Ancient Christian Writers Index

Ancient Christian Writers Series

This series is put out by Paulist Press and was also published by Newman Press (in 1962 Paulist Press acquired Newman Press). I will eventually provide more details for each volume, and provide links to the older volumes that are freely available online or available to borrow from the Internet Archive (IA).

Note: Please do not steal this material. Do not cut-and-paste it to another blog, forum, or any other public document of any kind. This is original work. Respect it. Feel free to link to this material.

01. St. Clement Of Rome & St. Ignatius. The Epistles of St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch. Trans. by James A. Kleist SJ. Westminster, MD: The Newman Press, 1949; Paulist Press, 1978. (IA)

St. Clement’s epistle, written c. 96, is called the first epistle, and is a model of a pastoral letter. The epistles of St. Ignatius, Bishop of Smyrna at the beginning of the second century, are addressed to six Christian communities.

02. St. Augustine. First Catechetical Instruction (De Catechizandis Rudibus). Trans. by Joseph P. Christopher. Westminster, MD: The Newman Press, 1946/1952; Paulist Press, 1978. (IA)

Written about the year 405, this treatise is unique in that it embodies both a manual for the catechist and a catechesis for the prospective catechumen.

03. St. Augustine. Faith, Hope and Charity (Enchiridion de fide, spe et caritate). Trans. by Louis A. Arand, SS. Westminster, MD: Newman, 1947. (IA)

Augustine has given us here a fairly complete compendium of his whole theology and the system on which it rests.

04. Julianus Pomerius. The Contemplative Life (De vita contemplativa). Trans. by Mary Josephine Suelzer. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1947. (IA)

Written around the end of the fifth century or the beginning of the sixth, this work, composed at the urgent request of a bishop, is an expression of the ideals of the contemplative and the active life, supplemented by a discussion of the vices and the virtues.

05. St. Augustine. The Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (De sermone domini in monte). Trans. by John J. Epson, SS. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1948. (IA)

This work was written between the years 393 to 396, when Augustine served as a priest at Hippo. In the first book he answers the question of the true meaning of The Sermon on the Mount: Is it humanely possible to put The Sermon into practice? The second book deals with the sixth and seventh chapters of this Gospel, and offers a condensed theology of prayer.

06. The Didache; The Epistle of Barnabas; The Epistle and the Martyrdom of St. Polycarp; The Fragments of Papias; The Epistle to Diognetus. Trans. by James A. Kleist, SJ. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1948. (IA)

The Didache or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, probably written before the end of the first century, purports to be an instruction based on sayings of the Lord and given by the Twelve Apostles to pagans who wished to become Christians. The Epistle of Barnabas is a homily on the mistaken Judaistic conception of the Old Testament. The Epistles consist of a covering note and a letter, which is an exhortation to the Philippians on Christian life in general. The Martyrdom of St. Polycarp is the story of this bishop of Smyrna’s death at the hand of the Roman authorities in Asia for the defense of the Christian faith. The Fragments of Papias. Papias, bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor, was the author of five book entitled Exegesis of the Lord’s Gospel. The Epistle to Diognetus is an apology for Christianity, presented by an unknown writer to a pagan of high social or political rank.

07. Arnobius of Sicca. The Case Against the Pagans (Adversus nationes), Vol. 1. Trans. by George E. McCracken. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1949. (IA)

This is in many ways the most remarkable patristic document now extant, the last surviving apology composed before the end of the persecutions.

08. Arnobius of Sicca. The Case Against the Pagans (Adversus nationes), Vol. 2. Trans. by George E. McCracken. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1949. (IA)

This is in many ways the most remarkable patristic document now extant, the last surviving apology composed before the end of the persecutions.

09. St. Augustine. Greatness of the Soul (De quantitate animae), The Teacher (De magistro). Trans. by Joseph M. Colleran CSSR. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1950. (IA)

Among the earlier writings of Augustine, the first work treats the nature of the human soul, its dignity and grandeur. The second discusses the fundamental question of how man acquires knowledge. Each is in the form of a dialogue.

10. St. Athanasius. The Life of St. Anthony. Trans. by George E. McCracken. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1950. (IA)

The most important document of early monasticism, written in 357, this is a biography of the recognized founder and father of monasticism.

11. St. Gregory the Great. Pastoral Care (Regula Pastoralis). Trans. by George E. McCracken. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1950. (IA)

St. Gregory deals with the great responsibility of the episcopal office and its onerous nature.

