Francis Gumerlock » early church http://francisgumerlock.com Books and Articles on the Theology of Grace and Eschatology Thu, 22 Jul 2010 02:19:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Free Book on the Early Church Fathers http://francisgumerlock.com/free-book-on-the-early-church-fathers/ http://francisgumerlock.com/free-book-on-the-early-church-fathers/#comments Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:34:35 +0000 Frank http://francisgumerlock.com/?p=483 Free Book on the Early Church Fathers is a post from: Books and Articles on the Theology of Grace and Eschatology ~ Francis Gumerlock

]]> Christian history I find very valuable for bridging the cultural and linguistic gaps between us and the apostles. A friend of mine has made available a primer on early church history. Intended for young readers, Early Church Fathers is divided into 26 short lessons, each followed by questions for application. Most chapters provide a portrait of an influential theologian from early Christianity like Justin Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyons, Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, or Augustine. There is a good mixture of eastern and western writers as well as chapters treating the Council of Nicaea and Council of Chalcedon. Intended to be used in a class or summer camp environment, the free book, Early Church Fathers, is available at http://earlyfathers.com/.

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

]]> http://francisgumerlock.com/free-book-on-the-early-church-fathers/feed/ 1 Hippolytus of Rome’s Commentary on Daniel http://francisgumerlock.com/hippolytus-of-romes-commentary-on-daniel/ http://francisgumerlock.com/hippolytus-of-romes-commentary-on-daniel/#comments Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:42:26 +0000 Frank http://francisgumerlock.com/?p=399 Hippolytus of Rome’s Commentary on Daniel is a post from: Books and Articles on the Theology of Grace and Eschatology ~ Francis Gumerlock

]]> Hippolytus was a presbyter in the church at Rome about 200 AD. It is he who started the genre of literature we know as biblical commentaries, being the first to write a running commentary on one book of the Bible. The book he chose was the prophet Daniel. Hippolytus’ church was suffering under the persecution of the emperor Septimus Severus, and as a pastor he used the examples of Daniel, Susanna, and the three youths to encourage his congregation to endure the persecution.

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

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