that kind of romance. "If anyone is entertained by learning how the flowers of the field or the phrases in an omnibus, the accidents of politics or the pains of youth came together in a certain order to produce a certain conviction of Christian orthodoxy, he may possibly read this book." However, this book isn't for everyone. "If a man says that extinction is better than existence or blank existence better than variety and adventure, then he is not one of the ordinary people to whom I am talking. If a man prefers nothing I can give him nothing." The inconvincible cannot be convinced. Yet the skeptical (such as Mr. Chesterton once was) can be because they are the doubters who're still looking around. I myself come from a skeptic's background and regard "Orthodoxy" as a plausible, if sometimes difficult to comprehend, and wonderful way someone can come to trust the claims of Christianity.

It won't convince nonbelievers
A Catholic friend recommended "Orthodoxy" by way of trying to justify faith. While it is a very elegant and wittily written book, I can't say it meets that mark.

"Orthodoxy" is the very personal account of G.K. Chesterton's journey to the Christian faith. But because it is so personal, it doesn't explain faith objectively, but rather only to Chesterton's satisfaction. And having reached the same conclusion as Chesterton, I'm sure it is also to the satisfaction of most believers.

It is a little frustrating to read the parts where he sets about destroying straw men, or when he proves a point by changing the argument into a semantic one. On the other hand it's a pleasure to see him pick on the likes of Nietzsche. The ultimate lesson that comes from the book, though, is the tautology that faith can't be proven, which is why many good, honest folks don't have any.

To Chesterton, life is more romantic and, indeed, livable if you accept that some things are beyond human understanding, that there is no sense in trying to explain them, and that they might as well be explained by magic. He believed that "something that we have never in any full sense known, is not only better than ourselves, but even more natural to us than ourselves." This no doubt filled him with comfort because it would give rhyme and reason to lots of chaos in the world. But this attitude can also be interpreted as intellectual laziness, if not cowardice. It is much easier to believe, on faith, in "fairy tales" (as Chesterton proudly called them), than to accept the natural world, as inscrutable as it is, and seek valiantly to understand its mysteries before one's time is up.

So, while it is an enjoyable read, this book is likely doubly enjoyed by a believer who is looking for a reaffirmation of his faith. Non-believers will find it interesting, if undeservedly condescending. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A Promising Resource with One Serious Shortcoming
The idea behind this Companion is wonderful: collect into one book the texts that are referred to in the footnotes of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This would allow readers ready access to the church documents, biblical passages, and spiritual writings related to the material in the Catechism. BUT, this Companion includes only texts which appear as indirect references, that is, those indicated by "Cf." in a footnote. If a source is actually quoted in the Catechism -- even if only a few words are quoted -- that text is not included in the Companion. This is a serious shortcoming for someone interested in studying the background sources.

The book's Preface explains that it includes the texts of "indirect references," but I do not think that the title of the book makes this clear. The Reader should be aware of what is lacking.

Great for your Tool Box
This is a great resource book for use with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. When I am doing research using the Catechism, this companion guide saves time and trouble by giving you the MANY references right at your fingertips.

Excellent Companion to the Catechism
This is an excellent way to see the thousands of sources that the Catechism relies on in transmitting the Sacred Tradition of the Catholic Church to its reader. It is an invaluable resource for anyone who would like to understand the springs of Catholic Tradition as found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

A must for anyone who has a copy of the Catechism
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a ground-breaking document. However, it contains many, many footnotes, not only to scriptural passages but to various church documents and passages in the Church Fathers. This helpful companion volume lists all the quoted passages and saves the serious student hours of research trying to track down the documents referred to in the Catechism.

It's not a book for helping you understand the Catechism (as some have misunderstood it to be), but it is the perfect companion for studying the Catechism and appreciating its fullest meaning.

Sources at your fingertips
One of my fellow-reviewers here (who rated the book two stars) is asking the Companion to do something it was not intended to do. It does not explain the Catechism, it provides the background material from which the Catechism is based. It is a marvelous piece of work which provides all the cited material in an easy to use format. Useful to all who want to verify, backup, or defend the material in the Catechism. Bravo to the Church--who else puts together such a great Catechism and Companion.

