Popular Patristics Series

Yes, I'm still doing a deep dive into the writings of the Christian Church Fathers, this time through buying/reading several volumes of the Popular Patristics Series.  As is the norm for series, I will list in italics books owned but not yet read and bold the ones that I've read.  I'm cautiously optimistic that I will have time later this summer to write essays on at least a few of these, perhaps on a different blog than this venerable one.  

Total through 5/12/2024:  32 books owned.

1. On the Priesthood by St. John Chrysostom
2. Lectures on the Christian Sacraments by St. Cyril of Jerusalem (discontinued)
3. On the Divine Images by St. John of Damascus (discontinued)
4. On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius (discontinued)
5. On the Holy Spirit by St. Basil the Great (discontinued)
6. On the Holy Icons by St. Theodore the Studite
7. On Marriage and Family Life by St. John Chrysostom
8. On the Divine Liturgy by St. Germanus of Constantinople
9. On Wealth and Poverty by St. John Chrysostom (2nd edition published 2020)
10. Hymns on Paradise by St. Ephrem the Syrian
11. On Ascetical Life by St. Isaac of Nineveh
12. On the Soul and Resurrection by St. Gregory of Nyssa
13. On the Unity of Christ by St. Cyril of Alexandria
14. On the Mystical Life: The Ethical Discourses, vol. 1: The Church and The Last Things by St. Symeon the New Theologian
15. On the Mystical Life: The Ethical Discourses, vol. 2: On Virtue and Christian Life by St. Symeon the New Theologian
16. On the Mystical Life: The Ethical Discourses, vol. 3: Life, Times, and Theology by St. Symeon the New Theologian
17. On the Apostolic Preaching by St. Irenaeus of Lyons
18. On the Dormition of Mary: Early Patristic Homilies
19. On the Mother of God by Jacob of Serug
20. On Pascha by Melito of Sardis (discontinued)
21. On God and Man: The Theological Poetry of St. Gregory of Nazianzus
22. On the Apostolic Tradition by St. Hippolytus (discontinued)
23. On God and Christ, The Five Theological Orations and Two Letters to Cledonius by St. Gregory of Nazianzus
24. Three Treatises on the Divine Images by St. John of Damascus (new translation, replaces volume 3)
25. On the Cosmic Mystery of Jesus Christ by St. Maximus the Confessor
26. Letters from the Desert by St. Barsanuphius and John
27. Four Desert Fathers – Pambo, Evagrius, Macarius of Egypt, and Macarius of Alexandria
28. Saint Macarius the Spiritbearer: Coptic Texts Relating to Saint Macarius the Great
29. On the Lord’s Prayer by Tertullian, St. Cyprian, & Origen
30. On the Human Condition by St. Basil the Great
31. The Cult of the Saints by St. John Chrysostom
32. On the Church: Select Treatises by St. Cyprian of Carthage
33. On the Church: Select Letters by St. Cyprian of Carthage
34. The Book of Pastoral Rule by St. Gregory the Great
35. Wider Than Heaven: Eighth-century Homilies on the Mother of God
36. Festal Orations by St. Gregory of Nazianzus
37. Counsels on the Spiritual Life, Volumes One and Two by St. Mark the Monk
38. On Social Justice by St. Basil the Great
39. Harp of Glory (Enzira Sebhat): An Alphabetical Hymn of Praise for the Ever-Blessed Virgin Mary from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church
40. Divine Eros: Hymns of Saint Symeon the New Theologian
41. On the Two Ways: Life or Death, Light or Darkness: Foundational Texts in the Tradition
42. On the Holy Spirit by St. Basil the Great (new translation, replaces volume 5)
43. Works on the Spirit by St. Athanasius the Great and Didymus the Blind
44. On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius the Great (new translation, replaces volume 4; available in Greek and English (44A) or English only (44B); own both)
45. Treasure-house of Mysteries: Exploration of the Sacred Text Through Poetry in the Syriac Tradition
46. Poems on Scripture by St. Gregory of Nazianzus
47. On Christian Doctrine and Practice St. Basil the Great
48. Light on the Mountain: Greek Patristic and Byzantine Homilies on the Transfiguration of the Lord
49. The Letters by St. Ignatius of Antioch
50. On Fasting and Feasts by St. Basil the Great
51. On Christian Ethics by St. Basil the Great
52. Give Me a Word: The Alphabetical Sayings of the Desert Fathers
53. Two Hundred Chapters On Theology by St. Maximus the Confessor
54. On the Apostolic Tradition (Second Edition) by St. Hippolytus (replaces volume 22)
55. On Pascha (Second Edition) by Melito of Sardis (replaces volume 20)
56. Letters to Saint Olympia by St. John Chrysostom
57. Lectures on the Christian Sacraments (Second Edition) by St. Cyril of Jerusalem (replaces volume 2)
58. The Testament of the Lord: Worship and Discipline in the Early Church
59. On the Ecclesiastical Mystagogy: A Theological Vision of the Liturgy by St. Maximus the Confessor
60. Catechetical Discourse: A Handbook for Catechists by St. Gregory of Nyssa
61. Hymns of Repentance by St. Romanos the Melodist
62. On the Orthodox Faith: Volume 3 of the Fount of Knowledge by St. John of Damascus
63. Headings on Spiritual Knowledge: The Second Part, Chapters 1-3 by St. Isaac of Nineveh
64. On Death and Eternal Life by St. Gregory of Nyssa
65. The Prayers of Saint Sarapion: The Bishop of Thmuis

