First Christian Voices: Practices of the Apostolic Fathers

14

First Christian Voices

The writings of the Apostolic Fathers are the historic writings of all of Christianity. The Apostolic Fathers provide a glimpse into the practices of the ancient church. Those practices are not a cure-all solution for the perennial pastoral problems we face today, but they certainly help us understand how the early church grew so significantly. They also show us that what we believe corresponds to how we belong to each other and behave as Christians in the world. It has truly been an honor to work on this volume. While I have had academic training in the early church as a part of my doctoral studies, to approach them as a student once again has been refreshing. By student, I do not mean someone who simply looks at a subject from an intellectual posture. Rather, a student is a disciple who has the passion to learn, incorporate what is learned into his personal life, and apply it in his world. To study the Apostolic Fathers in this manner is not only refreshing, but encouraging and, at some level, devotional as I observed once again their deep love for Jesus and their church communities as well as their love for reaching out to their neighbors. My hope is that you will allow these faithful saints who lived in genuinely perilous times to disciple you. Their history is our history just as their identity is also our identity. To help facilitate supplementary discussions about the practices of the ancient church, an on-demand learning experience has been designed in partnership with Ephesiology Master Classes and Kairos University as an additional resource for your personal study. It is free, interactive, and a space where you can engage with others who are also disciples of the Apostolic Fathers.