A Year With the Church Fathers: Reading List

It’s not too late to register to join our 2021 Patristics Reading Group. If you have already registered, please review the following reading list (subject to change).

* = Required. Likely to be discussed in the monthly video meetings.
** = Highly recommended. May also be discussed in the monthly meetings.

Most of the required reading is available for free at ccel.org or in The Complete Ante-Nicene & Nicene and Post-Nicene Church Fathers Collection ($2.99 on Kindle). Additional reading from primary and secondary sources is listed for students who want to go further in their studies.

Introductory & Companion Guides

1. Gavin Ortlund, Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals: Why We Need Our Past to Have a Future (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019). 224 pages.
2. Christopher A. Hall, Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1998). 223 pages.
3. Boniface Ramsey, Beginning to Read the Church Fathers (New York / Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2012), Revised Edition. 320 pages.
4. Bryan M. Litfin, Getting to Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2016), Second Edition. 290 pages.
5. Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger), The Fathers of the Church: From Clement of Rome to Augustine of Hippo (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2009). 189 pages.
6. Eusebius: The Church History (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2007), edited by Paul L. Maier. 368 pages.

January — Irenaeus (130–202)

1. *On the Apostolic Preaching
   • Paperback: Popular Patristics Series (SVS Press). 121 pages. $25.
   • Digital: ccel.org (free).
2. **Against Heresies (Books III–V)
   • Paperback: Ex Fontibus Co. 347 pages. $22.
   • Digital text (free): ccel.org.
3. Against Heresies (Books I–II)
   • See above.
   • See also Irenaeus on the Christian Faith: A Condensation of Against Heresies (Pickwick Publications, 2011), edited by James. R. Payton Jr. 234 pages.
4. Secondary resources:
   • John Behr, Irenaeus of Lyons: Identifying Christianity, Christian Theology in Context (Oxford University Press). 248 pages.
   • Eric Osborn, Irenaeus of Lyons (Cambridge University Press, 2008). 328 pages.
   • Denis Minns, Irenaeus: An Introduction (T&T Clark, 2010). 192 pages.
   • [Lecture] John Behr, “Synchronic and Diachronic Harmony: Saint Irenaeus On Divine Simplicity.” Behr provides valuable insight into the way Irenaeus and the premodern church reads Scripture.
   • [Podcast] “Irenaeus,” Beeson Divinity School Podcast. Timothy George interviews patristics scholar Jeffrey Bingham about the life and theology of Irenaeus.
   • [Article] A. Poncelet, “St. Irenaeus,” The Catholic Encyclopedia (New York: Robert Appleton Company). Retrieved September 15, 2020 from New Advent.
   • [Article] Simonetta Carr, “Irenaeus of Lyon: Passionate Apologist to the Gnostics,” Christianity Today.
   • See the relevant sections in the introductory and companion guides above.

February — Tertullian (155–240)

1. *Against Praxeas
   • Paperback: Aeterna Press. 438 pages. $13. This volume includes Against Praxeas and numerous apologetic and practical treatises.
   • Digital: ccel.org. Free.
2. *Apology
   • See above.
3. **On Baptism
   • See above.
4. **On Prayer
   • See above.
   • Paperback: Popular Patristics Series. $19. This volume includes treatises on the Lord’s Prayer from Tertullian, Cyprian, and Origen.
5. Secondary resources:
   • [Article] Kyle R. Hughes, “Tertullian: A Critical Biography.”
   • See the relevant sections in the introductory and companion guides above.

March — Origen (184–253)

1. *On First Principles
   • Paperback: Oxford University Press. 448 pages. $34.
2. **On Prayer
   • Paperback: Popular Patristics Series. $19. This volume includes treatises on the Lord’s Prayer from Tertullian, Cyprian, and Origen.
3. Secondary resources:
   • [Article] “Origen: Biblical Scholar and Philosopher,” Christianity Today.
   • See the relevant sections in the introductory and companion guides above.

April — Athanasius (295–373)

1. *On the Incarnation
   • Paperback: Popular Patristics Series. 110 pages. $17.
   • Digital: ccel.org. Free.
2. Secondary resources:
   • Peter Leithart, Athanasius (Baker Academic, 2011). 222 pages.
   • See the relevant sections in the introductory and companion guides above.

May — Hilary of Poitiers (310–367)

1. *On the Trinity
   • Paperback: The Catholic University of America Press. 555 pages.
2. Secondary resources:
   • See the relevant sections in the introductory and companion guides above.

June — Basil of Caesarea (330–379)

1. *On the Holy Spirit
   • Paperback: Popular Patristic Series. 128 pages. $17.
   • Digital: ccel.org. Free.
2. **On Christian Doctrine and Practice
   • Paperback: Popular Patristic Series. 324 pages. $20.
3. Sermons on the Psalms
4. Sermons on Creation
5. Secondary resources:
   • Marvin Jones, Basil of Caesarea: His Life and Impact (Christian Focus).
   • See the relevant sections in the introductory and companion guides above.

July — Gregory of Nyssa (335–395)

1. *Catechetical Discourse.
   • Paperback: Popular Patristics Series. 171 pages. $25.
   • Digital: ccel.org. Free.
2. **On the Soul and the Resurrection.
   • Paperback: Popular Patristics Series. 126 pages. $16.
3. Secondary resources:
   • See the relevant sections in the introductory and companion guides above.

August — Gregory of Nazianzus (329–390)

1. *Five Theological Orations (Orations 27–31)
   • Paperback: Popular Patristics Series. 175 pages. $17.
   • Digital: ccel.org. Free.
2. **Festal Orations
   • Paperback: Popular Patristics Series. 194 pages. $17.
3. Secondary resources:
   • John McGuckin, Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (SVS Press, 2011). 436 pages.
   • See the relevant sections in the introductory and companion guides above.

September — Jerome (347–420)

1. *Selected Letters
   • Hardcover: Loeb Classical Library. 528 pages. $28.
   • Digital: ccel.org. Free.
2. Secondary resources:
   • [Article] “Jerome: Bible Translator Whose Version Lasted a Millennium,” Christianity Today.
   • See the relevant sections in the introductory and companion guides above.

October — John Chrysostom (347–407)

1. *Paschal Homily
   • Digital: oca.org (free).
2. *On the Priesthood
   • Digital: ccel.org (free).
   • Paperback: Popular Patristics Series. 160 pages. $17.
3. **On Wealth and Poverty
   1. Paperback: Popular Patristics Series. 140 pages. $16.
4. Homilies on the Gospel of St. John
5. Secondary resources:
   • Gerald Bray, Preaching the Word with John Chrysostom (Lexham Press, 2020). 120 pages.
   • See the relevant sections in the introductory and companion guides above.

November — Augustine (354–430)

1. *On Christian Teaching
   • Paperback: Oxford University Press. 168 pages. $13.
   • Digital: ccel.org. Free.
2. **Confessions
   • Paperback: Oxford World Classics. 311 pages. $8.
   • Digital: ccel.org. Free.
3. On the Trinity
   • Paperback: New City Press. 470 pages. $31.
   • Digital: ccel.org. Free.
4. The City of God (especially Book 19)
   • Paperback: Cambridge University Press, 1278 pages. $42.
   • Digital: ccel.org. Free.
5. Secondary resources:
   • Augustine Through the Ages: An Encyclopedia (Eerdmans Pub Co., 1999), edited by Allan Fitzgerald. 902 pages.
   • The Cambridge Companion to Augustine (Cambridge University Press, 2014), edited by David Meconi and Eleonore Stump. 404 pages.
   • Philip Cary, Inner Grace: Augustine in the Traditions of Plato and Paul (Oxford University Press, 2008). An introduction to Augustine’s doctrine of grace and the development of his thought.
   • See the relevant sections in the introductory and companion guides above.

December — Cyril of Alexandria (376–444)

1. *On the Unity of Christ
   • Paperback: Popular Patristics Series. $17.
   • Kindle. $1.
   • Audio: That Christ is One (podcast). Free.
2. Secondary resources:
   • John McGuckin, Saint Cyril of Alexandria and the Christological Controversy (SVS Press, 2010). 428 pages.
   • See the relevant sections in the introductory and companion guides above.