Steve Ray ... Read more

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Unger's Intricate Piece of Work
With an excellent array of notes explaining his decisions in translating the thirty-one chapters of Book One of Irenaes's Against the Heresies, Unger has produced an admirable and accessible scholarly edition. Any translation is simultaneously an interpretation, and Unger has elucidated his choices in a minute and clear manner. Moreover, his introduction is quite helpful in setting the scene regarding Irenaeus's audience, style, and purpose.

One line made me buy!
To anyone interested in reading up on the earliest of heresies, this is the book for them! Heresy is when a post-baptized Catholic, in Christ, turns from the original teachings of the Catholic church of Christ, and decides to accept the man-made doctrines of other denominations by excluding the Sacred Traditions of our fathers (appointed by Christ). The bible warns of man-made doctrines! Protestantism and it's branch offs, accepts man made traditions (ie. scripture only). In turning to these new, truly man-made doctrines, they have chosen to divorce the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church that is Christ's. To be Catholic and then turn from it, is divorce. Protestants of course allow members to divorce and remarry. It's ironic that this is how their church was started. Rather than staying in the marriage and fixing it, divorce is chosen. However, Jesus promised HIS church to be one and united. For those in search of the real truth, the true Church of Christ, one needs only to search the history of the first actual, physical church of Christ to accept the Sacred value of the Catholic Church traditions. This book is just what the physician (Jesus) orders. Find out where the traditions came from and how Heresies began. In this book, Irenaeus proceeds to list the succession of the Bishops of Rome to his own day! He adds that "in this order, and by this succession, the ecclesiastical TRADITION from the apostles, and the preaching of truth have come down to us" I say, the study of Church history, is the end of Protestantism! Read! Your salvation depends on it!! The Catholic Church is the ONLY church NOT founded by a sinner! Do the research! Start here! ... Read more

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This study offers new translations of significant parts of his work, critically based on a complete reconstruction of the original Greek in the French series Sources Chretiennes. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Use any other book.
I was looking for an impartial, scholarly assessment of what little we know about Irenaeus of Lyons, his role in the history of the Roman Catholic church, and a nice translation of "Against Heresies." This book offers none of that.

First, the prose is bloated and overblown. Mr. Grant likens Irenaeus' contribution to Christian history as being like a gothic column; this simile is inappropriate in so many ways, I don't know where to begin. He is obviously enamored of his subject, but his enthusiasm doesn't carry over to the presentation. This book contains nothing more than can be found for free on the Internet.

The translations themselves are nothing short of disappointing. Not that there's anything wrong with the translation itself, I'm in no position to judge that, but the abridgement is nothing more than a paragraph here, paragraph there approach. Only passages that mirror his unilluminating commentary are included. The books back cover claim that "significant parts" of his work have been newly translated should be read "parts significant to this bland commentary."

This book does nothing new for early Church scholarship, is a poor introduction to Irenaeus of Lyons, and is dull to boot.

Christian Theology's First Great Work
Irenaeus of Lyons (in modern France) was the first great expositor of Christian theology, writing around 175 A.D. Born in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and taught by the disciples of the apostles, he wrote as a churchman using scripture, his own thoughts, and a few other early writings (Justin Martyr, Papias, Ignatius of Antioch) to explain and defend the deposit of faith he had received. Irenaeus defined his theology in conflict with the Gnostics who frequently shared churches with the Christians but advocated an often wildly divergent theology from that shared by the orthodox Christians. His big book was "Against the Heresies," a five-volume description and refutation of the Gnostic beliefs. He describes the Valentinian Gnostics in detail; the Marcionites and other schools get less attention. Thus Irenaeus can be read both to find out what Gnosticism was like, and also to find out about Christian theology in the second century A.D.

