The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Volume 2: The Patristic Age
Overview
Hughes Oliphant Old surveys the history of preaching in the Greek schools of Alexandria and Antioch, in the Syriac church, and throughout the Christian Empire, concluding with the preaching of Leo the Great, Peter Chrysologos, and Gregory I.
Top Highlights
“What interests us much more is the way Gregory used classical Greek rhetoric to drive home rather complicated theological reasoning. It was for this reason that Greek rhetoric was born.” (Page 67)
“With the Hexaemeron we discover Christian preaching taking a different direction. The series is tremendously important because it shows a new day in preaching; after a century or more of strongly allegorical interpretation, we find in this series of sermons a reemphasis on the value of the literal sense of Scripture.” (Page 43)
“Classical rhetoric, as it was taught in the schools of ancient Greece and Rome, gave much attention to the arrangement of a speech. An orderly arrangement of one’s thoughts, according to the teaching of rhetoric, was essential to a clear communication of one’s thoughts. In its simplest form it was put this way: A well-constructed oration must begin with an exordium, or introduction. Having given a fitting introduction, one presents the main material first as narratio, or the statement of the peroratio proposition that one wants to maintain, then by its confirmatio, that is, the arguments in its favor, then by a refutatio, or refutation of arguments against it. Having put one’s material in this orderly arrangement, one ends the presentation with a peroratio, or conclusion.” (Page 49)
“Daily preaching must have been Cyril’s theological workbench. It must have been in the day-by-day preparation of these sermons, going through one book of the Bible after another, that he thought out these theological issues. His exegetical studies as we find them in his sermons on the Gospel of Luke are careful and thoughtful. Cyril is gifted at finding parallel passages of Scripture to illuminate the text under consideration. And, especially in Cyril’s day, without the concordances and lexical aids we have today, this gift demanded an extensive knowledge of Scripture. A scholar had to have the passages in his head. It could not be faked! Cyril was simply one of the best biblical scholars of the patristic age.” (Page 112)
Praise for the Print Edition
Studying these volumes is like walking around a great cathedral every section, however distinctive, unites in a grand design whose aim is to restore preaching to its rightful place. This multi-volume work is easily the best history of preaching ever written, one that will serve generations of those whose faith comes by hearing. But far more, this work is the best defense of preaching available: it proves that in every era, though with astonishing variety, the ministry of the Word is central to the worship of God.
—William Edgar, Westminster Theological Seminary
I consider this . . . to be most timely. The current unfortunate trend to dumb down worship with less Scripture and with popular topical sermons needs the corrective offered in this comprehensive and readable work.
—Robert Webber, Wheaton College
Product Details
- Title: The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Volume 2: The Patristic Age
- Author: Hughes Oliphant Old
- Series: The Complete Works of Andrew Fuller
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Publication Date: 1998
- Pages: 481
Reviews
1 rating
Glenn Crouch
9/10/2016
I found this to be a fascinating read. I continue to enjoy the Author's approach, which is quite positive, even when he points out areas in which the person (or practice) in question seems quite strange (even wrong) to our 21st Century ears. The Author does point out the weaknesses in the various Preachers that are covered, however I think he treats them quite fairly and does emphasise their strengths with far more effort. My understanding of the 5th to 6th Centuries is far less than that of the time up until the mid 4th Century. So whilst this did have the renewal of "friendships" with Augustine, Jerome, Chrysostom and Basil - it included the beginning on new "friendships" with Cyril of Jerusalem, the Gregories (of Nyssa and Nazianzen) - and an appreciation of Leo the Great and Gregory the Great. Whilst very much covering the topic of reading and preaching of Scripture, the Author takes the time to also delve into the development of Christian Liturgy, which makes sense as the reading and preaching of Scripture are very much a part of that - but also what we learn about emphasis within the Christian Calendar. The Author also makes quite clear how much info we don't have - how many sermons from other references are missing - and not to mention how many fine Preachers are, for now at least, lost to history. The book ends, with the Church adapting to the loss of Hebrew and Greek skills, and to the loss of Rhetoric and other speaking skills, and the desire to collect Sermons from those who had these skills so that such preaching would continue - even if it was only as read preaching. Also quite well referenced for further study! Looking forward to seeing where the Author goes in the next Volume! Highly recommended - but worth reading Volume 1 first :)