Irenaeus: Life, Scripture, Legacy

by Sara Parvis; Paul Foster

Publisher:

Fortress Press

, 2012

Overview

Champion of martyrs, scourge of heretics, erudite theologian, shrewd politician—no account of early Christianity is complete without careful consideration of Irenaeus of Lyons. Here a team of international scholars examines aspects of the saint’s life, historical context, engagement with Scripture, and his ecclesiastical and theological legacy for succeeding generations.

Irenaeus: Life, Scripture, Legacy is perfect if you’re a student, scholar, pastor, or layperson interested in the most pressing topics relating to Irenaeus. The Logos Bible Software edition of this collection is designed to encourage and stimulate your study and understanding of the early Church Fathers. Scripture passages link directly to your English translations and original language texts, and important theological concepts link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. In addition, you can perform powerful searches by topic and find what other authors, scholars, and theologians have to say about Irenaeus’ writings, thought, and legacy.

Key Features

• Eighteen essays on Irenaeus’ life, theology, and legacy
• Contributions from numerous scholars in the fields of patristics, early church history, New Testament, and theological and religious studies

Contents

• Part One: Life: Irenaeus and His Context
  • “Who Was Irenaeus? An Introduction to the Man and His Work” by Paul Parvis
  • “The Cultural Geography of a Greek Christian: Irenaeus from Smyrna to Lyons” by Jared Secord
  • “How Irenaeus Has Misled the Archaeologists” by Allen Brent
• Part Two: Scripture: Irenaeus and His Scriptural Traditions
  • “The Parable of the Two Sons (Matt. 21:28–32) in Irenaeus and Codex Bezae” by Denis Minns
  • “Irenaeus and Hebrews” by D. Jeffrey Bingham
  • “Irenaeus’ Contribution to Early Christian Interpretation of the Song of Songs” by Karl Shuve
  • “The Man with No Name: Who Is the Elder in Irenaeus’ Adversus haereses IV?” by Sebastian Moll
  • “The Man Who Needed No Introduction: A Response to Sebastian Moll” by Charles E. Hill
  • “Irenaeus and the Noncanonical Gospels” by Paul Foster
  • “Irenaeus, the Scribes, and the Scriptures: Papyrological and Theological Observations form P.Oxy.405” by Charles E. Hill
• Part Three: Legacy: Irenaeus and His Theological Traditions
  • “The Heart of Irenaeus’ Theology” by Michael Slusser
  • “Irenaeus and the Knowledge of God as Father: Text and Context” by Peter Widdicombe
  • “‘The Rule of Truth . . . which He Received through Baptism’ (Haer. I.9.4): Catechesis, Ritual, and Exegesis in Irenaeus’ Gaul” by Alistair Stewart
  • “Irenaeus, Women, and Traditions” by Sara Parvis
  • “Irenaeus and the Exegetical Roots of Trinitarian Theology” by Stephen O. Presley
  • “The Image of God in Irenaeus, Marcellus, and Eustathius” by Sophie Cartwright
  • “Packaging Irenaeus: Adversus haereses and Its Editors” by Paul Parvis
  • “Tracing the Irenaean Legacy” by Irenaeus M. C. Steenberg

Top Highlights

“He is well known for being our earliest surviving witness to a fourfold gospel collection comprising the accounts written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.” (Page 3)

“Scripture and the rule of truth, then, go together: both express and enshrine the teaching of the apostles.” (Page 21)

“It is the job of the bishops to teach what the apostles taught rather than to be what the apostles were.” (Page 14)

“Irenaeus, the most comprehensive writer that Christianity had yet produced” (Page 1)

“Let a bishop who is chosen by all the people be ordained and, when he has been nominated and all have so resolved, let the people gather with the presbyterate and with those bishops who have made themselves present. With the consent of all, let them lay their hands upon him and let the presbyterate stand at their side in silence.” (Page 44)

Praise for the Print Edition

This wide-ranging collection of essays will refine many detailed aspects of the scholarly reception of Irenaeus, but at the same time is calculated to provide something of a comprehensive overview. This will make it indispensable to the serious student who seeks to grasp the significance of one often dubbed ‘the first Christian theologian.’

—Frances Young, emeritus professor of theology, University of Birmingham

A badly needed contemporary collection of essays on various historical, textual, and theological aspects of the often cited and too little understood Irenaeus of Lyons. The variety of perspectives creates a lively volume, and the extensive bibliography, including editions of Irenaeus’ writings, make it essential.

—Rebecca Lyman, Emerita Garrett Professor of Church History, Church Divinity School of the Pacific

Sara Parvis and Paul Foster have collected in one volume an eloquent and timely testimony to the perennial vitality of Irenaeus’ vision. Their book masterfully situates Irenaeus in a multiplicity of contexts: historical, scriptural, and theological.

—Khaled Anatolios, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

Product Details

• Title: Irenaeus: Life, Scripture, Legacy
• Editors: Paul Foster and Sara Parvis
• Publisher: Fortress Press
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 296

About the Editors

Paul Foster is lecturer in New Testament literature, language, and theology at the University of Edinburgh.

Sara Parvis is Lecturer in Patristics at the University of Edinburgh School of Divinity in Scotland.