12. St. Augustine. Against the Academics (Contra Academicos). Trans. by George E. McCracken. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1950. (IA)

Made up of three books that are the earliest extant works of St. Augustine, these works claim to give a reliable picture of the mind and way of life of one of the greatest figures of the West, precisely at the moment that was for him most critical and vital.

13. Tertullian. Treatises on Marriage and Remarriage To His Wife (Ad Uxorem), An Exhortation to Chastity (De exhortatione castitatis), Monogamy (De monogamia). Trans. by William P. Le Saint, SJ. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1951; Paulist Press, 1978. (IA)

Three treatises on marriage, though not generally classified among Tertullian’s major compositions, are works of considerable interest and importance.

14. St. Prosper of Aquitaine. The Call of All Nations (De vocatione omnium gentium). Trans. by P. De Letter, SJ. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1952. (IA)

This is the first treatise in ancient Christian literature on the problem of the salvation of infidels. It is a controversial work written around 450 against the Semi-Pelagians, probably at Rome.

15. St. Augustine. Sermons for Christmas & Epiphany. Trans. by Thomas Comerford Lawler. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1952; New York, NY: Paulist Press, 1978. (IA)

Of all his works, it is Augustine’s sermons that give us the best portrayal of this brilliant and profoundly spiritual man presenting and interpreting the divine mysteries to his own people.

16. St. Irenaeus. Proof of the Apostolic Preaching. Trans. by Joseph P. Smith, SJ. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1952. (IA)

Written in the form of a letter, the Proof is a manual of theology designed to serve as a guide to salvation and a way to refute heretics. It was composed in Lyons and dates from the end of the second to the beginning of the third century.

17. The Works of St. Patrick. St. Secundinus: Hymn of St. Patrick. Trans. by Ludwig Bieler. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1953. (IA)

St. Patrick did not consider himself a man of letters; the short texts that survive reflect, however, his powerful personality. A contemporary and fellow missionary of St. Patrick, Secundinus is an enthusiastic admirer and defender of St. Patrick in this hymn.

18. St. Gregory of Nyssa. The Lord’s Prayer, The Beatitudes. Trans. by Hilda C. Graef. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1954; Paulist Press, 1978. (IA)

The two series of homilies presented here are intensely practical, full of examples from the moral, social, medical, and scientific life of Gregory’s time. They paint a picture of a man thoroughly conversant with human nature in general, and in the needs of his contemporaries.

19. Origen. Prayer, Exhortation to Martyrdom. Trans. by John J. O’Meara. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1954. (IA)

Composed c. 233, the treatise on prayer is not merely a treatise, but a prayer itself. The Exhortation was composed c. 235 to provide solace for Origen’s great friend and patron, Ambrose, and the presbyter, Protoctetus, both of whom had been imprisoned.

20. Rufinus. A Commentary on the Apostles’s Creed (Commentarius in symbolum apostolorum). Trans. by J. N. D. Kelly. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1955; Paulist Press, 1978. (IA)

His most important work, aimed at persons under instruction for the sacraments, the Commentary offers a guide to elucidating and justifying the Creed. It offers a glimpse of popular Christian propaganda at the beginning of the fifth century.

21. St. Maximus the Confessor. The Ascetic Life, The Four Centuries on Charity. Trans. by Polycarp Sherwood, OSB. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1955. (IA)

The Ascetic Life is a dialogue between a young novice and an old monk on how to achieve the Christian life. The Four Centuries is a collection of aphorisms.

22. St. Augustine. Problem of Free Choice (De libero arbitrio). Trans. by Dom Mark Pontifex. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1955. (IA)

One of Augustine’s most important works, written between 388 and 395, this dialogue has as its objective not so much to discuss free will for its own sake as to discuss the problem of evil in reference to the existence of God, who is almighty and all-good.

23. Athenagoras. Embassy for the Christians, The Resurrection of the Dead. Trans. by Joseph Hugh Crehan SJ. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1955. (IA)

These treatises date from the last third of the second century. Athenagoras of Athens belonged to that select group of Christian laymen known as the Apologists, who supported the successors of the apostles in the ministry of the faith by defending that faith and pleading for a just hearing before the pagan majority and pagan overlords.

24. Tertullian. The Treatise Against Hermogenes (Adversus Hermogenem). Trans. by J. H. Waszink. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1956. (IA)

Hermogenes was still living when Carthage’s native son took up his pen to oppose him, but that did not make Tertullian’s polemic more considerate, or his satire less passionate and biting. Hermogenes taught a form of materialism. Tertullian brilliantly convicts him of contradiction.

25. St. Cyprian. The Lapsed (De lapsis), The Unity Catholic Church (De ecclesiae catholicae unitate). Trans. by Maurice Bevenot, SJ. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1957. (IA)

St. Cyprian’s writings portray vividly the life of the Christian church in the middle of the third century. The two pastoral addresses of this intensely devout bishop reveal the aftermath of the persecution by the Emperor Decius.

26. Origen. The Song of Solomon, Commentary & Homilies. Trans. by R. P. Lawson. Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1957. (IA)

Origen’s Commentary, the first great work of Christian mysticism, is characterized by extraordinary richness of thought and depth of mystical conception. The Homilies seem to have been written only a few years after the Commentary probably before 244.

27. St. Methodius. The Symposium: Treatise on Chasity. Trans. by Herbert Musurillo, SJ. New York: Paulist Press, 1958. (IA)

The Symposium, or Banquet, is a dialogue in imitation of Plato, written by Methodius, a teacher and probably a bishop, who flourished in Lycia during the period known as the “little peace of the church.” It is perhaps the most beautiful symbolic prose-poem of the early patristic period.

28. Tertullian. Treaties on Penance (De paenitentia); On Purity (De pudicitia). Trans. by William P. Le Saint, SJ. New York: Paulist Press, 1958. (IA)

The judgment that one forms of the theory and practice of penance in Christian antiquity will be largely determined by the interpretation which one puts upon these two treatises. On Penitence dates from Tertullian’s Catholic period, and is a sermon addressed to the faithful on the subject of repentance and forgiveness. On Purity is one of his most violent Montanist treatises. In it he criticizes the policy the church follows in granting pardon to serious sins.

29. St. Augustine. On the Psalms (Enarrationes in psalmos), Vol. 1: Psalms 1–29. Trans. by Dame Scholastica Hebgin and Dame. New York: Paulist Press, 1960. (IA)

This volume covers Augustine’s notes and commentaries on Psalms 1 through 29. Augustine’s theme is the church, less as an external institution than as the very focus and center of God and Christ.

30. St. Augustine. On the Psalms (Enarrationes in psalmos), Vol. 2: Psalms 30–37. Trans. by Dame Scholastica Hebgin and Dame. New York: Paulist Press, 1960. (IA)

“Saint Augustine shows in simple, forceful language that the psalms…are also part of the first phase of Christ’s revelation, pointing toward the future. Since the saint was talking to his parishioners, his approach is concrete and leisurely.” Jubilee. Psalms 30–37 are treated here.

31. St. John Chrysostom. Baptismal Instruction. Trans. by Paul W. Harkins. New York: The Newman Press, 1963. (IA)

This series of eight instructions on baptism were given by St. John Chrysostom, probably at Antioch about 390. Their interest lies in Chrysostom’s activity as a mystagogue for the baptismal candidates and as their instructor in Christian doctrine and morality immediately after their initiation.

32. St. Prosper of Aquitaine. Defense of St. Augustine. Trans. by P. De Letter, SJ. Westminster, MD: The Newman Press, 1963. (IA)

The first document of the Semi-Pelagian controversy, the Defense involves several mutually connected points of doctrine, all of them centered on the gratuity of grace or on the very idea of grace as an undeserved gift of God. A layman connected with the monasteries of Marseilles, Prosper left Gaul for Rome and lived there until after 455.

33. Jerome. Letters of St. Jerome, Vol. 1. Trans. by Charles Christopher Mierow. Westminster, MD: The Newman Press, 1963. (IA)

No other source gives such an intimate portrait of this brilliant and strong minded individual, one of the four great doctors of the West and generally regarded as the most learned of the Latin fathers.

34. Palladius. Lausiac History. Trans. by Robert T. Meyer. Westminster, MD: The Newman Press, 1965. (IA)

Palladius has written an important history of early monasticism in Egypt with these biographic sketches or notes on some sixty holy men and women he had met or heard of. The work, dating from 419 or 420, is dedicated to Lausus, the royal chamberlain at the court of Emperor Theodosius II.

35. Paulinus of Nola. Letters of St. Paulinus of Nola, Vol. 1. Trans. by P. G. Walsh. Westminster, MD: The Newman Press, 1966. (IA)

Twenty-two prose letters that serve as a spiritual autobiography and intimate view of monastic life in Gaul and Nola, near Naples, in the fifth century.

36. Paulinus of Nola. Letters of St. Paulinus of Nola, Vol. 2. Trans. by P. G. Walsh. Westminster, MD: The Newman Press, 1967. (IA)

Volume 2 contains letters 23–51.

