Early Christian Studies

In contrast with the major reference works of male theologians (patrologies), this bibliography of the words of the mothers lists every Christian woman who wrote before 1500 CE and her writings that have appeared in print since 1800. Each entry begins with a brief description of the writer.

According to W. Harmless, S.J., "this handbook offers a comprehensive introduction to the Church Fathers, together with extensive bibliographies on each figure and on all the major patristic texts. This is designed to replace an old standard, Johannes Quasten’s Patrology. "

This monumental series places at the disposal of the English reading public a solid introduction to early Christian literature. It is the first work of its kind written originally in English. The first volume appeared in 1950. Reviewers were unanimous in heaping praise upon the publication and looking upon it as a break-through in studying the Fathers of the Church. To arouse interest in the works of the Fathers, the author provides numerous excerpts in English. These are thought of as samples that, by giving readers a taste of the beauty and sublimity of the Patristic writings, may tempt them to take in hand the original and get their own impression of it, or, if that is too much for them, at least to read it in good translation. Only this, if achieved, will put readers close to Patristic literature, because only then do they sense the atmosphere of Christian antiquity and begin to penetrate its world. The author's experiences as a university professor prompted him to adopt this device. The selections are designed to also show the development of theology in the early centuries and to illustrate the approach of the Fathers to the deposit of faith.

In this volume, the fourth in a series (see Quasten's Patrology above), Angelo Di Berardino provides a highly detailed documentation of the writings of the later fathers of the Eastern Church. Each chapter is written by a sole specialist, which lends a unity not seen in previous volumes while permitting an impressively broad scope. ... This groundbreaking work offers the reader the opportunity to discover the fascinating literature of the fathers of the early Christian era, discussed by a leading expert in the field. Translated into English by Adrian Walford, this is a fundamental work of reference, and makes a major contribution to patristic scholarship.

Based on the fifth German edition of the author's Patrologie (1958). Not as accessible nor as extensive as Quasten (but likewise outdated), it was yet another patrology being translated into English in the mid-twentieth century, reflecting the rapidly growing interest in the early Christian writers in the English-speaking world. Altaner's introduction is worth reading for a short history on development of patrology, "a science that serves the knowledge of God arising from faith;...a branch of theology." (1)

Another standard work now dated, more concise than Quasten. Translation from the French.