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177 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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The Gentle Intervention: Frontline Church Discipline
9 november 2022 · 24 min
Many ideas that seem peculiarly modern actually have deep Christian roots. This is true of much of the terminology of addiction and recovery. Today we look for the roots of "intervention" in the Gospel and the works of the Fathers—and find applications for ordinarily life, even beyond the orbit of addiction. Lees meer
LINKS
Joseph Carola, S.J., Augustine of Hippo: The Role of the Laity in Ecclesial Reconciliation https://www.amazon.com/Augustine-Hippo-Ecclesial-Reconciliation-Gregoriana/dp/8878390232/
"Fraternal Correction," Catholic Encyclopedia https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04394a.htm
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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Liturgy and Love: Revolutionary Acts
26 oktober 2022 · 25 min
The Fathers saw a profound connection between Eucharistic communion and social concerns — between liturgy and charity. It's evident in the works of the great saints of antiquity, from Ignatius of Antioch and Justin Martyr to Tertullian and John Chrysostom. It's spelled out even in the ancient liturgical books. Lees meer
LINKS
Tertullian, Apology XXXIX https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1662
Justin Martyr, First Apology LXVII https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1610
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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The First Social-Justice Struggle
12 oktober 2022 · 16 min
The early Church initiated many struggles for the cause of social justice: opposition to slavery, capital punishment, and other institutions of pagan society. But the condemnation of abortion was singular in its consistency and vehemence, from the very beginning of the Gospel proclamation. Lees meer
LINKS
The Church's original social justice struggle https://angelusnews.com/faith/the-churchs-long-fight-against-abortion/
Abortion and the Early Church: Christian, Jewish and Pagan Attitudes in the Greco-Roman World by Michael J. Gorman https://www.amazon.com/Abortion-Early-Church-Christian-Greco-Roman/dp/1579101828/
Eve's Herbs: A History of Contraception and Abortion in the West
by John M. Riddle https://www.amazon.com/Eves-Herbs-History-Contraception-Abortion/dp/0674270266/Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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2.8 Picture This: Iconoclasm and Second Nicaea
28 september 2022 · 18 min
The last of the classic councils was, like so many of the others, a comic production worthy of the Marx Brothers—and simultaneously a tragedy worthy of Tolstoy. In the eighth-century run-up to the Second Council of Nicaea we encounter an emperor known as "Poopyhead," who summons a synod known as the "Headless Council"—all for the sake of forbidding the use of devotional images. That's where it started anyway. Eventually the emperor got around to condemning any honor paid to saints, and then he desecrated their relics, removing their bodies from tombs and casting them into the sea. He tried to ban celibacy, and he closed monasteries and turned them into hotels. Second Nicaea, in 787, was called to repair all that damage. Lees meer
LINKS
Acts of the Second Council of Nicaea https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3819.htm
Canons of the Second Council of Nicaea https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/ecum07.htm
St. John of Damascus, Apologia Against Those Who Decry Holy Images https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/johndamascus-images.asp
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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2.7 Third Constantinople: Where There's a Will, There's Two
14 september 2022 · 18 min
Leave it to intellectuals (in any age) to "solve" the world's problems in ways that create bigger problems. Monothelitism was a religious idea concocted by policy wonks in boardrooms. It was supposed to remedy the doctrinal differences that divided Constantinople from Egypt. It failed to do that, and it also provoked a schism between Constantinople and all of western Christendom. The Third Council of Constantinople was called in 680 to clean up the mess. Lees meer
LINKS
Christoph Cardinal Schonborn, God Sent His Son: A Contemporary Christology https://www.amazon.com/God-Sent-Christoph-Cardinal-Schonborn/dp/158617410X/
Maximus the Confessor, On the Cosmic Mystery of Jesus Christ (an anthology of his works) https://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Mystery-Jesus-Christ/dp/088141249X/
Maximus the Confessor: Selected Writings https://www.amazon.com/Maximus-Confessor-Selected-Writings-Spirituality/dp/0809126591/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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2.6 Second Constantinople: The Emperor and the Waffling Pope
26 augustus 2022 · 20 min
Every council represents a crisis — often provoked by strong and eccentric personalities. But Constantinople II, in 553 AD, may have been the strangest of all. At the center of the drama were an imperial power couple, Justinian and Theodora, and a weak pope who vacillated between cowardice and duty. Lees meer
LINKS
Extracts from the Acts https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3812.htm
Biography of Justinian https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08578b.htm
Biography of Pope Vigilius https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15427b.htm
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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2.5 Chalcedon: Firm Foundation for the Doctrine of Christ
11 augustus 2022 · 17 min
What happened when God took flesh? A simple question roused hundreds of speculative answers, most concerning the "person" and "nature" (or natures) of Jesus Christ. But the philosophical terms themselves were slippery, and mistranslations only made matters worse. The wild speculation came to a stop at the Council of Chalcedon, thanks to a letter from Pope Leo the Great. His "Tome" defined terms with abundant clarity. Since then, in mainstream Christianity, Orthodox Christology has been Chalcedonian Christology. The Tome is a necessary point of reference for all subsequent doctrine of Jesus Christ. Lees meer
LINKS
Leo the Great, Letter 28 https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2156Leo the Great, Letter 93 (to the Council of Chalcedon) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2157
Letter 98 (From the Council of Chalcedon to Pope Leo) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2159
Leo the Great, Letter 162 ("The decrees of Chalcedon and Nicæa are identical and final") https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2145
Leo the Great, The Tome (text) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=5344
Leo the Great, The Tome (audiobook) https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/st-leo-great-tome-leo/
Acts of the Council of Chalcedon https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3811.htm
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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2.4 Ephesus: The Mother of All Controversies
27 juli 2022 · 36 min
