دانلود کتاب The Patristic Period

Originally produced in Italy, this book on the first through seventh centu­ries begins a monumental history of Catholic theology. The second and largest volume, covering the eighth to fourteenth centuries, will have two parts, while the third will cover the period from the Council of Trent to the twentieth century. This series focuses on theological method ralher than the history of dogma or significant theologians. Method is interpreted broadly in an aware­ness that theological work is done in a historical and cultural setting. The book discusses the complex relationships between early Christian thinkers and the late antique religious, literary, and philosophical culture in which they lived. Attention is also paid to the influences of prayer, liturgy, pastoral care, and ethics on theological reflection. Theology is understood as reasoned reflection on the revelation embodied in Scripture in light of human experience, so biblical interpretation and the relationship of faith and reason are discussed. Most chapters, including the extensive contributions of Basil Studer, manifest a Catholic theological perspective. Some contributors, such as Eric Osborn, approach the material more as secular cultural historians. The work is encyclopedic in character and scope. Although the index is brief and not very informative, readers will appreciate the detailed ten-page table of contents and Angelo Di Berardino's thirty-page chronological tables. Each chapter concludes with a useful bibliography, and the 105 pages of notes yield many fascinating insights [from the review of Nonna Verna Harrison in Church History, vol. 67, no. 4, Dec. 1998, p. 745].