Saint Patrick: The Man and His Works

by Thomas O'Loughlin

Publisher:

Triangle

, 1999

Overview

Who was Saint Patrick? The only true apostle of Ireland who more or less converted the country single-handedly? or a Christian bishop from the embattled edge of a crumbling empire?

All that can really be known of Saint Patrick comes from his authentic writings: the Confessio and the Epistola (Address to the Soldiers of Coroticus). Thomas O’Loughlin’s engaging and scholarly reflections on these fifth-century texts lead us into a greater understanding of the mind of Patrick, the man, believer, and missionary. Explanatory notes woven through the translations illuminate a very different world and time; it is not long before we realize, however, that St. Patrick’s theology is no less relevant to our own.

The Logos Bible Software edition of Saint Patrick: The Man and His Works will give you insight into the well-known and influential “Apostle of Ireland.” The writings and biographical information contained in this resource will provide you with great historical and theological content for your digital library. All Scripture passages are linked to your favorite Bible translation in your library. With the advanced search features of Logos Bible Software, you can perform powerful searches by topic or Scripture reference.

Key Features

• Analyzes St. Patrick’s life and works
• Includes translations of Saint Patrick’s Confessio and Epistola
• Provides reading suggestions for further study on Saint Patrick
• Contains an Index of Patrick’s Use of Scripture

Contents

• The Enigma of Patrick
• Patrick: Life and Times
• Patrick’s World
• Introduction to the Confessio
• Patrick’s Acknowledgement of God’s Dealings with Him (The Confessio)
• Introduction to the Epistola
• Patrick’s Address to the Soldiers of Coroticus (The Epistola)

Top Highlights

“Augustine had stressed the impotence of Christians in their salvation—it was solely God’s grace that brought humanity back into the divine domain.” (Page 24)

“he never offers any criticism of slavery for, like St Paul writing to Philemon, it was just something in his world” (Page 3)

“his father was a deacon and his grandfather a priest. Therefore Christianity was deeply embedded in his background” (Page 22)

“pointed out to people the importance of their work and discipleship, by which they collaborated with grace” (Page 24)

Product Details

• Title: Saint Patrick: The Man and His Works
• Author: Thomas O’Loughlin
• Publisher: SPCK
• Publication Date: 1999
• Pages: 128

About Thomas O'Loughlin

Thomas O'Loughlin, BA, Phil, PhD, STB, and DD, is a professor of historical theology at the University of Nottingham, Faculty of Arts, UK. But he started his teaching career at University College Dublin.

While researching his MPhil and, later, his PhD at Dublin, he held several positions, instructing in church history, traditional logic, the history of theology, and patristics. This experience gave him perspective on his research topics and pressed him to reflect on his personal theological method. In so doing, he recognized that while others might value his teaching as "the history of theology" or "the history of ideas," his desire to teach and research was rooted in what he calls "the discipline and perspective of historical theology."

He was offered a position in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Wales, Lampeter, in January 1997, which he says allowed him to develop "a distinctive style of historical theology focused on the dynamics of tradition within theology." His work there led to his appointment as Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Wales in February 2006 and being awarded a DD by Bangor University in 2010. He was later made scholar at the School of Religious Studies at the University of Wales—the school's first professor of historical theology.

He joined Nottingham in 2009. His research has focused on the early medieval period and the works of insular writers. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and the Royal Historical Society.

O'Loughlin is also a Catholic priest. In addition to The Didache: A Window on the Earliest Christians, O'Loughlin authored Saint Patrick: The Man and His Works, Missionary Monks: An Introduction to the History and Theology of Missionary Monasticism, and The Eucharist.