Wondrous in His Saints

Essays to Inspire on the Orthodox Patristic Tradition

Chris Baghos

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN:
  9781666773415
  9781666773422
• eBook ISBN:
  9781666773439
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

What role do the church fathers play in the life of a modern Christian? How do they define the experience of holiness? And how can they help us appreciate our current culture while maintaining our traditional values? Wondrous in His Saints posits answers to these and other crucial questions while drawing upon the Eastern Orthodox patristic tradition from Late Antiquity to the early modern era. Its chapters vary in scope, theme, and content, focusing especially on the church fathers' insights into intimate aspects of the spiritual life (including prayer, repentance, and love), as well as their engagement with the artistic and scientific achievements of their wider contexts. Exploring the lives and writings of numerous titans of Orthodoxy (including St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Maximus the Confessor, and St. Gregory Palamas), as well as lesser-known figures (such as St. Guthlac of Crowland and the Chinese Martyrs of the Boxer Rebellion), the author brings to the fore its egalitarian nature; the fact that deification has never been restricted to any time, place, social class, or clerical rank according to the church fathers, but always attainable for men and women seeking communion with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: St. Peter as a Model of Repentance
• Chapter 2: Christian Identity as Articulated by St. Paul and the Early Church Fathers
• Chapter 3: Martyrdom, the Eucharist, and the Courage of the Saints
• Chapter 4: St. Justin, the Martyr and Philosopher
• Chapter 5: The Formative Value of Scripture
• Chapter 6: St. Gregory of Nyssa on Asceticism and Spiritual Guidance
• Chapter 7: The Legacy of the Latin Fathers
• Chapter 8: St. Martin of Tours, Our Witness to Christ, and His Disciple, Sulpicius Severus
• Chapter 9: The Saints of Early Ireland and Britain
• Chapter 10: The Timeless Wisdom of the Life of St. Mary of Egypt
• Chapter 11: St. Maximus the Confessor on Love and Deification
• Chapter 12: St. Andrew of Crete’s Adaptation of the Scriptures
• Chapter 13: Life in the Spirit: Insights from St. Symeon the New Theologian
• Chapter 14: St. Gregory Palamas on Theology and Science
• Chapter 15: St. Mitrophan the Martyr and the Boxer Rebellion
• Bibliography