Christian Sources

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Cornfed
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Christian Sources

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Does anyone know of any sources to learn about the theory behind Christianity? The Protestant idea of just reading the Bible is likely worse than useless. Are there any good compilations of the Church Fathers at all?
gsjackson
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Re: Christian Sources

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I liked the British Christian apologists when I read them decades ago -- Lewis, Chesterton and Dorothy Sayers primarily. Huston Smith's chapter on Christianity in Religions of the World is well worth reading.
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Cornfed
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Re: Christian Sources

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gsjackson wrote:
November 6th, 2021, 4:04 pm
I liked the British Christian apologists when I read them decades ago -- Lewis, Chesterton and Dorothy Sayers primarily. Huston Smith's chapter on Christianity in Religions of the World is well worth reading.
How about the Early and Medieval Church Fathers? My impression is that they wrote screeds of text and disappeared up their own collective backside pontificating on what should have been a fairly simple and concise subject. I would have thought you could take the stuff in the Bible, the Greek philosophy needed to interpret parts of the New Testament and the historical examples of what was practised and what worked in Christian societies and put it in a sensible, consistent package. That should take about 50 pages or so.
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Re: Christian Sources

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Knock yourself out, Corn. I look forward to reading the results.
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Cornfed
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Re: Christian Sources

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gsjackson wrote:
November 16th, 2021, 1:45 pm
Knock yourself out, Corn. I look forward to reading the results.
Do you agree with the premise though, or are there men I really should read?
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Re: Christian Sources

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Cornfed wrote:
November 16th, 2021, 2:03 pm
gsjackson wrote:
November 16th, 2021, 1:45 pm
Knock yourself out, Corn. I look forward to reading the results.
Do you agree with the premise though, or are there men I really should read?
Beyond a little Acquinas, I never really read the ancient and medieval church fathers, and it's been decades since I was looking at this kind of stuff. So I don't know. Christian apologetics that would engage me would focus on the utility of the forgiveness mechanism in the human psyche and its insertion into history at a point when the Hebrews had locked the psyche into a rigid moral calculus that inevitably led to a downward spiral into sin. As an American, I guess I'm influenced by what is supposed to be our one contribution to systematic philosophy -- pragmatism, which focuses on the "cash value of ideas," how they tend to play out in real life. I suspect there's a lot of "cash value" in Christianity.

Go to the Roosh V world if you want deep theological inquiry. He's a smart guy and is into this whole hog now, renouncing his PUA ways. He's Orthodox, and would point you in the direction of a completely different set of church fathers.
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Re: Christian Sources

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Cornfed wrote:
November 6th, 2021, 3:10 pm
Does anyone know of any sources to learn about the theory behind Christianity? The Protestant idea of just reading the Bible is likely worse than useless. Are there any good compilations of the Church Fathers at all?
You can buy a whole set of them. There is also the Christian Etherial Library, or something like that, online. When I was a teen, I read the first half of Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, which introduced me to some figures like Irenaeus. I also read parts of Justin Martyr's Dialogue with Trypho as a young adult.

This is an interesting source which allows you to click on a verse and see various historical commentaries on the verses. Then you could look up the people who wrote the comments in Wikipedia to get an idea of who they are. That could be an 'organic' way of learning about this.
https://www.catenabible.com/com/584b753 ... cd4b8e51e3

I really do think you need to read the Bible. Loving your neighbors (including black neighbors), the resurrection of the dead, and sexual morality are all doctrines you can learn about from the Bible. It might be helpful for you to meet with someone to teach you. If you are in Wellington, I might actually know a man who might be willing to meet with you. He also happens to be black.
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Cornfed
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Re: Christian Sources

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MrMan wrote:
November 16th, 2021, 8:18 pm
Cornfed wrote:
November 6th, 2021, 3:10 pm
Does anyone know of any sources to learn about the theory behind Christianity? The Protestant idea of just reading the Bible is likely worse than useless. Are there any good compilations of the Church Fathers at all?
You can buy a whole set of them. There is also the Christian Etherial Library, or something like that, online.
Thanks, I'll check it out.
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Re: Christian Sources

Post by MrMan »

There is also a Roman Catholic website with many of the same authors. I think there is another one besides the RCC one and the etherial library also.
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