 

Oxford Early Christian Texts

 One more list of bilingual Latin (or Greek)/English classics, this time writings of the Christian “Fathers” of the 2nd-7th centuries.  Lately, I’ve been doing some reading of the Church Fathers in order to become better educated about my beliefs and I stumbled upon Oxford’s annotated bilingual critical editions of the early leaders/defenders/martyrs of the Church.  These are not cheap books (often some are listed for $250+ on Amazon), but certainly books I will likely be collecting in the coming years.  Below are the current titles, listed by year of publication:

1.  Tatius, Oratio ad Graecos and Fragments

2.  Cyril of Alexandria, Select Letters

3.  Eunomius, The Extant Works

4.  Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana

5.  Severus of Minorca, Letter on the Conversion of the Jews

6.  Augustine, De Bono Coniugali, De Sancta Virginitate

7.  Maximus the Confessor, Maximus the Confessor and His Companions

8.  Leonitus of Jerusalem, Against the Monophysites:  Testimonies of the Saints and Aporiae

9.  Sophronius of Jerusalem, Sophoronius of Jerusalem and Seventh-Century Heresy: The Synodical Letter and Other Documents

10. Symeon the New Theologian, The Epistles of St. Symeon the New Theologian

11. Justin Martyr, Justin, Philosopher and Martyr:  Apologies

12. Priscillian of Avila, Priscillian of Avila:  The Complete Works

13. John Behr (ed.), The Case Against Diodore and Theodore

14. Jerome, Jerome’s Epitaph on Paula: A Commentary on the Epitaphium Sanctae Paula

15. Virginia Burrus and Marco Conti (eds.), The Life of Saint Helia

16. Nonnus of Panoplis, Paraphrasis of the Gospel of John XI

17. Damascus of Rome, The Epigraphic Poetry

18. Èric Rebillard (ed.), Greek and Latin Narratives About the Ancient Martyrs

19. Leonitus of Byzantium, Complete Works

20. Wolfram Kinzig (ed.), Faith in Formulae:  A Collection of Early Christian Creeds and Creed-Related Texts (4 vol.)

21. Alden A. Mosshammer (ed.), The Prologues on Easter of Theophilis of Alexandria and Cyril

22. Origen, On First Principles

23. Adrian, Introduction to the Divine Scriptures

24. Ronald E. Heine (ed.), The Commentary of Origen on the Gospel of St. Matthew

25. Apollinarus of Laodicea, Metaphrasis Psalmorum

26. Marco Conti, Virginia Burrus, and Dennis Trout (eds.), The Lives of St. Constantina 

27. Thomas of Edessa, Explanations of the Nativity and Epiphany

28. Papias of Hierapolis, Exposition of Dominical Oracles 

29. Abraham Terian (ed.), The Life of Mashtots’ by his Disciple Koriwn

30. Gregory of Nyssa, On the Human Image of God