The Eastern Fathers are not foreign territory to Catholic doctrine. This collection is devoted to documentation of examples of “distinctively Catholic” theological beliefs or doctrines in the Eastern Church fathers — teachings in harmony with historic Catholic faith but at odds with one or more strains of Protestantism, liberal theology, or modern Eastern Orthodox polemics.
Eight men, all designated Doctors of the Catholic Church: the Three Holy Hierarchs of Eastern Tradition — St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. Gregory Nazianzen — plus St. Athanasius (together the Four Great Eastern Doctors), and four more: St. Cyril of Alexandria, St. Ephraim of Syria, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, and St. John Damascene. Their words on the Sacrifice of the Mass, Transubstantiation, the intercession and veneration of the saints, the bodily Assumption of Mary, the primacy and successors of Peter, the Filioque, and over a hundred more topics — arranged alphabetically, with full citations from the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers series and other public-domain English editions.
A reference for ecumenical conversation, patristic study, and Catholic-Orthodox dialogue alike.
Inside this book
- The Four Great Eastern Doctors — Basil, Chrysostom, Gregory Nazianzen, Athanasius
- Four more Doctors of the Church — Cyril of Alexandria, Ephraim of Syria, Cyril of Jerusalem, John Damascene
- Over 200 alphabetical topics, from “Abortion” and “Apostolic Succession” through the Sacrifice of the Mass to “Worship (*Latria*)”
- Eastern testimony on contested doctrines — the Eucharist, the Papacy, the intercession of saints, the *Filioque,* Marian doctrine
- All quotations from public-domain English translations — Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers Series 1 & 2, plus the Oxford *Library of Fathers* and other 19th-century editions
> “Favorable Review.”
> — Matthew Celestis, Christian.Tory.Monarchist (25 January 2015)Lightweight reference only — Dave links to this review from the book’s Patheos page but no excerpted line of substance is on file. Will request a stronger blurb from Dave.
