Foreword
I am very pleased to provide these few words on The Lord of History Series,
produced by Lumen Verum Apologetics.
The fathers of the Second Vatican Council called for a “return to the authentic
sources” as a well-spring from which guidance and wisdom could be drawn to assist in the
great work of spreading the gospel of Christ in the modern world. In response to this call,
there has been a renewed interest in early Church history, as well as the writings of the
ancient Fathers of the Church. This has been evident particularly in the United States since
the mid-1980s, as well as in other parts of the English-speaking world, including Australia.
The Church has had a long and chequered history. It is a history that is remote
and unknown to most people today, including many Catholics. The Lord of History Series
attempts to give an introduction to the early centuries of that history systematically through
easy-to-read short chapters.
Volume I covers the first four centuries of Church history immediately following
the period outlined in the Acts of the Apostles. It is an age of much drama, growth and
suffering for the Church. There are many heroes, villains and controversies. We are
introduced to the martyrs, saints and heroes who helped to expand the foundations of the
Church, as well as the first great theologians, apologists and biblical exegetes. The Gospel
of Christ is advancing, but in the face of official opposition and persecution. The various
heresies are presented, together with the responses these elicited from the Church. The
ultimate triumph of the Church is dealt with the chapters concerning the rise of
Constantine, which are followed by a treatment of the great theological and Christological
controversies of the fourth and fifth centuries. It is all stirring reading for the novice in
Church history and a thorough introduction for those who want to pursue serious studies in
this area.
Volume II is more specialised, looking at thirty of the most famous Fathers of the
Church. The study of the Fathers is of perennial benefit to the Church and the faithful.
These were men of undoubted sanctity and learning, whose writings contributed greatly to
the authentic development of doctrine in those same early centuries. Many of the Fathers
were also saints or martyrs, or even Doctors of the Church. Theirs is a wisdom that can
never be dispensed with, a deep well from which new and old things can always be drawn.
Again, in a simple and easy-to-read format, each chapter in this volume provides a basic
biography of the Father in question, followed by a selection of individual quotes form their
writings, carefully chosen to highlight the Catholic nature of their faith, and to illustrate
that the early Church is the one same Holy Catholic Church we, by grace of God, belong to
today.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
1st August 2003
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