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The Fathers and a search for truth
John Binns commends two historical studies of thought and debate in the early Church
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| A Brief History of the Doctrine of the Trinity in the Early Church Franz Dunzl
T. & T. Clark £16.99 (978-0-567-03193-8) reviewed with
Ignatius of Antioch: A martyr bishop and the origin of episcopacy Allen Brent T. & T. Clark £60 (978-0-567-03200-3) Church Times Bookshop £54 THESE two short books describe episodes in the history of the Early Church — the development of the doctrine of the Trinity during the first four centuries, and the teaching of the second-century martyr bishop Ignatius of Antioch on the role of the bishop as church leader and source of unity. Franz Dunzl, Professor of Early Church History in the University of Wurzburg, describes how the Church came to affirm that the one God is also three persons. He describes the teachings of the Church Fathers on the Trinity, the background to their thought in Greek philosophy, the differences in meaning of the terms used in Greek and Latin, the decisive impact of the imperial power-politics, and the differences in understanding between East and West. This may sound an ambitious and complicated undertaking, and so it is. Yet the story is told with brevity and clarity, but without oversimplification. The style is non-academic, with no footnotes and a very modest bibliography. By restricting his discussion to the Fathers’ Trinitarian teaching, and excluding other subjects, he is able to make a difficult subject accessible to a wide readership. Allen Brent’s study is more limited in scope, in that he examines one writer; but it is broader in that he engages more obviously in scholarly debate. He argues convincingly for the authenticity of the seven letters usually attributed to Ignatius, and examines the social context of the letters in the Greek cities of Asia Minor, especially the rituals of pagan mystery cults. He suggests that Ignatius has taken the language and understanding of liturgy from pagan mystery religions, and has transformed them to tell the Christian story and to bring unity to a divided church community. In a brief conclusion to his study, Dunzl wonders whether the complex process he has described can be the revelation of God’s salvation for the world, and whether the doctrine that was developed in such a different context can be convincing to a modern believer. He answers firmly that it can be, and is, because God has chosen to become involved within human history, and communicates himself within this historical process. Both books are more than historical studies, but help us to understand the Church Fathers and their struggles, and so also to share with them in their search for the truth. Canon Dr Binns is Vicar of Great St Mary’s, Cambridge, and an Hon. Canon of Ely Cathedral. To order either book, email the details to Church Times Bookshop (please mention "Church Times Bookshop price") |
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