INASMUCH as certain men have set the truth aside, and bring in lying words and vain genealogies, which, as the apostle says, “minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith,” and by means of their craftily-constructed plausibilities draw away the minds of the inexperienced and take them captive, [I have felt constrained, my dear friend, to compose the following treatise in order to expose and counteract their machinations.] These men falsify the oracles of God, and prove t...

This anthology edited by Philip Schaff, a renowned ecclesiastic historian, includes the most important works by early Christian theologians. Their comportment and sacrifice, their lectures and preaching, their moral values, and their understanding of Christianity and its most precious messages - shaped the foundations of the Christianity, helping it spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond its borders during the first centuries after the death of Jesus. The edition includes: Volume I:...

Against Heresies is one of the foundational works of early Christian theology, composed as a systematic refutation of Gnostic teachings, especially those associated with Valentinian speculation. Irenaeus combines careful exposition, polemical argument, scriptural interpretation, and pastoral concern, presenting Christian truth as a coherent "rule of faith" received from the apostles. Its literary style is methodical and juridical, yet often vigorous, reflecting the intellectual and ecclesi...

Against Heresies (Adversus Haereses) unfolds across five books as Irenaeus's comprehensive rebuttal of second-century Gnostic systems—above all the Valentinian and related schools—pairing meticulous catalogues of doctrines with scriptural exegesis and ecclesial reasoning. Written in a clear, pastoral yet polemical prose, it advances the rule of faith, the goodness of creation, the unity of the God of Israel with the Father of Jesus, and the recapitulation of humanity in Christ. Its method ...

The Nicene Creed stands as the definitive expression of Christian belief. Initially promulgated at the First Council of Nicaea in 325, it underwent subsequent refinement at the First Council of Constantinople in 381. Within this anthology, one encounters a compendium of works, speeches, and studies authored by eminent theological figures of early Christianity. Their profound insights not only shaped the philosophical foundations but also delineated the moral ethos intrinsic to the Christia...

The Nicene Creed is the defining statement of the belief of Christianity. The original Nicene Creed was first adopted at the First Council of Nicaea in 325. In 381, it was amended at the First Council of Constantinople. This anthology includes the works, speeches and studies of the most influential theological minds of early Christianity. They have set the philosophy and moral standards that became the centre stone of Christian belief system. The second part of the edition includes the wri...

This meticulously edited anthology presents the complete early Christian writings from the first four centuries following the death of Christ. Edited by Philip Schaff, a renowned ecclesiastic historian, this extensive collection comprises thousands of Christian texts authored by over 60 of the most significant theologians and Church Fathers. Each author is accompanied by a detailed introduction providing insight into their life and works, illuminating their philosophical perspectives, advo...

Our Special Edition: +All 5 books in one! +An Essay on Early Christian Literary Culture +Brief Biography of St. Irenaeus +10 Original illustrations by sequential digital artist Jacob Rice +Book Study Notes This is an apologetics classic which - in the 2nd century AD - clarified many of the beliefs we take for granted - and is the Early Church's battleground against the Gnostics. We can also thank Iranaeus for fighting for the present books of the New...

In these pages I give you a chapter out of my life... an episode that at first seemed impossible to write even to you. It has lengthened under my hand, as autobiography is likely to do. My apology is that in setting forth absolute truth in which we ourselves are concerned so deeply, the perspectives, and what painters call the values, are not easily maintained. But I hope not to be tedious to the reader for whom, especially, I have laid open as mysterious and profoundly personal an inciden...

This book comes complete with a Touch-or-Click Table of Contents, divided by each section. Irenaeus was Bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, then a part of the Roman Empire. He was an early church father and apologist, and his writings were formative in the early development of Christian theology. He was a hearer of Polycarp, who in turn was a disciple of John the Evangelist. Irenaeus' best-known book, Adversus Haereses or Against Heresies (c. 180) is a detailed attack on Gnosticism, which was then...

E-artnow presents to you this meticulously edited anthology of works by the early Christian theologians, compiled by the esteemed ecclesiastical historian Philip Schaff. The teachings and sermons of Church Fathers of the first, second and third century, shaped the core moral principles of the religion and deeply influenced the philosophical understanding of Christianity to this day. These contributions were instrumental in laying the groundwork for Christianity, facilitating its expansion ...

Saint Irenaeus (? 202 A.D.) was Bishop of Lugdunum (now Lyons) in Gaul, then a part of the Roman Empire. Irenaeus is recognized as a saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Roman Catholic Church. His feast day is on June 28 in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints, where it was inserted for the first time in 1920; in 1960 it was transferred to July 3, leaving June 28 for the Vigil of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, but in 1969 it was returned to June 28, the day of his birth to hea...