Free Book on the Early Church Fathers is a post from: Books and Articles on the Theology of Grace and Eschatology ~ Francis Gumerlock

My chapter, “Learning from Patristic Christology,” focuses on early Christianity’s articulation of the doctrine of the Son’s eternal generation. From major theologians, creedal statements, and conciliar decisions it shows that the Son as “eternally begotten of the Father” was an essential component of the faith of our fathers. It encourages contemporary Christians to preserve this divine truth revealed in Scripture and explicated by the fathers.

I think that those interested in early Christianity and historical theology will find it informative and engaging. I encourage peers to review it in their periodicals, and professors to examine it for possible use in their courses. For more information or to purchase a copy of The Contemporary Church and the Early Church, visit the publisher’s site.

All the best,
Frank

The Contemporary Church and the Early Church is a post from: Books and Articles on the Theology of Grace and Eschatology ~ Francis Gumerlock

There is a new book out by W. Brian Shelton entitled Martyrdom from Exegesis in Hippolytus: An Early Church Presbyter’s Commentary on Daniel. It’s put out by Paternoster Press in their series “Studies in Christian History and Thought.” Since Hippolytus’ commentary is still in Greek and unavailable in English translation, Shelton’s book is the best means of ascertaining the contents of the commentary (unless you read patristic Greek).

I recommend the book for those interested in the subject of persecution and martyrdom in early Christianity, early Christian eschatology, patristic biblical commentaries, or the book of Daniel. It contains some interesting information. For example, Hippolytus’ Daniel commentary tells about a Christian leader in his day who prophesied that the Lord was coming soon, and consequently led his congregation out to the desert to wait for Jesus. People quit their jobs and went along. But when the leader’s prophecy did not come true, they were all humiliated, and returned to their former lives. Hippolytus says that Christians in persecution cannot always expect the Lord to intervene by His coming; it is God’s will for some to endure martyrdom.

Martyrdom from Exegesis is available for purchase from the publisher and Amazon.com.
For a full review of Martyrdom from Exegesis in Hippolytus, refer to the Book Review page.

Hippolytus of Rome’s Commentary on Daniel is a post from: Books and Articles on the Theology of Grace and Eschatology ~ Francis Gumerlock

Fulgentius defended the doctrine of the Trinity against Arianism, which was the official religion of the Vandals that denied that the Son was one in being with the Father. He was exiled for his Trinitarian faith to the island of Sardinia for fifteen years. Fulgentius also wrote treatises on grace, free will, and divine predestination. These works are largely the foci of my book entitled Fulgentius of Ruspe on the Saving Will of God: The Development of a Sixth-Century North African Bishop’s Interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:4 During the Semi-Pelagian Controversy (Mellen, 2009). It shows that in his earlier writings, Fulgentius often asserted the universality of God’s saving will and general grace. But as he entered a debate on grace and free willl, he restricted that universality to all those among the nations predestined by God for salvation.

There are only two other books in print in English devoted to Fulgentius, and Fulgentius on the Saving Will of God is the only one devoted wholly to his theology of grace. It is based upon the latest scholarship on Fulgentius, and in it many passages from his works are translated for the first time in English. In addition, other texts from his time period are translated therein, such as Caesarius of Arles’ On Grace and short works by John Maxentius. Available only in hardback and published by an academic press, Fulgentius on the Saving Will of God is expensive, but worth the investment for those interested in the theology of grace in church history, Augustinian studies, and the Semi-Pelagian debate. To read a review of it, click here. To order a copy, click here. Happy reading. Frank

Fulgentius of Ruspe on the Saving Will of God is a post from: Books and Articles on the Theology of Grace and Eschatology ~ Francis Gumerlock

For a background to the question, Revelation 20 says that Christ and His saints will reign for a thousand years. Some take a literal approach to the thousand years, but I see the thousand years as a figure of speech. Those who take a literal approach to the thousand years often claim that Christians who see the thousand years as a figure of speech are guilty of allegorizing Scripture. The literalists also claim that the reason many early Christian writers rejected a literal reading of the millennium was because they adopted an allegorical method of biblical interpretation. My presentation will show the inaccuracy of their claim. It will demonstrate that the early Christian writers applied the “analogy of faith,” not allegory, to the text of Revelation 20. Analogy of faith is that principle of interpretation which says that clearer passages in Scripture help to interpret more obscure passages.

Revelation 20 raises many questions. The passage speaks of Satan being bound for a thousand years. Was Satan bound by the first coming of Christ or does his binding await a future millennium? The passage mentions a first and a second resurrection. Are these two resurrections bodily resurrections, one of believers that takes place before the millennium and one of unbelievers that takes place after the millennium? Or is there one general bodily resurrection and the other resurrection a spiritual resurrection? Are the thousand years to be interpreted literally or as a figure of speech? To answer these questions, early Christian writers looked at passages in the Gospels and Paul’s epistles and gained insight. Many of them held that Satan was bound at the incarnation and death/resurrection of Christ, not in a future millennium, that the first resurrection is spiritual and the second bodily (no future millennium bounded by two bodily resurrections), and that the thousand years are a figure of speech showing completeness.

I hope you can make it to the presentation. The complete schedule is available on the seminary website ptsco.org. My plan is to turn the transcript into a chapter in a book I have been working on tentatively entitled Amillennialism and the Early Church. For more information on how early Christians interpreted the thousand years of Revelation 20, see the article on this site entitled “Millennialism and the Early Church Councils.”

Have a great day. Frank

The Thousand Years of Revelation 20 is a post from: Books and Articles on the Theology of Grace and Eschatology ~ Francis Gumerlock