Ancient Christian Devotional: A Year of Weekly Readings

Brief Description: In this inspiring devotional, commentary from our ancient church fathers accompanies weekly Scripture readings following cycle A of the Revised Common Lectionary. Cindy Crosby and Thomas C. Oden also provide brief biographies of the church fathers. Table of Contents: Introduction Devotionals Ancient Christian Commentary Citations Prayer Citations Biographical Sketches Index of Names and SourcesMarc Notes: Includes bibliographical references and indexes.; [1] Cycle A -- [3] Lectionary cycle C. Publisher Marketing: "To search the sacred Scripture is very good and most profitable for the soul. For, 'like a tree which is planted near the running waters, ' so does the soul watered by sacred Scripture also grow hearty and bear fruit in due season," writes John of Damascus in Orthodox Faith (4.17). By helping us to read holy writings with ancient eyes, the church fathers help us drink deeply from the only water that can give us true life. This guide to prayer and reflection combines excerpts from the writings of the church fathers as found in the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture with a simple structure for daily or weekly reading and prayer. There are fifty-two weeks of readings following the weekly lectionary cycle A. You can read through them in order or by thematic interest. Each day you will also find a simple opening and closing prayer drawn from the prayers and hymns of the ancient church. Come and find the deep nourishment God offers through the insights of this "cloud of witnesses"--the ancient church fathers. Review Citations:

CBA Retailers 05/01/2007 pg. 48 (EAN 9780830834310, Paperback)

Christian Century 05/29/2007 pg. 42 (EAN 9780830834310, Paperback)

Contributor Bio:  Oden, Thomas C Thomas C. Oden (PhD, Yale University), is the general editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and the Ancient Christian Doctrine series as well as the author of Classic Christianity, a revision of his three-volume systematic theology. He is the director of the Center for Early African Christianity at Eastern University in Pennsylvania and he formerly served as the Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology at The Theological School of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. Oden is active in the Confessing Movement in America, particularly within the United Methodist Church and is president of The Institute for Classical Christian Studies. He suggests that Christians need to rely upon the wisdom of the historical Church, particularly the early Church, rather than on modern scholarship and theology and says his mission is "to begin to prepare the postmodern Christian community for its third millennium by returning again to the careful study and respectful following of the central tradition of classical Christianity."Contributor Bio:  Crosby, Cindy Crosby is a freelance writer. She is a former independent bookstore owner.