Ancient Christian Witness

By the Anglican Alister Mcgrath Is now on Kindle and at a more affordable price.




Iustitia Dei: A History of the Christian Doctrine of Justification

I just got it yesterday


Deification in the Eastern Orthodox Tradition: A Biblical Perspective




A review of the book:


To read the rest please visit St. GEORGE ORTHODOX INFORMATION SERVICE

I am really enjoying this book. It's going to be an awesome resource!

Gratia et Certamen: The Relationship Between Grace and Free Will in the Discussion of Augustine with the So-Called Semipelagians

As seen from Amazon.com

"Product Description
The issues involved in the discussion between the monks of Hadrumetum/Marseille and Augustine range from questions of initium fidei and naturae bonum, to the understanding of predestination. The monks' reaction to Augustine's doctrine of absolute sovereign grace must be seen as a plea in favour of a harmonizing approach, where human commitment is also envisaged as playing, at times, a primary role. In the light of a dialogical synergism, of a unitarian and cosmic view of God's oeconomia salutis, and relying on a strong ascetic framework, the monks biggest fear was that the implications of Augustine's predestinarian view would jeopardise the importance of the struggle for perfection, the meaning of God's universal salvific will, of Christ's redeeming action, and finally of the Church. The different theological traditions to which Augustine and the monks appealed play also a significant role, as do the specific social and religious context in which they respectively moved."

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Lulu.com


From the book.

Preface
Once upon a time I was a Calvinist. It was a happy time. It was a
time of enormous growth and learning. And having come from an
evangelical tradition that emphasized individualism and emotion, I
found that Calvinism now presented me with a veritable feast for the
intellect. I met many other Calvinists who loved the Lord their God
with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind—Christians whose faith
and piety continue to inspire me to this day.
I felt like the Bible was making more and more sense every day.
I saw things I never saw before. I learned that Christianity was far
bigger than I had originally suspected, having grown up in an isolated
evangelical bubble. The Reformed doctrines of predestination, which
before seemed abhorrent and strange to me, now became crystal clear.
I read Reformed materials voraciously—everything from Calvin
and Luther to Berkhof and Warfield; from John Owen and Jonathan
Edwards to N.T. Wright and John Piper; from Boettner, Van Til, and
Spurgeon to Sproul, Wilson, and Leithart, not to mention the countless
articles, debates, and podcasts I found online. I studied the works of
dispensationalists, premillennialists, amillennialists, postmillennialists,
preterists, futurists, theonomists, reconstructionists, presuppositionalists,
Federal Visionists, and any other “ists” that had a voice in
the world of Reformed Christianity. And in addition to memorizing
many of the Bible verses that supported Calvinism, I even spent a year
memorizing the entire Westminster Shorter Catechism while in training
to be an elder at my local Presbyterian church.

Something else that I found to be new and exciting in my Reformed
journey was the respect that they seemed to have for the early Church
Fathers. I would occasionally hear preachers quote from some ancient
saint who actually lived before the Reformation. I had always just
assumed that once the ink dried on the book of Revelation, the Church
fell apart and went completely apostate until Martin Luther recovered
the truth in the 16th century. I would hear Reformed teachers say that
there was a “thread of consistency” that reached from the Reformation
all the way back to the earliest Christians. This gave me a degree of
comfort I never had before as a modern evangelical, when I suspected
that my faith looked absolutely nothing like the faith of those “early
Church Fathers,” whoever those guys were anyway.

It was around this time that Dan Brown wrote his infamous book,
The Da Vinci Code. The premise of Brown’s book was that the early
Christians essentially invented their faith—that the divinity of Christ
wasn’t even developed until the council of Nicea in 325 AD. No sooner
did Brown’s book make the best-seller lists than a slew of apologetic
articles appeared on the Internet. And of course, wanting to defend
my faith and encourage those who were being negatively influenced
by The Da Vinci Code, I read several of these articles. I found out
that there were a bunch of people called the “early Church Fathers”—
genuine Christians who lived during the first few centuries of the
Church.
I heard names like Ignatius, Polycarp, Clement, Irenaeus, and
countless others that were new to me. I read what they had to say
about the divinity of Christ. I read about how they were influential in
the early Church, and how so many of them were martyred for their
beliefs. Slowly but surely, I started to like these guys.
And that’s where all my trouble began. I had absolute respect
for the Reformers and for the confessions they created, especially
the Westminster Standards, which were particularly important to
my Presbyterian denomination. I also had absolute and unshakeable
respect for the Holy Scriptures. And now I was beginning to have a
growing respect for the early Church Fathers. These were the three
different spheres of influence in my Christian life: the Westminster
Divines, the Bible, and the early Fathers.

The problem, however, was that I couldn’t get all three spheres
to line up! I was beginning to realize that the early Church Fathers
taught things that were vastly different than what my Reformed faith
was teaching me. Yes, there were certainly disagreements among
them on minor doctrinal issues, but by and large, the early Fathers
were all in agreement on things that I had just assumed were Roman
Catholic inventions: things like the salvific efficacy of the sacraments,
the necessity of works for salvation, the ever-virginity of Mary, the
importance of tradition and apostolic succession, the rejection of
sola scriptura, etc. But the big kicker was that virtually every early
Church Father taught against all five points of Calvinism (summed up today by the acronym TUL IP: Total Depravity, Unconditional
Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of
the Saints). So, of these spheres that I so desperately wanted to hold
onto, I realized I could only pick two out of the three. It was either the
Divines’ interpretation of Scripture or it was the Fathers’ interpretation
of Scripture. I simply couldn’t have it both ways.

I suppose many Calvinists would say at this point, “What’s the
problem? Simply accept the Divines’ interpretation of Scripture and
throw out the Fathers. What did they know anyway?” And that was
exactly the question that began to haunt me: What did they know
anyway? When I read little bits and snippets from the Fathers during
my time as a Calvinist, I sensed deep down that they had a fervor
and a zeal that the Reformers seemed to be lacking. They spoke
with authority, like people who had genuinely experienced a direct
encounter with Almighty God."

To read the rest please buy the book.


I'm halfway through the book and most of what I read so far is really good. I've noticed a few areas where I would differ or disagree, but over all I think this is a great effort by Alexander Renault. It's the first book of it's kind that I am aware of. And this is something we need. And so I would like to thank Alexander Renault for taking the time to write something like this.

An Outline Of Orthodox Patristic Dogmatics by Fr. John S. Romanides


About the author and book: (As seen from St. Johns book store)

Quote:
Author: John S. Romanides

The late Professor John Romanides, a graduate and, subsequently, a Professor of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, Massachusetts (1958-1965), and a Professor of the Aristotle University of Thessalonica, Greece (1968-1984) was one of the most original theologians of Eastern Orthodox Christianity worldwide in the second half of the 20th century. Raised in America and having become familiar with Western Christians, Roman Catholics and Protestants, as well as Western theological scholarship, both through his upbringing and his involvement in the modern Ecumenical Dialogues, he developed a critical and highly original Eastern Orthodox approach to Christian theology. He identified his approach with the Christian Roman ecumene that was centered in Constantinople, New Rome. His views on Christian "Romanity" and "Roman Orthodoxy" have earned him the title of "Prophet of Roman Orthodoxy" and have given rise to a school of committed followers and to much discussion. This book is Romanides' first Outline of Orthodox Patristic Dogmatics, which is published for the first time in the original Greek and in English translation. It represents a concise introduction into his understanding of the basic tenets of the Eastern Orthodox Faith and its fundamental differences from those of Western (Augustinian or Franco-Latin) Christian theology. It covers such doctrines as God's relation to the world, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the doctrine of Christ, the doctrine of the Church, the Church's Holy Tradition and the restoration and perfection of humanity in and through this Tradition. It will serve as an introduction into this theologian's original vision of Patristic Orthodoxy, which is the basis of his reappraisal of Christian theology and history. Its value lies in its concise, coherent and comprehensive character.

Get a PDF copy today!
The Link


The book form will be out soon!

As seen from Conciliar Press:

Quote:
"Are you an Orthodox Christian who wonders how to explain to your Baptist grandmother, your Buddhist neighbor, or the Jehovah’s Witness at your door how your faith differs from theirs? Or are you a member of another faith who is curious what Orthodoxy is all about? Look no further. In Orthodoxy & Heterodoxy, Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick covers the gamut of ancient heresies, modern Christian denominations, fringe groups, and major world religions, highlighting the main points of each faith. This book is an invaluable reference for anyone who wants to understand the faiths of those they come in contact with—as well as their own."

It should be available soon! (Spring 2011)


Also, check out the interview:

Quote:
"Who do you think the target audience is for this book? Laypeople interested in apologetics? Inquirers from other religious backgrounds?

My primary intended audience is ordinary Orthodox Christians who are interested in the question of how our faith differs from other faiths. That said, I know that there may be some apologists for whom the book could serve as an introduction to the major issues, and I am sure that it is likely that folks who are interested in Orthodox Christianity may read it, as well. I tried to keep all of these people in mind when putting it together."

To read the rest please visit Byzantine Texas.

As seen from the podcast Ancient Faith Presents by Bobby Maddex


Play Audio

Today is the last day of Black History Month, and so the last book to show is How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind by Thomas C. Oden




The book is mostly geared towards the next generation of Sub-Saharan African Protestant Evangelical Christians. He wants them to look at the Christianity of the first five centuries as a means to capture a lost identity. He knows the global south in general will eventually dictate the future of protestant Christianity. He also knows of the tension between Islam and Christianity as well as the negative social and psychological impact that western missions have had on the continent. I'm only 20% into the book, but so far it's looking pretty good. This work was a result of his Ancient Christian Commentary project. He saw the profound influence the Continent had on shaping early christian thought.

Black History month is almost over, and so I will only have one more week left to do this, but for this week, it's Uncle Tom's Cabin.



Dr. Maxie Burch mentioned the book in passing when lecturing about this era of American History here.

Also Father Moses did an excellent job in talking about the real meaning of the word "Uncle Tom":

For African American History month I will post a number of must read books. For this week, Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington will be the first.

I had to read this in my very first year at Tuskegee University, and I'm glad I did. I read it a few times after that as well.

The link:
Up From Slavery



As also seen from Amazon.com

Quote:
"I found this to be a most amazing work. In telling the story of going from a child of slavery to the founder and president of the Tuskegee institute, Mr. Washington illustrates for us the life-lessons which can empower any individual or race in our free society today.

Namely, look to your neighbor in love, not anger; recognize the nobility in working hard for something rather than expecting charity; be willing to give yourself to a greater cause; believe that people are capable of great things and they will live up to your expectations; recognize the importance of education, not just of the mind, but of the body and soul as well; recognize that any man who provides value to the community in which he lives will be accepted and even welcomed into that community; and above all, trust in God to care for your needs.

I highly recommend this book as a testament to the positive result of thinking from a perspective of Love and Abundance rather than Anger and Scarcity. When Mr. Washington's humility is measured against his accomplishments, he becomes in my eyes one of the greatest Americans to have lived."

I couldn't of said it any better! It's a great book to read!

Yancey is a popular protestant evangelical writer. In this clip he talks about his influences, favorite authors, as well as personal struggles in trying to write something. I thought it was very personal and insightful.

I was reading The Flying Inn blog by Mr. Davis and noticed a book review about the Emperor Saint Constantine. It interested me so much that I decided to get it.

I'm reading it right now.

You can find it at:
Eight Day Books

or at

Amazon.com

By Anthony M. Coniaris

I just got it yesturday at Church. I like it alot.
Daily Vitamins for Spiritual Growth












Christ is in our Midst!

To get this book sent to me. I know some Library somewhere has it, and when I get it I'm gonna xerox a bunch of pages for this sucker is hard to find. Oh, in the Library an older western European American male asked me if I stole my laptop. If he was younger I would have responded disrespectfully. But I simply let it slide and told him in a slow soft voice that I didn't steal it. He looked at me, smiled, then walked away. I'm shocked that someone his age would actually be bold enough to confront me like that. Usually people his age (in the rust belt) seem scared of me.

This book is By Albert McIlhenny (a traditional Anglican)

The New Restorationists: A Critique of Frank Viola and George Barna's "Pagan Christianity?"



I just downloaded the pdf for $3.99. It is an awesome read. I have had several emails about when I was going to give a response to the book, I planned on doing something in the future after I'm done working on what I'm doing now in regards to something else. But Albert is already doing an excellent job as it is. It took him a year, all on his free time to trace the quotes and sources of the book, and so he is already on it. He is writing a larger book about the issue, and so, he just put this smaller version out now. But it's awesome! Buy one for all your friends who have Viola and Barna's book. If I ever get around to writing something about it, I will most definately use Albert as one of my main sources.

Also, show them the new set of videos Albert put out as well:

Viola, Barna, and the Church 1: Introduction



Viola, Barna, and the Church 2: Basic Misconceptions



Viola, Barna, and the Church 3: Domus Ecclesiae




Viola, Barna, and the Church 4: Constantine



Viola, Barna, and the Church 5: Basilicas




Viola, Barna, and the Church 6: Gothic Cathedrals



Viola, Barna, and the Church 7: Liturgy




Viola, Barna, and the Church 8: Authority



Viola, Barna, and the Church 9: Eucharist




Viola, Barna, and the Church 10: Conclusion








jnorm

Albert is a traditional Anglican(Episcopal) and he was deeply moved by something Frederica said in one of her books.

















Christ is Risen!

I'm no longer feeling like Darth Vader:



After talking with him, I found out that he pretty much read his way out of faith.....not just out of Orthodoxy and christianity in general.....but out of any faith in any religion. He was already struggling with doubt for some years, but the two main influences that seemed to help push him faster in the direction of caving in to his temptations of doubt were books by two authors in the area of psychology and Religion. It seems as if the bias of the authors was soley from an atheistic or philosophical naturalistic perspective. And he totally ate it up. I tried to talk him out of it yesturday, but to no avail, and so, my main weapon is gonna have to be prayer.


I'm glad I had the chance to speak to him, for I am no longer upset. It is what it is, and we all have to move on. The lesson to be learned from this is that new converts....but anyone really, but new converts in general should not read bad books if they are struggling in that area. If your temptation is atheism......then why read atheistic books?

What one should do is read stuff to help make their faith stable and strong before reading things that will destroy it. Especially if your temptation is atheism/agnosticism. Also, I no longer feel uncomfortable in the inevitable clash between us in the blog world if he decides to start a new blog to advocate his atheism/agnosticism. I told him not to burn his bridges in the christian world for it is only a matter of time before he feels ready to speak out about his views online(blog). When that happens, I will be ready for the war, and I will be more comfortable then in letting people know who this person is that I refuse to name.


Watch what you eat(read)!












Christ is Risen!

The link:
http://www.searchgodsword.org/his/ad/ecf/ant/


It has all 10 books in the series online.

I'm gonna have to find a spot for this link somewhere. Hmm?









Christ is Risen!