37. Firmicus Maternus. Error of the Pagan Religion. Trans. by Clarence A. Forbes. New York: The Newman Press, 1970. (IA)

A distinguished and literate convert, as well as a former astrologer, Firmicus Maternus called for the ferocious and brutal destruction of paganism by the state. Addressing the brothers, emperors Constantius and Constans, this work was written no later than 350.

38. Egeria. Diary of a Pilgrimage. Trans. by George E. Gingras. New York: The Newman Press, 1970. (IA)

Written in the first part of the fifth century, this work is a charming record of the observations of a Christian woman on a lengthy pilgrimage to the Holy Lands. Her firsthand account is a work of major significance for the fields of archaeology, church history, philology, and comparative liturgy.

39. The Octavius of Marcus Minucius Felix. Trans. by G. W. Clarke. New York: The Newman Press, 1974. (IA)

This work is a defense of Christianity composed in clear and direct imitation of Cicero, by a practicing advocate at Rome of African background, writing within the first third of the third century.

40. Paulinus of Nola. The Poems of St. Paulinus of Nola. Trans. by P. G. Walsh. New York: The Newman Press, 1975. (IA)

In general, the corpus of Paulinus’s poetry has as its purpose to encourage Christians to persevere in a life of Christian commitment and to demonstrate to nominal Christians and to benevolent non-Christians the nature of that commitment. None of the extant poems were written after 409.

41. St. Augustine. The Literal Meaning of Genesis (De Genesi ad litteram), Vol. 1: Books 1–6. Trans. by John Hammond Taylor, SJ. New York: Paulist Press, 1982. (IA)

A thorough and conscientious commentary on the first three chapters from the Book of Genesis, completed in 415. Augustine's purpose is to explain, to the best of his ability, what the author intended to say about what God did when he made heaven and earth. Contains Books 1–6.

42. St. Augustine. The Literal Meaning of Genesis (De Genesi ad litteram), Vol. 2: Books 7–12. Trans. by John Hammond Taylor, SJ. New York: Paulist Press, 1982. (IA)

A thorough and conscientious commentary on the first three chapters from the Book of Genesis, completed in 415. Augustine's purpose is to explain, to the best of his ability, what the author intended to say about what God did when he made heaven and earth. Contains Books 7–12.

43. Cyprian of Carthage. The Letters of St. Cyprian of Carthage, Vol. 1: Letters 1–27. Trans. by G. W. Clarke. Ramsey, NJ: Paulist Press, 1984. (IA)

Written from Roman North Africa, primarily between 250 and 258, and meant to be circulated and copied, the four volumes of letters provide an entry into Cyprian’s social and mental world and a glimpse of some of the spiritual horizons of an articulate mid-third-century provincial Roman. The first volume contains letters from the year 250.

44. Cyprian of Carthage. The Letters of St. Cyprian of Carthage, Vol. 2: Letters 28–54. Trans. by G. W. Clarke. Ramsey, NJ: Paulist Press, 1983. (IA)

The correspondence in this volume covers the period from approximately high summer of 250 to mid-251.

45. Palladius. Dialogue on the Life of St. John Chrysostom (Dialogus de Vita Sancti Joannis Chrysostomi). Trans. by Robert T. Meyer. New York: Newman Press, 1985. (IA)

Probably written in 406–408, this dialogue between an unidentified bishop and Theodore, a deacon of the church of Rome, has as its aim to point out Chrysostom as a model of what a true Christian bishop should be.

46. Cyprian of Carthage. The Letters of St. Cyprian of Carthage, Vol. 3: Letters 55–66. Trans. by G. W. Clarke. New York: Paulist Press, 1986. (IA)

The letters in this volume cover the period from mid 251 to 254, and reveal details of the persecution under Gallus, and the African Council meetings over the years 251–253.

47. Cyprian of Carthage. The Letters of St. Cyprian of Carthage, Vol. 4: Letters 67–82. Trans. by G. W. Clarke. New York: Newman Press, 1989. (IA)

The letters in this volume were composed over the years 254–258, when Cyprian was martyred.

48. St. Augustine. On Faith and Works (De fide et operibus). Trans. by Gregory J. Lombardo, CSC. Mahwah, NJ: Newman; Paulist Press, 1988. (IA)

Composed in 413, this work refutes certain writings that taught that good works were not necessary to obtain eternal life, that faith alone was sufficient for salvation.