No modern unabridged translation of "Against the Heresies" exists. Dominic Unger translated only the first of the book's five volumes, that which consists of a simple description of Gnostic beliefs without detailed refutation. It is unclear if any subsequent volume will appear. In the meantime, Robert Grant in this book "Irenaeus of Lyons" presents an abridged translation of the whole book including virtually all of the the main passages that touch on important theological issues. Even if the complete translation appears, I think general readers will want to stick with Grant's translation. I have the Unger volume and can testify that Irenaeus unabridged is hard to plough through, partly because the beliefs he is refuting seem so colossally strange and partly because Irenaeus tends to repeat the main points several times. Hence few but hard-core specialists would want to read the whole thing.

In his preface, Grant usefully points out the importance of "hypothesis" (meaning the overall plot line) and "economy" (meaning dispensation or sub-plot, more or less ) in Irenaeus's thinking. The "hypothesis" and "economy," which together make what Irenaeus calls "the Rule of Faith" (basically something like the later Nicene and Apostolic creeds), is the big story of Creation, Fall, and Redemption. To Irenaeus, the problem with the Gnostics is that they broke free from this Rule of Faith in order to answer the puzzles of theology and scripture. Irenaeus insisted that the salvation brought by Christ is a "recapitulation" of the blessed state of Adam and Eve before the fall, not a return to some world of pre-material and pre-Creation "eons" (manifestations of the Godhead). Irenaeus testified that he was taught this Rule of Faith by the martyr Polycarp who had it from the apostle John, and that it is identical to the theology taught by the Roman bishops who likewise traced their teaching back to apostles Peter and Paul. While the Gnostics used their concept of a pre-Creation world of interacting "eons" and a division between merely carnal and truly spiritual Christians to explain scriptural puzzles like the many names of God in the Old Testament, the divine Christ and the human Jesus, faith vs. works, and predestination vs. moral responsibility, Irenaeus demonstrated through Scripture (he knew all four of the Gospels, the letters of Paul, 1 and 2 John, and Revelation) that their explanations could not be accepted as responsible interpretations. (Irenaeus later summarized the "overall plot line," together with refutations of Rabbinic Jewish attacks on Christianity in his "Proof of the Apostolic Preaching").

It's also worth noting the pervasive physicality of Irenaeus's theology. Eucharist is the real body of Christ because otherwise how would our body be redeemed? Likewise, there must be a thousand-year earthly rule of the resurrected saints, otherwise Christ would not be redeeming our bodies, and so on. Indeed at some points he seems to be viewing God as a kind of super-huge body surrounding the cosmos. His explanation of the Trinity defines the persons solely by how they relate to the material world rather than by their internal relations: Jesus is defined as the God the Father's Word that creates all things and the Spirit as God's Wisdom that governs the motions of all things. Later Christian theologians lost interest in Irenaeus, whose work seemed somewhat out of date and his works, originally written in Greek, survived only in obscure Latin and Armenian translations. Fortunately scholarship has revived these fascinating early works.

In sum, this is a very useful edition of an important testimonial to the Christian teaching in the first generations after Christ. To judge by this testimony, the orthodox bishops of the early church had great difficulty plumbing the depths of what Paul, John, and the other New Testament writers wrote. Yet they knew in their gut that the Gnostics explanations had to be wrong. Irenaeus, by holding on to the essential "plot line" (hypothesis) of salvation through Christ's recapitulation of the original unfallen state of physical Creation, began the long process of drawing out the "treasures of wisdom and knowledge" hidden in the New Testament.

Great intro to the absurdity of Gnosticism
While finding a complete copy of Irenaeus' 5 volume set is difficult, this work is a fine stepping stone on the way to commiting oneself to delving into the lunicy of Gnostic "thought."

In essence, this work is accurately described as a "best of" Against Heresies. Not exhaustive by any means, this volume stills provides more than enough to chew on for those who have never been properly introduced to the approach, style, and "tact" of this surprisingly entertaining apostolic leader.

As a manager of two large Christian book stores, I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Irenaeus' summery of the Christian faith
"On the Apostolic Preaching" is a recently discovered work of Irenaeus, a second century theologian. Irenaeus is better known for his attacks on Gnosticism but he still has time to write a summery of the Christian faith for his friend Marcianus.

In his book, Irenaeus presents the faith chronologically, from the creation of the world to the death of Christ. He masterfully interprets the Old Testament to show that Christ is the focus and the culmination of the Old Testament. When he does this, he is also attempting to refute a common Gnostic belief that the old bloodthirsty God of the Old Testament was a completely different creature from new gentle God of the New Testament.

He continues and finds support in the Old Testament for nearly every aspect of Christ and for the actions of the Apostles. This book also contains one of the earliest explanations of the Trinity which is interesting to see how it compares to modern understanding on the subject.

This book is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a second century theologian and an interesting read.

Great Stuff!
While not as essential as his "Against Heresies", "On the Apostolic Preaching" contains a well of information regarding the early Church's teaching especially in regards to the truth of the Holy Trinity. Great writing from a great father, highly recommended.

Excellent insight into the teaching of the early church
Assuming that this is a true representation of an actual writing, it is invaluable for all Christians in showing us what the manner of preaching was at the very beginning. Of this fact, I really have no doubt, and accept this writing as that of Irenaeus himself. Irenaeus was taught by Polycarp, who was a disciple of the Apostle John, so we have here a teaching of the preaching told by a second generation source.

Execllent treatise by Irenaeus
This is a work by Irenaeus that wasn't discovered until fairly recently, so it is not included in the excellent 10 volume Ante-Nicene Fathers set. The work is essentially a summary of the Christian faith by the Bishop Irenaeus (lived around 177 AD). The work 'recounts all the various deeds of God culminated in Jesus Christ.' It, unlike the works of Justin and Athenagoras from the same period, is non-polemical and non-apologetic. There are quite a few notes, a nice introduction, and some Greek words provided in the text when the English translation provided is uncertain. ... Read more

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Spiritual Classic
Saint Ignatius was a Basque military officer from Loyola, a great saint, and the founder of one of the most influential religious orders in world history: the Society of Jesus(the Jesuits). His personal writings reveal a truly gentle, emotional man who gave up all the pleasures of nobility to become a poor, wretched pilgrim for the sake of Christ. His Reminisces recounts all the main events of his life, from his bravery in the battle that left him crippled for life, to his conversion in his recovery bed, and finally to his founding of the Jesuit order. His journal reveals his spirituality and describes his mystical experiences, his letters reveal his patience, wisdom, and kindness, and his tremendously popular Spiritual Exercises gives advice on how to dedicate your life to God and see His action all around you. Ignatius's writings resonate with the tender devotion and the firmness of purpose found only in the writings of the Saints. Reading this book, one can see the guiding hand of Providence in the life of Ignatius and in the history of the Church, a hand that can use even the worst sinner to bring a shattered world back to His Son. ... Read more

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Seeing is Believing
Mother Teresa never wanted her life to be written about or paid attentionto.Her intent when interviewed, was that the work was featured first andforemost.Writing of the work, however, regardless of the fluidity of thewords, the impact of the passage or the transparency of the truth, nothingcan ever truly project the work of Mother and the Missionaries of Charity. This picture volume however, comes one step closer.Featuring picturestaken of Mother and the sisters at their work among the poor in Calcutta,it is truly an eye-opening experience.The starkness of the black andwhite photographs bring out and bring across how lost and desolate the poorwould be if not for the unchartered and unparalled love and care given tothem.Every image, be it of Mother cradling a child with her intense lookand stong hands or be it of Mother with Princess Diana or othercelebrities, allows us a little glimpse into the world that has been madebetter by Mother.As she herself put it "What you can do, I cannot doand what I can do, you cannot do.But let every action of ours besomething beautful for God".This is the very essence of thephotographs depicted here and brings us this much closer to understandingthe work of Mother and the Missionaries of Charity.A volume to betreasured.Indeed, it is something beautiful for God. ... Read more

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Theological Studies, published by Theological Studies, Inc. on December 1, 1994. The length of the article is 63148 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Irenaeus on the Salvation of the Unevangelized.
Author: Lloyd G. Patterson
Publication: Theological Studies (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 1994
Publisher: Theological Studies, Inc.
Volume: v55Issue: n4Page: p749(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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It follows then, as of course, that these men must either receive the rest of his narrative, or else reject these parts also. For no persons of common sense can permit them to receive some things recounted by Luke as being true, and to set others aside, as if he had not known the truth. And if indeed Marcion's followers reject these, they will then possess no Gospel; for, curtailing that according to Luke, as I have said already, they boast in having the Gospel [in what remains]. ... Read more

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3. And teaching this very thing, He said to the Jews: "Your father Abraham rejoiced that he should see my day; and he saw it, and was glad"(5) What is intended? "Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness."(6) In the first place, [he believed] that He was the maker of heaven and earth, the only God; and in the next place, that He would make his seed as the stars of heaven. This is what is meant by Paul, [when he says,] "as lights in the world."(7) Righteously, therefore, having left his earthly kindred, he followed the Word of God, walking as a pilgrim with the Word, that he might [afterwards] have his abode with the Word. ... Read more

Book Description

Few questions have troubled Christians more than the destiny of those who do not hear the gospel. For reasons described in this work, Irenaeus (second century Bishop of Lyons) did not directly address the issue of the salvation of the unevangelized. A careful analysis is therefore made of the saving effects of the various modes of revelation about which Irenaeus wrote, in the context of his conflict with the Gnostics. Particular attention is given to his understanding of the respective roles of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in divine revelation, the role of the Church, and the human response to divine revelation which is necessary for salvation. Tiessen concludes that Irenaeus should not be cited as an early proponent of Karl Rahner's "anonymous Christianity" without careful qualification. Some aspects of his thought, however, indicate that he might have granted the possibility of salvation for individuals outside of the institutional Church, if he had known a situation such as we know today. The work will be of particular interest to patrologists, missiologists, and theologians interested in the issues of revelation and salvation. ... Read more

Book Description

In this volume, a panoramic history of medieval Valencia continues to unfold, as the noted scholar Robert Burns presents a new set of documents from the registers of Jaume the Conqueror at the Crown Archives in Barcelona. Here Burns focuses on 500 government charters covering the years 1264 to 1270, the culmination of the king's warrior fame in Christendom, and places these documents within the context of Jaumes's pan-Mediterranean military and political exploits. The most impressive archives of its kind outside the papal series, this collection is invaluable to medievalists as well as to historians interested in topics ranging from colonialism to rhetoric to economics during the Crusade period. Together the five Diplomatarium volumes will reconstruct the thousands of charters describing the daily business of Jaumes's kingdom and will provide detailed paraphrases of each document to aid scholars with little or no Latin.

The third volume describes Jaume distributing public baths and taverns and artisans' quarters, constructing irrigation networks and castles, licensing butchers and physicians, noticing even dovecotes and beehives and oranges, operating on credit and on charismatic itinerant presence, interacting with his many Jewish and Muslim communities, and leading his armies to battle. Meanwhile, Jaumes's bureaucrats are at work elaborating a Roman law framework, shaping an institutional and commercial system, and defining the kingdom's religious identity. In a kaleidoscope of human detail, these documents open a window on an exotic past that medievalists and all historians can enjoy.

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2. If, again, they refer to any cause on account of which their Father does not impart life to bodies, then that cause must necessarily appear superior to the Father, since it restrains Him from the exercise of His benevolence; and His benevolence will thus be proved weak, on account of that cause which they bring forward. Now every one must perceive that bodies are capable of receiving life. For they live to the extent that God pleases that they should live. ... Read more

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They further maintain that the passion which took place in the case of the twelfth AEon is pointed at by the apostasy of Judas, who was the twelfth apostle, and also by the fact that Christ suffered in the twelfth month. For their opinion is, that He continued to preach for one year only after His baptism. The same thing is also most clearly indicated by the case of the woman who suffered from an issue of blood. ... Read more