The Beauty of the Eucharist: Voices from the Church Fathers

by Dennis J. Billy

Publisher:

New City Press

, 2010

Overview

This book examines what some of the most prominent voices of Christianity's distant past have taught about the Eucharist including Ambrose, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustine of Hippo.

Key Features

• Presents the insights about Eucharist in chronological order
• Examines what twenty-three voices of Christianity's distant past have taught about the Eucharist
• Includes refelection questions to help the reader both to delve more deeply into his or her own beliefs about the Eucharist and to draw practical conclusions about its role in his or her life

Contents

• Clement of Rome: Evolving Structures
• Ignatius of Antioch: Real Discipleship
• The Martyrdom of Polycarp: Dying for Christ
• The Didache: Church Order
• Justin Martyr: Explaining the Faith
• Irenaeus of Lyons: Correcting Error
• Clement of Alexandria: Christian Gnosis
• Tertullian of Carthage: Emerging Concepts
• The Apostolic Tradition: A Eucharistic Prayer
• Origen of Alexandria: Spiritual Meanings
• Cyprian of Carthage: Mingling Water with Wine
• Athanasius of Alexandria: Countering the Arian Threat
• Cyril of Jerusalem: Sharing the Fullness of Life
• Hilary of Poitiers: Defending the Faith
• Ambrose of Milan: Food for the Journey
• Basil the Great: Loving Service of God and Others
• Gregory of Nazianzus: Receiving Divine Medicine
• Gregory of Nyssa: Restoring the Divine Image
• John Chrysostom: Real Presence and Real Sacrifice
• Jerome: True Sacrament of Passover
• Augustine of Hippo: Bread of Love
• Leo the Great: Proclaiming the Real Presence
• Gregory the Great: Holy Sacrifice of Christ

Praise for the Print Edition

Father Billy has made a monumental contribution to the popularization of the Church Fathers at a time in the life of the religious community when being reminded of tradition is vital for the perpetuity of the faith. By a careful, sensitive, and thoroughly readable exposure to the original texts of the Fathers, this book provides the faith community and the individual with a very useful resource of the Church’s teaching about the Eucharist. If ever a time was right for such a reintroduction of the Fathers’ teachings, now is unquestionably the time.

John H. Morgan, Ph.D., President, Graduate Theological Foundation

Dennis Billy has done a masterful job of exposing us to almost 600 years of Christian belief on the Eucharist as reflected in the Fathers of the Church. He reminds us that this living faith of the dead is part of our heritage, something that we ignore only at our peril and loss. His writing is clear, practical, and his treatment of each Father consistent. He helps us to see how each writer adds to the mosaic and richness of our Eucharistic faith. Especially helpful are the reflection questions that end each chapter, as these force readers to plumb the depth of their own understanding and faith, and to examine how the Eucharist affects the whole of their Christian lives. I recommend it highly.

Paul Bernier, SSS, Editor, Emmanuel Magazine

Product Details

• Title: The Beauty of the Eucharist: Voices from the Church Fathers
• Author: Dennis J. Billy
• Publisher: New City Press
• Print Publication Date: 2010
• Logos Release Date: 2022
• Pages: 252
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
• Subjects: Lord’s supper › History of doctrines--Early church, ca. 30-600; Fathers of the church
• ISBNs: 9781565483286, 1565483286
• Resource ID: LLS:BTYCHRSTCHFTHRS
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T19:15:22Z

About Dennis J. Billy

Professor, Department of Moral Theology The John Cardinal Krol Chair of Moral Theology, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary.