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

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.

These articles appeared in recent issues of Evangelical Quarterly. You can read both articles here: Predestination in the Century Before Gottschalk, Part 1 & Part 2

Have a great day. Frank

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

When people set dates for the end of the world, I point them to the words of our Lord Jesus who said, “No one knows the day or the hour.” (Matt 24) In Acts, before Jesus ascended to heaven, he told his disciples, “It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father has set by his own authority.” I think we should take these words seriously. Jesus knew what he was talking about: It is not for us to know.

We know from the teaching of the apostles that sometime in the future Christ will come, the dead will be raised, the Last Judgment will take place, and his kingdom will have no end. This is the church’s blessed hope. But the exact day or year is unknown. We are encouraged by the Lord in Matt 24 to be vigilant and ready. At the same time we are to be working in the Lord’s vineyard, being salt and light in the world.

If the Lord decides to come within the next few years, even so “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22). Nevertheless, I have planted trees in the front yard in hope of having a shady lawn in ten years, and have arranged the finances with consideration of being a senior citizen in the not so distant future.

In the late 1990s, a lot of people thought Christ was coming back in the year 2000. There were even people who moved to Israel to get a front row seat, so to speak. At that time I wrote The Day and the Hour. It goes through church history from the first century to the present, listing the predictions for Christ’s coming that never came to pass. The whole point of it is to illustrate that Jesus knew what he was talking about when he said, “No one knows the day or the hour.” If you don’t already have a copy, it’s still in print and is very reasonably priced. Here’s a quote from it by Cardinal Newman, who wrote in the late 1800s:

“Enthusiasts, sectaries, wild presumptuous men…have pointed out the exact year and day in which He would come. Not so His humble followers.”

Peace in Christ,
Frank