49. Theodoret of Cyrus (or Theodoretus Cyrrhensis, Bishop of Cyrrhus). On Divine Providence (De providentia). Trans. by Thomas Halton. Mahwah, NJ: Newman Press, 1988. (IA)

Theodoret can be called the last great torchbearer of Christian rhetoric in Asia and De providentia is regarded by many as exhibiting his literary power in its highest form. Written c. 437.

50. Maximus of Turin. Sermons of St. Maximus of Turin. Trans. by Boniface Ramsey, OP. New York: Newman Press; Paulist Press, 1989. (IA)

Maximus’s sermons are models of a good, popular homiletic style that must have been widespread. Short, characterized by a love of imagery, and with passages of great beauty, they are direct and easy to understand, and in them Maximus manifests his engagement with his rural, superstitious and devout congregation. Maximus’s ministry in Turin dates to the years between c. 390 and 408/423.

51. Cassiodorus. Explanation of the Psalms, Vol. 1. Trans. by P. G. Walsh. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1990. (IA)

The composition of this work can be allotted to the period of the 540’s and 550’s. Cassiodorus deploys the psalms not only for the purposes of instruction in theology and hermeneutics, but also to inculcate a general education in eloquence.

52. Cassiodorus. Explanation of the Psalms, Vol. 2. Trans. by P. G. Walsh. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1990. (IA)

The composition of this work can be allotted to the period of the 540’s and 550’s. Cassiodorus deploys the psalms not only for the purposes of instruction in theology and hermeneutics, but also to inculcate a general education in eloquence.

53. Cassiodorus. Explanation of the Psalms, Vol. 3. Trans. by P. G. Walsh. New York and Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1990. (IA)

The composition of this work can be allotted to the period of the 540’s and 550’s. Cassiodorus deploys the psalms not only for the purposes of instruction in theology and hermeneutics, but also to inculcate a general education in eloquence.

54. Origen. Treatise on the Passover and Dialogue with Heraclides. Trans. by Robert J. Daly, SJ. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1992. (IA)

The Treatise on the Passover dates from around 245. Its central insight is that the Passover is not a figure or type of the passion of Christ, but a figure of Christ himself, of Christ’s passing over to the Father. The Dialogue with Heraclides probably comes from between the years 244 and 249. It seems to be the record of a synod-like meeting of bishops, in the presence of lay people, called to discuss matters of belief and worship. Both pieces seem to come from the last decade of Origen’s activity, when he was at the height of his powers.

55. St. Irenaeus of Lyons. Against the Heresies, Book 1. Trans. by Dominic J. Unger. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1991. (IA)

This work, which establishes Irenaeus as the most important of the theologians of the second century, is a detailed and effective refutation of Gnosticism, and a major source of information on the various Gnostic sects and doctrines. This volume contains Book One.

56. St. Justin Martyr. The First and Second Apologies. Trans. by Leslie William Barnard. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1997. (IA)

An English translation from Greek of Justin Martyr's two major apologetic works, which are recognized as a formative influence on the development of Christian theology in the early church.

57. John Cassian. The Conferences. Trans. by Boniface Ramsey, OP. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1997. (IA)

The first complete English translation of John Cassian’s (c. 360–430) Conferences, a work that records dialogues between Cassian and his traveling companion, Germanus, and the great desert masters on the recurring theme of purity of heart, which is the goal of the spiritual life.

58. John Cassian. The Institutes. Trans. by Boniface Ramsey, OP. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2000. (IA)

The first written work of John Cassian in which he shares the wisdom of Egyptian monasticism, especially rules of monastic life and lessons on battling the eight principal vices.

59. Evagrius Ponticus. Ad Monachos. Trans. by Jeremy Driscoll. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2003. (IA)

Proverbs from this desert father, translated for the first time into English.

60. Quodvultdeus of Carthage. The Creedal Homilies. Trans. by Thomas M. Finn. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2004. (IA)

The Creedal Homilies is a translation and commentary on the recently recovered and critically edited homilies on the Nicene Creed, delivered by Quodvultdeus, the last pre-Vandal archbishop of Carthage and young contemporary of St. Augustine.

61. Isidore of Seville. De Ecclesiasticis Officiis. Trans. by Thomas L. Knoebel. New York: Newman Press, 2008. (IA)

This is the first complete English translation of De Ecclesiasticis Officiis (DEO) of St. Isidore of Seville (d. 636), considered the last Latin father of the church. The work is an invaluable source of information about liturgical practice and church offices.

62. Origen. Homilies 1–14 on Ezekiel. Trans. by Thomas P. Scheck. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2010. (IA)

This is the first English translation of Origen’s fourteen Homilies on Ezekiel, made from the Latin translation of St. Jerome.

63. Julian of Toledo. Foreknowledge of the World to Come (Prognosticum Futuri Saeculi). Trans. by Sergio Stancati, OP. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2010. (IA)

The first English translation of the Prognosticum futuri saeculi of Julian of Toledo (624–690), the most ancient treatise of Christian eschatology.

64. St. Irenaeus of Lyons. Against the Heresies, Book 3. Trans. by Dominic J. Unger and Matthew C Steenberg. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2012. (IA)

Book 3 of St. Irenaeus’s best-known work, Adversus Haereses (Against the Heresies), presented in a new translation with an introduction and notes.

65. St. Irenaeus of Lyons. Against the Heresies, Book 2. Trans. by Dominic J. Unger. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2012. (IA)

In this book, St. Irenaeus of Lyons refutes the gnosis of the Valentinians and the Marcionites from reason.

66. St. Jerome. Commentary on Ecclesiastes. Trans. by Richard J. Goodrich. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2012. (IA)

This first-ever translation into English of this early work by St. Jerome includes a commentary by the translators that not only elucidates the difficulties but also presents an original view of Jerome’s approach to the theological issues raised by this challenging book of the Bible.

67. Theodoret of Cryus. A Cure for Pagan Maladies. Trans. by Thomas Halton. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2013. (IA)

This is the “last of the Christian apologies,” written by influential author and bishop of Cyrrhus (ca. 393–ca. 457).

68. St. Jerome and Origen. Jerome. Commentary on Isaiah, Origen, Homilies 1–9 on Isaiah. Trans. by Thomas P. Scheck. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2015. (IA)

Jerome is best known as the translator of the Latin Vulgate Bible. In medieval times, Jerome was declared to be one of the four great Doctors of the Latin church. The Council of Trent spoke of him as “the greatest doctor in the explanation of Holy Scripture.” Jerome’s Commentary on Isaiah is his longest extant work and considered by many to be his magnum opus. Scheck has offered the English speaking world the first translation of this work. The work is heavily indebted to the Greek exegetical tradition, especially Origen.

69. Theodore the Studite. Writing on Iconoclasm. Trans. by Thomas Cattoi. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2015. (IA)

Famous for his writings exploring the nature and purpose of the monastic life, Theodore the Studite (759–826) was also the author of numerous apologetic works on the theology of the icon, where prose and poetry brought together theological depth and mystical inspiration. In the context of the iconoclast revival that swept through Byzantium in the early years of the ninth century, Theodore was the chief advocate of the legitimacy of icon veneration, and argued for the fundamental congruence between this practice and the Christological vision of the early councils. As John Damascene had done during the eighth century, Theodore envisages the icon as the synthesis of the Christian faith in the incarnation; its veneration is not only the litmus test of doctrinal orthodoxy, but it is also an integral part of the spiritual practice of the Christian, for whom Christ’s resurrection points towards the eschatological redemption of the cosmos. This volume makes available in English for the first time all the writings by Theodore on the subject of iconoclasm. It will be of great interest to scholars and students of early Christian theology and spirituality, as well as to anyone eager to explore the relationship between spiritual practice and the visual arts.

70. Sulpicius Severus. Complete Works. Trans. by Richard J. Goodrich. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2016. (IA)

The first complete English translation since the late nineteenth century of the works of Sulpicius Severus, an early fifth-century Gallic writer.

71. St. Jerome. Commentary on Ezekiel. Trans. by Thomas P. Scheck. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2017.

In this massive volume, patristics scholar Thomas P. Scheck offers a worthy sequel to his magisterial St. Jerome’s Commentary on Isaiah (ACW 68) with the first translation into a modern language of St. Jerome’s Commentary on Ezekiel, his second longest Old Testament commentary. With these two volumes together, Paulist Press now offers Jerome’s two longest commentaries, which are also considered his greatest works. With current interest in the Old Testament prophets, especially the major prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel, at a high level, the Ancient Christian Writers series makes available a new, significant title to the works of Jerome in the English language.

72. St. Irenaeus of Lyons. Against the Heresies, Books 4–5. Trans. by Dominic J. Unger. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2024.

73. Isidore of Seville. Sententiae. Trans. Thomas L. Knoebel. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2018.

Isidore of Seville is one of the dominant contributors to the development of medieval Catholic theology. Sententiae, his major theological work, is arranged in three divisions or books. The first is a dogmatic part, presenting the doctrinal assertions of the Catholic faith. This is followed by two additional books, developing the moral principles and correct behavior necessary to attain eternal union with God, the highest good―summum bonum―who is the subject of the first assertion of faith in Book 1. The work presents a marvelously holistic view of faith and action, developing the relationship between the intellectual and moral, the individual and social life of the Christian believer, all in the context of eternal life.

74. Teachings of the Desert Fathers. Trans. by Richard J. Goodrich. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2020.

Beginning in the fourth century, stories about the Egyptian desert fathers were written in Greek, and collections of them were then translated into Latin. In 1615, Heribert Rosweyde, SJ, gathered the extant collections and published them. While some of the other “books” in the collection have been translated into English, this is the first English translation of Books III, VI, and VII.

An English translation of several Latin collections of the Apophthegmata patrum, including the Commonitiones Sanctorum Patrum, Vitae patrum 6, Paschasius of Dumium’s Geronticon, and excerpts from Vitae patrum 3 and 7.

75. Chromatius of Aquileia. Sermons and Tractates on Matthew. Trans. by Thomas P. Scheck. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2018.

St. Chromatius (345?–407) was a friend and supporter of both Jerome and Rufinus of Aquileia, as well as of Sts. Ambrose and John Chrysostom. His Homilies on Matthew were rediscovered in modern times and translated into French in the SC series, and more recently into Italian. Pope Benedict XVI devoted one of his catecheses to Chromatius, based on the Italian version of the homilies. This new English translation of the homilies and tractates will include a substantial introduction that covers biographical matters, involvement with the Origenist controversy between Rufinus and Jerome, and the controversy over John Chrysostom’s deposition in which Chromatius supported John.

76. Pelagius. Commentaries on the Thirteen Epistles of Paul with the Libellus fidei. Trans. by Thomas P. Scheck. Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2022.

The British monk Pelagius (360?–420) is best known for his claim that human beings could perform good works on their own strength, without need of divine assistance, a teaching condemned by the Council of Carthage (417–418).

Yet, before this, Pelagius also penned a collection of commentaries on all the Pauline epistles. This new volume will include new English translations of all of Pelagius’s Pauline Commentaries, including the commentary on Romans, thought to be thus far the only commentary to have been previously translated into English.

The commentaries are not only of interest in demonstrating an orthodox side of someone condemned as a heretic but, perhaps even more importantly, they are of extreme importance for the history of Pauline exegesis.

Alphabetical Name List of the Fathers in the Series with Wiki Biographical Links:

Arnobius of Sicca (AD c. early 4th century–c.330)
Athenagoras of Athens (AD c.133–c.190)
Augustine of Hippo (AD 354–430)
Cassiodorus (AD 490–c.585)
Chromatius of Aquileia (AD d. c. 406/407)
Clement of Rome (AD c.35–99)
Cyprian of Carthage (AD c.210–258)
Egeria (AD fl.381/2–386)
Evagrius Ponticus (AD 345–399)
Firmicus Maternus (AD c.280–c.360; fl.306–337)
Gregory of Nyssa (AD c.335–c.395)
Gregory the Great (AD c.540–604)
Iranaeus (AD c.130–c.202)
Isidore of Seville (AD c.560–636)
Jerome (AD c.342/347–420)
John Cassian (AD c.360–c.435)
John Chrysostom (AD c.347–407)
Julian of Toledo (AD 642–690)
Julianus Pomerius (AD d. c. 499–505)
Justin Martyr (AD c.100–c.165)
Marcus Minucius Felix (AD d. c.250)
Maximus of Turin (AD c.380–c.465)
Maximus the Confessor (AD c.580–662)
Methodius (AD d. c.311)
Origen (AD c.185–c.253)
Palladius (AD fl.408–431; d. c. 457/461)
Patrick (AD b. c.385–d. c.461)
Paulinus of Nola (AD c.354–431)
Pelagius (AD fl.390–418)
Prosper of Aquitaine (AD c.390–c.455)
Quodvultdeus of Carthage (AD d. c.450)
Rufinus (AD c.344/345–c.410/411)
Secundinus (AD d. c.447/448)
Sulpicius Severus (AD c.363–c.425)
Tertullian (AD c.155–c.220)
Theodore the Studite (AD 759–826)
Theodoret of Cyrus (AD c.393–c.458/466)

Divided by Era:

Ante-Nicene Era Collection

Arnobius of Sicca: The Case against the Pagans, Volumes 1 & 2
Athenagoras: Embassy for the Christians, The Resurrection of the Dead
Origen: Homilies 1–14 on Ezekiel
Origen: Prayer, Exhortation to Martyrdom
Origen: The Song of Songs, Commentary and Homilies
Origen: Treatise on the Passover and Dialogue of Origen with Heraclides and His Fellow Bishops on the Father, the Son, and the Soul
St. Cyprian: The Lapsed and The Unity of the Catholic Church
St. Irenaeus of Lyons: Against the Heresies, Book 2
St. Irenaeus of Lyons: Against the Heresies, Book 3
St. Irenaeus of Lyons: Against the Heresies, Volume 1, Book 1

St. Irenaeus. Proof of the Apostolic Preaching
St. Justin Martyr: The First and Second Apologies
St. Methodius: The Symposium: A Treatise on Chastity
Tertullian: The Treatise against Hermogenes
Tertullian: Treatises on Marriage and Remarriage: To His Wife, An Exhortation to Chastity, Monogamy
Tertullian: Treatises on Penance: On Penitence and On Purity
The Didache, The Epistle of Barnabas, The Epistles and the Martyrdom of St. Polycarp, The Fragments of Papias and The Epistle to Diognetus
The Epistles of St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch
The Letters of St. Cyprian of Carthage, Volume I, Letters 1–27
The Letters of St. Cyprian of Carthage, Volume II, Letters 28–54
The Letters of St. Cyprian of Carthage, Volume III, Letters 55–66
The Letters of St. Cyprian of Carthage, Volume IV, Letters 67–82
The Octavius of Marcus Minucius Felix

Nicene Era Collection

Chromatius of Aquileia. Sermons and Tractates on Matthew

Egeria: Diary of a Pilgrimage
Evagrius Ponticus: Ad Monachos
Firmicus Maternus: The Error of the Pagan Religions
John Cassian: The Conferences

John Cassian: The Institutes
Palladius: Dialogue on the Life of St. John Chrysostom
Palladius: The Lausiac History

Pelagius. Commentaries on the Thirteen Epistles of Paul with the Libellus fidei
Prosper of Aquitaine: Defense of St. Augustine

Prosper of Aquitaine: The Call of All Nations
Quodvultdeus of Carthage: The Creedal Homilies: Conversion in Fifth-Century North Africa
Rufinus: A Commentary on the Apostles’s Creed
St. Athanasius: The Life of Saint Antony
St. Gregory of Nyssa: The Lord’s Prayer, The Beatitudes
St. Jerome: Commentary on Ecclesiastes

St. Jerome: Commentary on Ezekiel
St. Jerome-Origen: Commentary on Isaiah, Origen Homilies 1–9 on Isaiah
St. John Chrysostom: Baptismal Instructions

Sulpicius Severus. Complete Works
The Letters of St. Jerome, Volume I, Letters 1–22
The Sermons of St. Maximus of Turin
Theodoret of Cyrus: A Cure for Pagan Maladies
Theodoret of Cyrus: On Divine Providence

Post-Nicene Era Collection

Cassiodorus: Explanation of the Psalms, Volume I
Cassiodorus: Explanation of the Psalms, Volume II
Cassiodorus: Explanation of the Psalms, Volume III
Isidore of Seville: De Ecclesiasticis Officiis

Isidore of Seville. Sententiae
Julian of Toledo: Foreknowledge of the World to Come (Prognosticum Futuri Saeculi)
Julianus Pomerius: The Contemplative Life
Letters of St. Paulinus of Nola, Volume I
Letters of St. Paulinus of Nola, Volume II

St. Gregory the Great: Pastoral Care
St. Maximus the Confessor: The Ascetic Life, The Four Centuries on Charity

The Poems of St. Paulinus of Nola
The Works of St. Patrick: St. Secundinus: Hymn on St. Patrick

Theodore the Studite. Writing on Iconoclasm

Augustine Volumes

St. Augustine. Against the Academics

St. Augustine. First Catechetical Instruction

St. Augustine. Faith, Hope & Charity

St. Augustine. Greatness of the Soul, The Teacher

St. Augustine. On Faith and Works

St. Augustine. On the Psalms, Vol. 1

St. Augustine. On the Psalms, Vol. 2

St. Augustine. Problem of Free Choice

St. Augustine. Sermons for Christmas & Epiphany

St. Augustine. The Literal Meaning of Genesis, Vol. 1

St. Augustine. The Literal Meaning of Genesis, Vol. 2

St. Augustine. The Lord’s Sermon on the Mount