From the distance of more than a millennium and a half, Nestorius can seem a comic character. He was a verbally fussy man with an uncanny knack for alienating people. Within days of his installation as bishop of Constantinople, he had offended the imperial family, the monks, and the nobles, but also the common people. He also caused a major fire in the city. But when he tried to suppress devotion to Mary as "Mother of God," he invited all his enemies to join forces against him—because such a campaign affected not only the status of Mary, but also the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Nestorius forced a crisis that played out in grotesque (and humorous) ways at the Council of Ephesus in 431. Lees meer
LINKS
Cyril of Alexandria, Five Tomes against Nestorius https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_against_nestorius_00_intro.htm
Extracts from the Acts, Council of Ephesus https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=5347
Nestorius, The Bazaar of Heracleides https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/nestorius_bazaar_0_eintro.htm
Nestorius, Letters to Pope Celestine https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/nestorius_two_letters_01.htm
Socrates Scholasticus, Church History, Book VII https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2884
John A. McGuckin, Saint Cyril of Alexandria and the Christological Controversy https://www.amazon.com/Saint-Cyril-Alexandria-Christological-Controversy/dp/0881418633/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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2.3 First Constantinople: A Capital Council
13 juli 2022 · 21 min
Nicaea didn't resolve the Arian crisis. In fact, it provoked a riot of reactions — endless variations on the Arian theme. Imperial force only made matters worse. For a half-century, conflict raged. The situation seemed hopeless until Theodosius summoned bishops to meet in 381. Lees meer
LINKS
Socrates Scholasticus, Church History (Book V) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2884
Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History (Book VII) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2885
Theodoret, Ecclesiastical History (Book V) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2886
Gregory Nazianzen, "Oration XLII: The Last Farewell in the Presence of the One Hundred and Fifty Bishops" https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2452
John Henry Newman, Arians of the Fourth Century https://www.newmanreader.org/works/arians/index.html
Lewis Ayres, Nicaea and Its Legacy: An Approach to Fourth-Century Trinitarian Theology https://www.amazon.com/Nicaea-Its-Legacy-Fourth-Century-Trinitarian/dp/0198755058/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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2.2 The Council of Nicaea: First and Foremost
29 juni 2022 · 23 min
Nicaea (325 A.D.) is the first of the ecumenical councils, not only in chronology, but also in importance. It occupies a certain primacy. The phrase "Nicene Faith" is sometimes used as an equivalent term for classic Christian doctrine. That's how we see it after centuries of development. But what did it mean to those who attended? Lees meer
LINKS
Eusebius of Caesarea, Oration in Praise of the Emperor Constantine https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2883
Eusebius of Caesarea, The Life of the Blessed Emperor Constantine https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2881
Athanasius, De Synodis https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=3086
John Henry Newman, Arians of the Fourth Century https://www.newmanreader.org/works/arians/index.html
Lewis Ayres, Nicaea and Its Legacy: An Approach to Fourth-Century Trinitarian Theology https://www.amazon.com/Nicaea-Its-Legacy-Fourth-Century-Trinitarian/dp/0198755058/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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2.1 Where Councils Come From: An Introduction
15 juni 2022 · 19 min
When the Church is in crisis, its bishops meet in council. Since the generation of the Apostles, this has been the customary way of settling major disputes over doctrine and discipline. In the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 15, the Twelve met with certain elders and chosen experts to exercise an authority that was different from the authority that any of them possessed individually. This established a practice for the ages to follow. The councils in the time of the Fathers—the first seven ecumenical councils—are considered authoritative by the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches. In this episode, we look at the pre-history of those councils and consider their definitions and authority. Lees meer
LINKS
Cyprian of Carthage, On the Seventh Council of Carthage https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1719
Canons of the Council of Ancyra (A.D. 314) https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3802.htm
Canons of the Council of Necaesarea (A.D. 315) https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3803.htm
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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Martyrdom and the Mass
25 mei 2022 · 22 min
In the first three centuries of Christian history, the practice of the faith was a capital crime, and many gave their lives as the ultimate testimony. The Church called them "witnesses"—in Greek, martures, whence we get the English word martyr. To speak of martyrdom, the early Fathers employed language usually reserved only for the Eucharist. So what does martyrdom have to do with the Mass? Lees meer
LINKS
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, "Eucharist and Mission," in Pilgrim Fellowship of Faith: The Church as Communion, pp. 112-120 https://ignatius.com/pilgrim-fellowship-of-faith-pffp/
Finbarr G. Clancy, "Imitating the Mysteries That You Celebrate: Martyrdom and Eucharist in the Early Patristic Period," in Vincent Twomey, ed., The Great Persecution: The Proceedings of the Fifth Patristic Conference, Maynooth https://www.fourcourtspress.ie/books/archives/the-great-persecution/
Robin Darling Young, In Procession before the World: Martyrdom as Public Liturgy in Early Christianity https://www.marquette.edu/mupress/Young.shtml
Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Romans https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0107.htm
Anonymous, The Martyrdom of Polycarp https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0102.htm
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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Through Hymns, With Hymns, In Hymns: The Fathers & Music
12 mei 2022 · 29 min
Music formed the early Christians in faith. It catechized them. Inspired them. Unified them. Healed them. The Fathers — from Ignatius of Antioch to John of Damascus — testify to this fact. Many of them wrote music. Augustine wrote a book about music. At a time when most people could not read, music was the most effective delivery system for doctrine. The decisions of the councils would have been dead letters apart from their placement in musical settings. In this episode, early Christian music finally gets its due recognition. Lees meer
LINKS
Mike Aquilina, How the Choir Converted the World: Through Hymns, With Hymns, and In Hymns https://catholicbooksdirect.com/products/how-the-choir-converted-the-world-through-hymns-with-hymns-and-in-hymns
Mike Aquilina, How the Choir Converted the World: Through Hymns, With Hymns, and In Hymns (audio book) https://catholicbooksdirect.com/products/audio-cd-how-the-choir-converted-the-world-through-hymns-with-hymns-and-in-hymns
Ephrem the Syrian, The Nisibene Hymns https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3702.htm
Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns for the Feast of Epiphany https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3704.htm
Ephrem the Syrian, The Pearl -- Seven Hymns on the Faith https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3705.htm
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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Apocrypha Now! On the Myth of the Lost Gospels
4 mei 2022 · 37 min
Why is it big news when someone claims to find a fragment of a lost "gospel"? Why do people say that these ancient apocrypha threaten to overturn everything Christians believe? In the second century, some of these pseudonymous books appeared and quickly landed in the remainder bin, called into question by giants such as Irenaeus and Tertullian. They're news today because of a modern myth, crafted by one of the renowned literary critics of the 20th century — and sustained by ivy-league celebrities. Lees meer
Paul Mankowski, S.J., "The Pagels Imposture," Catholic Culture https://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=43736
Amy Weiss-Meyer, "What Ever Happened to the Gospel of Jesus's Wife?" The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/08/ariel-sabar-what-happened-to-the-gospel-of-jesus-wife/615160/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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The Paradoxical Prestige of the Deacon in the Early Church
26 april 2022 · 17 min
Most lowly and most loved, deacons played supremely important roles in the early Church. Think Lawrence of Rome. Think Ephrem of Syria. They were consistently voted most likely to be pope. Jerome wryly observed that when a bishop wanted to demote a deacon, he ordained him to the priesthood. Lees meer
LINKS
Ignatius of Antioch, The Epistle to the Trallians https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1630
Ignatius of Antioch, The Epistle to the Philadelphians https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=1632
Jerome, Letter 146 https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2403
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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Catena — The Chain That Set Scripture Free
22 maart 2022 · 20 min
Ever wonder how Bible study was done in the early Church? It was done with chains. The CATENA did the work that Bible software does for us today. It did the work of concordances and even entire shelves of commentaries. Catena is Latin for chain, and the links in these long-ago chains were extracts from the sermons and letters of earlier interpreters of Scripture. Lees meer
LINKS
Roger Pearse's blog entries on ancient catenae https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/category/catena/
St. Thomas Aquinas, Catena Aurea https://www.ecatholic2000.com/catena/untitled-111.shtml
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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How Clericalism Happened: A Tale of Theodosius
9 maart 2022 · 24 min
When asked what's wrong with the Church, commentators from Pope Francis to Russell Shaw will blame an elusive beast named "clericalism." But what is clericalism, and where did it come from? In this episode we track the beast to its birthplace, the Church of the fourth century. Our native guides are Augustine, John Chrysostom, and others—who offer us good counsel for defeating it in our own time. Lees meer
LINKS
Anonymous, The Epistle to Diognetus https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0101.htm
Minucius Felix, Octavius https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0410.htm
Joseph Carola, S.J., Augustine of Hippo: The Role of the Laity in Ecclesial Reconciliation https://www.amazon.com/Augustine-Hippo-Ecclesial-Reconciliation-Gregoriana/dp/8878390232/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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The Healing Imperative: How Christians Invented the Hospital
23 februari 2022 · 29 min
The hospital arose as a Christian institution, dependent on the Christian principles of charity and hospitality. There were no pre-Christian hospitals. This episode tells the story of how it happened—how the early Church changed the practice of medicine forever. Lees meer
LINKS
Mike Aquilina, The Healing Imperative: The Early Church and the Invention of Medicine as We Know It https://catholicbooksdirect.com/products/mike-aquilina-the-healing-imperative
Gary B. Ferngren, Medicine and Health Care in Early Christianity https://www.amazon.com/Medicine-Health-Care-Early-Christianity/dp/1421420066/
Timothy S. Miller, The Birth of the Hospital in the Byzantine Empire https://www.amazon.com/Hospital-Byzantine-Supplement-Bulletin-Medicine/dp/0801856574/
Andrew T. Crislip, From Monastery to Hospital: Christian Monasticism and the Transformation of Health Care in Late Antiquity https://www.amazon.com/Monastery-Hospital-Christian-Monasticism-Transformation/dp/0472114743/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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Women and Children First: Reconfiguring the Roman Family
9 februari 2022 · 32 min
The Empire faced a crisis in the year 9 A.D. Romans were not reproducing. They weren't even marrying. Caesar Augustus recognized that this posed a dire threat to the Roman way of life—the empire's cultural and intellectual heritage, and its homeland security. He made new laws to encourage fertility. He even proposed a pagan "theology of the body." His successors made more laws. All failed, and eventually it was Christianity that restored and revived the Roman family and Roman world. Here's the fascinating story of how it happened. Lees meer
LINKS
Mike Aquilina, The Christian family's radical roots https://angelusnews.com/faith/the-christian-familys-radical-roots/
Mike Aquilina, How young people shaped Christianity https://angelusnews.com/faith/how-young-people-shaped-christianity/
Mike Aquilina, The Church's original social justice struggle https://angelusnews.com/faith/the-churchs-long-fight-against-abortion/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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56—John of Damascus: Last Witness to a Lost World
25 januari 2022 · 22 min
John of Damascus, the last of the Fathers, was born into a world newly conquered. In the seventh century, many lands that were once home to Eastern Christianity, had fallen to the invading armies of Arab Muslims. John's father and grandfather, both devout Christians, served as treasury officials for the Muslim caliphate. So John was able to provide a rare outsider's view of Islam when it was new on the world scene. In Christian history he is known as the great defender of the practice of venerating images. In more than a millennium, his compact, complete treatises on the subject have never been surpassed. But his work includes much more: sermons, hymns, and a handy compendium of philosophy and theology. John's life is a brilliant closing act of the Era of the Fathers. This is the final episode of season 1 of this podcast. Next time we meet, we'll launch season two by exploring particular themes and stories from the time of the early Church. Lees meer
LINKS
John of Damascus, Apologia Against Those Who Decry Holy Images
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/johndamascus-images.asp#PART%20IJohn of Damascus, Three Sermons on the Assumption
https://ccel.org/ccel/damascus/icons/icons.i.vii.htmlJohn of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Books I-II
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2857John of Damascus, An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Books III-IV https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2858
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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55—Isidore of Seville: Last of the Red-Hot Latin Fathers
12 januari 2022 · 15 min
Isidore of Seville lived at a time when the memory (or fantasy) of a homogeneous Roman culture was rapidly fading. It was a time to gather the last of the classical harvest into the barns. The conquering "barbarians," the Visigoths, had now been ruling in Spain for centuries. They were no longer foreigners. Rather, a new culture was forming, a "melting pot" of Roman and northern elements. A man of holy ambition, Isidore laid strong foundations for the medieval European culture that would follow. Lees meer
LINKS
Isidore of Seville, The Etymologies https://sfponline.org/Uploads/2002/st%20isidore%20in%20english.pdf
Isidore of Seville, On the Ecclesiastical Offices https://www.google.com/books/edition/Isidore_of_Seville/_YhkqmfNeIIC?hl=en&gbpv=1
Ernest Brehaut, An Encyclopedist of the Dark Ages: Isidore of Seville (biography, with a detailed critical appreciation of his works and partial translation of The Etymologies) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51511
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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54—Maximus the Confessor: Where East and West Meet
29 december 2021 · 18 min
By the seventh century, Christian thinkers of East and West were settling into scholastic methods, synthesizing and systematizing the thought of their Greek or Latin forebears. Maximus represents the best mind (by far) in this movement. Greek by origin, he spent decades living in Latin lands. His writing reflected the beauty and brilliance of piety and theology on both sides of the Mediterranean. In Maximus (to steal a phrase from Pope John Paul II) the Church breathed with both lungs. He marshaled all the resources of East and West to oppose the emerging Monothelite heresy. The emperor, meanwhile, pinned his hopes on the heresy to unite the empire against rising Islam—and Maximus suffered brutal torture and exile. Lees meer
LINKS
Anthony Marco, doctoral dissertation, Consecrate the World to God: Maximus the Confessor on the "Secular" and Vatican II's Theology of the Laity https://dsc.duq.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2987&context=etd
Andrew J. Summerson, Audio: Exegesis of the Human Heart: Narrating the Emotional Life of Christians with Maximus the Confessor https://sheptytskyinstitute.ca/exegesis-of-the-human-heart-narrating-the-emotional-life-of-christians-with-maximus-the-confessor/
Maximus the Confessor, On the Cosmic Mystery of Jesus Christ (an anthology of his works) https://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Mystery-Jesus-Christ/dp/088141249X/
Maximus the Confessor: Selected Writings https://www.amazon.com/Maximus-Confessor-Selected-Writings-Spirituality/dp/0809126591/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
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53—Gregory and His Greatness
14 december 2021 · 20 min
His name retains its greatness, even in modern times—even for Christians who don't know much history. They know Gregorian Chant, and maybe Gregorian Masses. Who was the Gregory behind those monuments? Born into nobility, he held vast estates in Italy and Sicily, but gave them up to be a monk. Then he gave up being a monk so that he could serve the Church. Elected pope, he recast the papacy as a full-time exercise of servitude. He was "servant of the servants of God," and as such he reformed the clergy, and the liturgy. He directed foreign missions and set lasting standards for inculturation of the faith. He did all this while he was very ill and often combined to bed. His greatness was manifest to his contemporaries and to every age after. Lees meer
LINKS
Gregory the Great, Morals on the Book of Job http://www.lectionarycentral.com/gregorymoraliaindex.html
Gregory the Great, Dialogues https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/gregory_00_dialogues_eintro.htm
Gregory the Great, The Book of Pastoral Rule https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2223
Epistle XII: to John, Bishop of Syracuse (on reform of the liturgy) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=3719
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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52—Benedict of Nursia: The Elusive Man Behind the Rule
29 november 2021 · 15 min
Benedict was not the first monk to compose a rule for living in community — but he's certainly the most influential. He wrote the Rule that the Emperor Charlemagne would propose as guidebook for all monks in the West. Yet Benedict himself was self-effacing in the extreme, and he remains elusive for historians. Lately, he has emerged as a patron and model for people whose civilization could be entering a Dark Age. Know anybody like that? Lees meer
LINKS
Benedict of Nursia, The Rule https://ccel.org/ccel/benedict/rule/rule
Gregory the Great, Life of Our Most Holy Father St. Benedict https://ccel.org/ccel/gregory/life_rule/life_rule
Mark the Monk (a disciple of Benedict), Poem in tribute to St. Benedict https://ccel.org/ccel/gregory/life_rule/life_rule.iv.html
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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51—St. Patrick: Paternal and Patristic
11 november 2021 · 17 min
Forget the shamrocks. Pour the green beer down the sink, and drive the snakes from the Emerald Isle of your imagination. Listen up and encounter the real St. Patrick, author of two passionate, fascinating Christian works—deserving of a place with the Church Fathers. Patrick arrived in pagan Ireland in the fifth century, first as a slave and then as an itinerant bishop. By the end of his life, Ireland was a Christian nation. Lees meer
LINKS
Patrick of Ireland, Confessio https://www.confessio.ie/etexts/confessio_english#
Patrick of Ireland, Letter to the soldiers of Coroticus https://www.confessio.ie/etexts/epistola_english#
James F. Kenney, The sources for the early history of Ireland: an introduction and guide
https://archive.org/details/sourcesforearlyh0000kennFr. Billy Swan, "'I Am Patrick' Is Perhaps the Best Film Yet on Ireland's Greatest Saint," Word on Fire, March 17, 2020
https://www.wordonfire.org/resources/blog/i-am-patrick-is-perhaps-the-best-film-yet-on-irelands-greatest-saint/26861/Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
DONATE at: http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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50—Peter Chrysologus: The Doctor of (Short) Sermons
27 oktober 2021 · 15 min
Peter Chrysologus is known as the "Doctor of Homilies," and he always preached with brevity. Every word was golden. He was archbishop of Ravenna during that city's brief term as capital of the Western empire. His sermons rang like poems, rich with biblical insight and glimpses of ordinary life in a fifth-century urban center. Lees meer
LINKS
Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 148 http://www.liturgies.net/saints/peterchrysologus/readings.htm
Peter Chrysologus, a sermon in the Office of Readings https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=173
Peter Chrysologus, Sermon 148 http://www.liturgies.net/saints/peterchrysologus/readings.htm
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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49—Romanus the Melodist: Through Hymns, with Hymns, in Hymns
14 oktober 2021 · 15 min
Romanus the Melodist looms large from his lifetime in the sixth century. Today he is much sung and little known—at least with certainty. Beautiful legends have filled in the cracks of his biography. According to one, he was tone-deaf and non-musical when heaven granted him the gifts of composition and vocal performance. He went on to compose many verse homilies, kontakia, which are still sung in the Eastern churches today. Having lived in Homs, and then Beirut and Constantinople, he introduced Syriac forms and methods into Byzantine liturgical music. Lees meer
LINKS
Romanus the Melodist page at Hymnary.org https://hymnary.org/person/Romanus1?tab=texts
Pope Benedict XVI on Romanus the Melodist https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=8216
Romanus on the Resurrection, sung performance https://youtu.be/XT-igWEsIh4
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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48—Leo the Great: Who Roared with the Voice of Peter
28 september 2021 · 21 min
Though prolific in his words and prodigious in his deeds, Leo was utterly self-effacing. Classically educated, he never quoted the classics. He preached with Gospel simplicity. He strove always to let Christ shine through his sermons and his letters. Yet he made history for three world-changing interventions. It was Leo who stopped Attila the Hun's rampage through Europe. It was Leo who put a decisive end to the ancient heresies about the natures of Christ. And it was Leo who kept the barbarian Vandals from murdering the Romans and burning the city. Tradition calls him "the Great." He earned the title. Lees meer
LINKS
Leo the Great, Sermon LXXXII: on the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2206
Leo the Great, Letter XCV: to Pulcheria Augusta https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2158
Leo the Great, Tome of Leo Audiobook https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/st-leo-great-tome-leo/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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47—Vincent of Lerins: Believed Everywhere, Always, by All
15 september 2021 · 16 min
All Christians respected the authority of Scripture, but already in the fifth century the Church was riven by conflicting interpretations of Scripture. A monk in Gaul, Vincent of Lerins, developed a formula to determine true doctrine from false. "All possible care must be taken," he said, "that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all." Conservative by temperament, Vincent nonetheless allowed for development in religion through the ages. He emphasized the special role of the ancient Fathers as witnesses to authentic tradition. Thus he provided the foundation for the study of patristics — and the production of this podcast! Lees meer
LINKS
Vincent of Lerins, Commonitorium https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/3506.htm
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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46—Cyril of Alexandria: The Fifth-Century Man from Uncle
25 augustus 2021 · 22 min
Cyril's uncle was the notorious Theophilus, a ruthless and fiercely competitive churchman — and the old manhood handpicked his nephew to be his successor as bishop of Alexandria. Cyril learned from Theophilus how to orchestrate an international incident and carry it through to the victorious end. But he was very much his own man: a towering intellect, the mastermind of the Council of Ephesus, a prodigious commentator on the Scriptures, and a saint of a different sort. Lees meer
LINKS
Socrates Scholasticus, The Ecclesiastical History (Book VII, the story of Cyril and the Council of Ephesus) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2884
Works of Cyril in translation https://tertullian.org/fathers/
John McGuckin, Saint Cyril of Alexandria and the Christological Controversy https://www.amazon.com/Saint-Cyril-Alexandria-Christological-Controversy/dp/0881418633
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
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45—John Cassian, Monk on the Move, Solitary in the City
10 augustus 2021 · 18 min
The great ascetic movement was in its first years of explosive growth when John Cassian journeyed from West to East. He visited the communities of monks and hermits in Palestine and Egypt. Though he sought a quiet life, he got caught up in international intrigue and adventure. In his later years he drew together the memories of his years in the desert, and composed two works on the cultivation of virtue and the practices of prayer. Lees meer
LINKS
John Cassian, The Conferences (Part 1) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2107
John Cassian, The Institutes https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2106
John Cassian, Seven Books on the Incarnation of the Lord, against Nestorius https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2097
Gennadius, Lives of Illustrious Men (see Chapter LXII) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=3079
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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BONUS: Interview with Mike Aquilina
4 augustus 2021 · 53 min
In this bonus episode originally from the Catholic Culture Podcast, CatholicCulture.org's director of podcasts, Thomas V. Mirus, interviews voice actor James T. Majewski (Catholic Culture Audiobooks) and author Mike Aquilina (Way of the Fathers) about how they make their shows and the effect reading and studying the Church Fathers has had on them personally. Lees meer
Contents
[2:15] James's training in philosophy and acting as preparation for narrating the Fathers
[7:00] How Mike meandered into a career writing about the Fathers
[9:27] The original idea for audiobooks and podcasts at The Catholic Culture
[15:33] How Mike distills scholarship into an accessible and edifying presentation of early Church history
[21:20] The accessibility and affordability of creating a good-sounding podcast
[24:16] James's process for preparing nuanced readings of the Fathers at a rapid pace
[33:03] Mike's and James's recourse to the intercession of the holy authors they study
[37:38] St. John Henry Newman and the early Fathers as masters of media
[42:40] The mastery of the Fathers' work and its relevance today
[45:55] The spiritual effects of narrating the writings of saints
Links
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
Catholic Culture Podcast https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/category/catholic-culture-podcast/
Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/category/audiobooks
James T. Majewski https://www.jamestmajewski.com/
Mike Aquilina https://fathersofthechurch.com/
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44—Prudentius, Poet Laureate of the Western Fathers
26 juli 2021 · 22 min
Prudentius is the Latin poet most praised from the ancient Church. Phenomenally creative, he invented new poetic forms and genres—and established artistic standards that would hold through the Middle Ages. Scholars as varied as C.S. Lewis and Robert Wilken call him "the first Christian poet," the first great representative of a real Christian literature. Compared to Prudentius, all earlier Christian poets were dabblers. Upon his model depended such later luminaries as Bunyan, Milton, and Spenser. Lees meer
LINKS
The Hymns of Prudentius (Cathemerinon) https://www.gutenberg.org/files/14959/14959-h/14959-h.htm
Latin text of two works by Prudentius https://www.thelatinlibrary.com/prud.html
Prudentius's page at Hymnary. org https://hymnary.org/person/Prudentius_AC
Study of Prudentius by F.J.E. Raby https://archive.org/details/historyofchristi2edunse_t5b7/page/44/mode/2up
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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43—The Pastoral Poems of Paulinus of Nola
14 juli 2021 · 16 min
Paulinus was tagged as the most promising poet of his generation—by the most famous poet of the preceding generation. He was supposed to carry the torch forward for his art. And he did, but not in the way the old school had wanted or expected. Instead he fashioned a new esthetic for the empire, a deeply Christian appropriation of the old classical forms. Along the way, he formed a religious community and then served as bishop. Lees meer
LINKS
Letters Of St. Paulinus Of Nola https://archive.org/details/letters-of-st.-paulinus-of-nola
The poems of St. Paulinus of Nola https://archive.org/details/poemsofstpaulinu0040paul
Hymn "Another Year Completed" in English translation https://hymnary.org/person/Paulinus_Nola
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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42—Chrysostom (Part 2): Triumph, Tragedy & Glory
30 juni 2021 · 17 min
No sane person ever proposed John Chrysostom as a model of diplomacy. His name means "Golden Mouth" and reflects his eloquence. His words, however, proved his undoing when he chose to preach a word of criticism against the Empress Eudoxia. He soon found himself battling for his position as bishop and then for his life. Lees meer
LINKS
Works by John Chrysostom https://www.catholicculture.org/search/searchResults.cfm?querynum=1&searchid=2126796&page=1&showcount=10
Letters to Olympias https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2058
Palladius, Dialogue concerning the Life of St. John Chrysostom https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/palladius_dialogus_02_text.htm
J.N.D. Kelly, Golden Mouth: The Story of John Chrysostom―Ascetic, Preacher, Bishop https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Mouth-Chrysostom_Ascetic-Preacher-Bishop/dp/0801485738/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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41—Chrysostom (Part 1): Golden Mouth & Golden Mysteries
16 juni 2021 · 30 min
Chrysostom means "golden mouth," and only one man has credibly borne the title. John Chrysostom may have been the greatest pulpit preacher in Church history. In his lifetime he was also renowned for his asceticism and spiritual counsel In recent years, however, he's been maligned — and mischaracterized — for his views on marriage and sex. Here we set the record straight with an account of his developing understanding of the one-flesh union and its particular graces. Lees meer
LINKS
Works by John Chrysostom https://www.catholicculture.org/search/searchResults.cfm?querynum=1&searchid=2123634&page=1&showcount=10
John Chrysostom, On Marriage and Family Life https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Family-English-Ancient-Greek/dp/0913836869
John Chrysostom, a brief selection of quotations on marriage http://www.scborromeo.org/papers/St.%20John%20Chrysostom%20on%20Marriage.pdf
John Chrysostom, Two Letters to Theodore After His Fall https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2059
Palladius, Dialogue concerning the Life of St. John Chrysostom https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/palladius_dialogus_02_text.htm
J.N.D. Kelly, Golden Mouth: The Story of John Chrysostom―Ascetic, Preacher, Bishop https://www.amazon.com/Golden-Mouth-Chrysostom_Ascetic-Preacher-Bishop/dp/0801485738/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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40—Augustine (Part 3): Last Days and the End of an Age
25 mei 2021 · 22 min
When Augustine's story is told, it too often ends with his baptism. But the drama of his later years is no less moving. He was as introspective at the end as he had been in his Confessions decades before. He gave his life and work a thoroughgoing review, even as he produced what many consider his masterpiece. His City of God marked the close of an age and the twilight of a brilliant life. Lees meer
LINKS
Works by St. Augustine on Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/audiobook_authors_titles.cfm
Saint Augustine. Works and Links (in several languages) http://www.augustinus.it/links/inglese/index.htm
Augustine, Reconsiderations (Retractationes) https://archive.org/details/retractationesof00elle/page/n5/mode/2up?ref=ol&view=theater
Augustine, City of God https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=3274
Allan D. Fitzgerald, O.S.A., Augustine Through the Ages: An Encyclopedia https://www.amazon.com/Augustine-Through-Ages-Allan-Fitzgerald/dp/080283843X/
Erich Przywara, An Augustine Synthesis https://www.amazon.com/Augustine-Synthesis/dp/1625649363/
Vernon J. Bourke, The Essential Augustine https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Augustine-Saint-Hippo/dp/0915144077
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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39—Augustine (Part 2): A Mob-Made Bishop Makes His Mark
12 mei 2021 · 18 min
The drama of Augustine's life hardly ended with his baptism. The years that followed included his ordination-by-mob, an attempt on his life, and wars of words with at least four major heresies. His years were breathless adventure and busyness, and yet they yielded 44 volumes of work that continues to exercise a profound influence—no only on Christian theology, but on civilization. This is the second of three episodes on his life. Lees meer
LINKS
Works by St. Augustine on Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/audiobook_authors_titles.cfm
Saint Augustine. Works and Links (in several languages) http://www.augustinus.it/links/inglese/index.htm
Augustine, On the Trinity https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=3276
Augustine, The Correction of the Donatists https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=3296
Augustine, Of the Morals of the Catholic Church and of the Morals of the Manichaeans https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=3292
Augustine, On Christian Doctrine https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=3275
Augustine, On the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=3309
Erich Przywara, An Augustine Synthesis https://www.amazon.com/Augustine-Synthesis/dp/1625649363/
Vernon J. Bourke, The Essential Augustine
https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Augustine-Saint-Hippo/dp/0915144077Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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38—Augustine (Part 1): Youth and Conversion
28 april 2021 · 18 min
Augustine of Hippo is a name that appears on any short list of the most influential intellectuals in the history of the world. He seemed to live several productive lifetimes in the course of his own. In this first of three episodes on Augustine, we examine his early years — from his childhood through his conversion to Christ at age 31. We also consider the profound influence of his mother, Monica. Lees meer
LINKS
Works by St. Augustine on Catholic Culture Audiobooks https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/audiobook_authors_titles.cfm
Augustine, The Confessions https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=3102
Possidius, Life of Augustine http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/possidius_life_of_augustine_02_text.htm
Saint Augustine: A Voice For All Generations, a documentary film on the young life of St. Augustine https://youtu.be/32bFPD36M8g
Torchlighters: The Augustine Story, an animated film for children, on the saint's young life https://youtu.be/IBL6HjC0FiU
John J. O'Meara, The Young Augustine, an excellent biography https://www.amazon.com/Young-Augustine-John-J-OMeara/dp/0818908335/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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37—Jerome, the Choleric Commentator
14 april 2021 · 27 min
Jerome is renowned for his biblical studies and translations, The Church invokes him as Doctor, Father, and Saint. Yet he is just as famous for his sharpness in dispute. He clashed with Augustine and Rufinus, disdained Ambrose and Chrysostom. His put-downs stand with the best of Mark Twain and Groucho Marx. Lees meer
Links
Justin McClain's splendid collection, The Quotable Saint Jerome, https://www.amazon.com/Quotable-Saint-Jerome/dp/0813233216/
J.N.D. Kelly's biography, Jerome: His Life, Writings, and Controversies, https://www.amazon.com/Jerome-His-Life-Writings-Controversies/dp/156563084X/
Jerome, Letter 57: to Pammachius on the Best Method of Translating https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2362
Jerome, Against Vigilantius (who rejected the veneration of relics and other traditional practices) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2317
Jerome, The Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary, against Helvidius https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2314
Jerome, Lives of Illustrious Men (an early work of patristics) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=3078/
Catholic Culture Audiobooks reading Against Helvidius: On the Perpetual Virginity of Mary https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/st-jerome-against-helvidius-on-perpetual-virginity-mary/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
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36—The Luminous Vision of Didymus the Blind
25 maart 2021 · 13 min
Didymus lost his sight at age four, and yet he became one of the most respected theologians on earth. This was in the fourth century, more than a millennium before Braille, audio tech, or other accommodations. Among his renowned disciples were Jerome, Rufinus, and Palladius. His life was long and full, intensely engaged in the controversies surrounding the doctrines of the Trinity and Incarnation. His story should inspire anyone who hears it. And the story isn't over yet. Lees meer
Links
Jerome tells the story of Didymus and Anthony https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2369
Palladius on Didymus (XXVI) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2886
Sozomen on Didymus https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2885
Socrates Scholasticus on Didymus (XXV)
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2884
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
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35—Epiphanius of Salamis: A Passion for Pure Doctrine
11 maart 2021 · 14 min
Epiphanius was a master of many languages and a scholar of profound biblical culture. He had a passion for pure doctrine—and a pure loathing for error in all its forms. He labored through a long life to root heresy out of the Church. He distrusted classical literature because of the taint of idolatry. He compiled a reference work he called his "Medicine Chest," diagnosing erroneous doctrines as "snakebites" and then prescribing cures from the pharmacy of true doctrine. In pursuing clarity, he forced Christians to take sides. But he didn't always take into account his own capacity to misjudge, and his zealotry sometimes led to unnecessary division. In one case it helped bring about the downfall of a great saint. Lees meer
Links
Epiphanius of Salamis, Panarion https://archive.org/details/PanarionEpiphaniusCOMPLETE/page/n323/mode/2up
Epiphanius of Salamis, Weights and Measures http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/epiphanius_weights_01_eintro.htm
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
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34—Cyril of Jerusalem: Mystery and Mayhem
24 februari 2021 · 18 min
Cyril served as bishop during ugly times. The Church was divided, and suspicion was universal. He suffered false accusation, conspiracy, and exile. Yet he was able to see supernatural beauty shining through natural signs in the Church's liturgy: bread and wine, oil and water, breath and gesture. He is history's great practitioner of the art of mystagogy—guidance in the sacramental mysteries. His lectures, in fact, cover all the basics of Christian life: creed, commandments, prayer, and sacraments. Eyewitnesses tell us that his hearers applauded when he taught. His lectures still edify and entertain more than a millennium and a half after their first delivery. Lees meer
Links
Cyril of Jerusalem, Procatechesis https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2408
Cyril of Jerusalem, On Baptism https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2428
Cyril of Jerusalem, On the Body and Blood of Christ https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2430
Cyril of Jerusalem, On the Sacred Liturgy and Communion https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2431
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
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33—Ambrose of Milan: How the Church Regards the State
11 februari 2021 · 21 min
Ambrose of Milan, more than any other figure, is invoked in the West as the model for church-state relations. He's the one who said: "The emperor is within the Church, not above the Church." And he said it with deeds as well as words. He said it in private letters and public demonstrations. He said it through direct confrontation and civil disobedience. A former politician himself, he had a keen understanding of the game—and in the late fourth century the stakes were very high. Lees meer
Links
Ambrose, Sermon against Auxentius on the Giving Up of the Basilicas https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2075
Ambrose, Letter XXI to Valentinian I https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2074
Ambrose, Letter XX to his sister Marcella https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2073
Ambrose Letter LI to Theodosius https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2079
Ambrose, On the Mysteries https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2090
Augustine, Confessions, Book 8.7.15 https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=3102
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
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32—Julian, the Apostate Who Aped the Church
27 januari 2021 · 25 min
There's no anti-Christian like an ex-Christian, and there was no figure in antiquity like the Emperor Julian. He promoted the return of paganism as the official religion of the Roman Empire. But it was a strange paganism, modeled on the Christian Church. Julian began by making it difficult for Christians to work in professions like education, law, and military. His methods were mostly bloodless. He knew that martyrs made Christianity strong. It was better he thought, to marginalize believers, neutralizing their influence, pushing them out of public life. Lees meer
Links
Julian the Apostate, Against the Galileans http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/julian_apostate_galileans_0_intro.htm
Julian the Apostate, Oration upon the Sovereign Sun http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/julian_apostate_1_sun.htm
Gregory Nazianzen, "Oration 4: First Invective Against Julian" http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/gregory_nazianzen_2_oration4.htm
Adrian Murdoch, The Last Pagan: Julian the Apostate and the Death of the Ancient World https://www.amazon.com/Last-Pagan-Julian-Apostate-Ancient/dp/1594772266/
More works by the Fathers https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
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31—Gregory of Nyssa: Zero to Hero
12 januari 2021 · 18 min
Gregory of Nyssa was born into a family of high achievers. His brother was Basil the Great; his sister was Macrina the Younger. In Gregory's young life, however, he was something of a disappointment. It's not that he was a sinner or unbeliever, but he seemed to lack the holy ambition and drive that were characteristic of his older siblings. Basil often reprimanded him as a bumbler. But at Basil's death Gregory came into his own and suddenly emerged a major player on the world scene—a master of spiritual and systematic theology, a leader at councils, a healer of divisions in the Church. Lees meer
Links
Gregory Nazianzen, Letter 1, on his disappointment with Gregory of Nyssa
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2472
Basil the Great, Letter 58, a reproach to Gregory his brother
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2623
Gregory of Nyssa, Against Eunomius, Book 1 https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2271
Gregory of Nyssa, The Great Catechism https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2277
More works by the Fathers https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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30—Gregory Nazianzen: Greatness in the Passive Voice
28 december 2020 · 17 min
All Gregory wanted was a quiet place where he could relax with his books and a few close friends. From young adulthood he believed God was calling him to the contemplative life, and to old age he never lost that sense. But history kept dragging him into its current. First, his father (a bishop) coerced him into ordination to the priesthood. Then his closest friend, Basil the Great, pressured him to be ordained a bishop. Both times he put up little resistance, but later resented the actions as violence. Both times he eventually fled the demands of his office. Later he was persuaded to lead the Nicene faction in the capital city of the empire. Eventually he became bishop there and led the second ecumenical council in 380. Before the council was over he resigned and resumed his monastic retreat back home. Along the way he wrote the most compelling and complete Trinitarian theology of his time—and reams of great poetry. Lees meer
Links
Gregory Nazianzen, Epistle 150 (on dogmatic questions) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2459
Gregory Nazianzen, Oration 2 (on his flight from priesthood) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2433
Gregory Nazianzen, Oration 27: The First Theological Oration (on the duties of the theologian) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2440
John Henry Newman, "Basil and Gregory" https://www.newmanreader.org/works/historical/volume2/fathers/chapter3.html
More works by the Fathers https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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29—Basil and the Beginning of Christian Social Thought
10 december 2020 · 17 min
History calls him "Basil the Great," and his greatnesses were many. He was a brilliant theologian; and anyone today who writes about tradition or the Holy Spirit must engage his works, which are foundational in the field. He also produced some of the earliest sustained reflections on the social order implicit in the Gospel. But he didn't just think about these things. He did something about them. As bishop he was a model administrator, marshaling the resources of Christians in order to build a "new city" dedicated to worship and service of those in need; there he constructed one of the first hospitals, a poorhouse, a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, a hospice, and a trade school. He was an outstanding preacher, an organizer, an operator, and a saint recognized for greatness even in his own lifetime. Lees meer
Links
Gregory Nazianzen, Funeral Oration on the Great St. Basil https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2453
Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2544
Basil the Great, Homily I: in the Beginning God Made the Heaven and the Earth https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2545
More works by the Fathers https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
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28—Ephrem, Symbolist
24 november 2020 · 17 min
As a theological poet, he is peerless but for Dante. Yet Ephrem's fame rests not only on his words, but also on his heroic deeds. He lived almost his entire life in a war zone. He helped invent the hospital and the women's choir. He served tirelessly in times of famine and natural disaster—and he died caring for the sick during a pandemic. More than 500 of his hymns have survived into our time. Lees meer
Links
Free audiobook readings of St. Ephrem's hymns https://www.catholicculture.org/search/search.cfm?searchgoals=6&andsearch=Ephrem%20audiobooks
Ephraim the Syrian, The Nisibene Hymns https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2224
Ephraim the Syrian, Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2225
Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History (Ephraim's story is at Book III, Chapter XVI) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2885
Robert Murray, S.J., Symbols of Church and Kingdom: A Study in Early Syriac Tradition https://www.amazon.com/Symbols-Church-Kingdom-Syriac-Tradition/dp/0567030822/
More works by the Fathers https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio
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27 - Aphrahat: Parsee Sage Primary in Time
10 november 2020 · 21 min
Aphrahat is known in the tradition as "the Persian Sage." He is the first Father in our series to live, geographically and culturally, outside the Roman Empire. Born in the late third century in the Persian Empire, he flourished amid persecution. Aphrahat is the earliest prominent witness to Syriac Christianity. He wrote in a dialect of Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus. He maintained close contact with Judaism and demonstrated a profound knowledge of Hebrew Scriptures and Jewish customs. He wrote in prose that reads like poetry. His is a most unusual voice. The modern rabbi Jacob Neusner called Aphrahat a model of Jewish-Christian dialogue — "an enduring voice of civility and rationality amid the cacophony of mutual disesteem." Lees meer
Links
Aphrahat the Persian Sage, Select Demonstrations https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2231
Aphrahat the Persian Sage, Demonstration 2 http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/aphrahat_dem2.htm
Aphrahat the Persian Sage, Demonstration 7 http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/aphrahat_dem7.htm
Jacob Neusner, Aphrahat and Judaism: The Christian-Jewish Argument in Fourth-Century Iran https://www.amazon.com/Aphrahat-Judaism-Christian-Jewish-Fourth-Century-Supplements/dp/9004021507/
More works by the Fathers https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/
Mike Aquilina's website https://fathersofthechurch.com
Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org
Donate today! http://www.catholicculture.org/donate/audio