The Company of the Fathers

UPDATE - THANKSGIVING 2009

2009-11-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

Fellow Company readers, I've again failed to keep regular updates and reading assignments, but since most of you weren't able to do it anyway, it probably hasn't been an issue. However, here's what I'm up to lately - I've decided that since I won't get through the Fathers before I die, I'd better eat dessert first: I'm not going to continue plodding through book by book but rather will jump around reading the ones that are more important or more influential or just attract my interest most. This past summer I read Augustine's City of God with the Summer Hill Abbey group and now I'm slowly reading through Augustine's commentaries on the Psalms (a couple of you are also doing this) and will soon add his On The Trinity.

READINGS FOR APRIL 19-25

2009-04-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

Sunday, April 19 - Lord's Day
Monday, April 20 - Tertullian, Against Marcion, Bk I, chaps. XVI-XXI
Tuesday, April 21 - Against Marcion, Bk I, chaps. XXII-XXV
Wednesday, April 22 - Against Marcion, Bk I, chaps. XXVI-XXIX (end)
Thursday, April 23 - Against Marcion, Bk II, chaps. I-IV
Friday, April 24 - Against Marcion, Bk II, chaps. V-IX
Saturday, April 25 - Against Marcion, Bk II, chaps. X-XV

READINGS FOR MARCH 29-APRIL 4

2009-03-29T21:32:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 29 - Lord's Day
Monday, March 30 - Tertullian, Prescription Against Heretics, chaps. XXXIII-XXXIX
Tuesday, March 31 - Prescription Against Heretics, chaps. XL-XLIV (end)
Wednesday, April 1 - Elucidations & Intro. to the Five Books Against Marcion (pgs 265-270)
Thursday, April 2 - Against Marcion, Bk I, chaps. I-V
Friday, April 3 - Against Marcion, Bk I, chaps. VI-X
Saturday, April 4 - Against Marcion, Bk I, chaps. XI-XI-XV

READINGS FOR MARCH 22-28

2009-03-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 22 - Lord's Day
Monday, March 23 - Tertullian, A Treatise on the S0ul, chaps. LII-LV
Tuesday, March 24 - A Treatise on the S0ul, chaps. LVI-LVIII (end)
Wednesday, March 25 - The Prescription Against Heretics, chaps. I-VII
Thursday, March 26 - Prescription, chaps. VIII-XV
Friday, March 27 - Prescription, chaps. XVI-XXIV
Saturday, March 28 - Prescription, chaps. XXV-XXXII

dropping behind!

2009-03-17T19:43:00.001-07:00

Sorry I've fallen behind, everyone. (Actually, I don't know how many of you are doing this!) It's been two and a half weeks. I'm going to wait till this weekend and then get back on track.

READINGS FOR FEBRUARY 22-28

2009-02-21T19:23:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Feb. 22 - Lord's Day
Monday, Feb. 23 - Tertullian, A Treatise on the S0ul, chaps. XX-XXIV
Tuesday, Feb. 24 - A Treatise on the S0ul, chaps. XXV-XXIX
Wednesday, Feb. 25 - A Treatise on the S0ul, chaps. XXX-XXXIII
Thursday, Feb. 26 - A Treatise on the S0ul, chaps. XXXIV-XXXIX
Friday, Feb. 27 - A Treatise on the S0ul, chaps. XL-XLIV
Saturday, Feb. 28 - A Treatise on the S0ul, chaps. XLVI-XLI

Sorry about the week I missed!

2009-02-21T19:22:00.001-08:00

I got so swamped I completely missed the week of February 15-21. But I'm back on track for Feb. 22-28! If you all kept up on your own, great, but if not, that's quite all right since I didn't. :) We'll just pick up where we left off.

READINGS FOR FEBRUARY 8-14

2009-02-07T15:29:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Feb. 8 - Lord's Day
Monday, Feb. 9 - Tertullian, An Answer to the Jews, chaps. XII-XIV (end)
Tuesday, Feb. 10 - The Soul's Testimony
Wednesday, Feb. 11 - A Treatise on the S0ul, chaps. I-V
Thursday, Feb. 12 - A Treatise on the S0ul, chaps. VI-X
Friday, Feb. 13 - A Treatise on the S0ul, chaps. XI-XVI
Saturday, Feb. 14 - A Treatise on the S0ul, chaps. XVII-XIX

READINGS FOR FEBRUARY 1-7

2009-02-01T21:52:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Feb. 1 - Lord's Day
Monday, Feb. 2 - Tertullian, Ad Nationes, Book II, chaps. XIV-XVII (end)
Tuesday, Feb. 3 - A Fragment Concerning the Execrable Gods of the Heathen
Wednesday, Feb. 4 - An Answer to the Jews, chaps. I-IV
Thursday, Feb. 5 - An Answer to the Jews, chaps. V-VIII
Friday, Feb. 6 - An Answer to the Jews, chap. IX
Saturday, Feb. 7 - An Answer to the Jews, chaps. X-XI

READINGS FOR JANUARY 25-31

2009-01-27T17:13:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Jan. 25 - Lord's Day
Monday, Jan. 26 - Tertullian, Ad Nationes, chaps. VII-IX
Tuesday, Jan. 27 - Ad Nationes, chaps. X-XI
Wednesday, Jan. 28 - Ad Nationes, chaps. XIII-XX (end)
Thursday, Jan. 29 - Ad Nationes, Book II, chaps. I-IV
Friday, Jan. 30 - Ad Nationes, Book II, chaps. V-IX
Saturday, