I have heard people say, “You can prove anything using the church fathers.” Their point is obvious. There are so many people with so many variant theological positions that modern error can almost certainly find an ancient ally. This fact can make you a bit skittish of the first 400+ years of church history.
On the other hand, the very thing that makes one skittish should also make you curious, even theologically and historically drawn toward this period. Much like today, the early church had to deal with error. And thankfully God had his people in place to wrestle the various theological issues that came down the pike.
This is the type of connection that Michael A.G. Haykin is attempting to make for contemporary evangelicals. He is beckoning us to go back to better understand who we are as a church, what we’ve been through, and what we are dealing with today.
Haykin is a professor at Southern Seminary. He is a trusted theologian and historian. In his book Redisvovering the Church Fathers: Who they were and how they shaped the church, he takes you on a jet tour through some of the major theological issues in the first four centuries of the church. He gives this tour by introducing us to seven indivudals (though he mentions countless others).
Here are the chapters:
Dying for Christ: The thought of Ignatius of Antioch
Sharing the Truth: The Letter to Diognetus
Interpreting the Scriptures: The Exegesis of Origen
Being Kissed: The Eucharistic Piety of Cyprian and Ambrose
Being Holy and Renouncing the World: The Experience of Basil of Caesarea
Saving the Irish: The Mission of Patrick
As a historian and theologian Haykin is so helpful. He helps to trace the trajectory of the historical issue through church history and into the current church. He thoughtfully shows the implications of what was at stake. This ability to connect big picture dots was invaluable. This is seen in with his section on the hermeneutics of allegorization that characterized Origen as well as the implications for the Lord’s Table with Cyprian and Ambrose. He also spoils our St. Patrick’s Day in that Patrick was neither Irish nor a bar-hopping, green-beer drinking, party guy. He was a British slave who was a missionary to a bunch of rebels. He loved the Trinity and wanted others to as well. That’s worth celebrating! (& emulating!)
Haykin also helpfully includes a section of his own journey into and with the church fathers. I found this to be an interesting read as well.
The book is relatively short (167 pages). He covers a lot of ground and does so at a brisk pace. He writes it as an introduction but has no problem pushing you a bit to think. He also provides many resources for you to look up and do further study. If you are looking for a reliable guide into this very formative age of the church then I think Haykin’s book is a good bet. In fact, I am having my 15 year old son read it this summer.
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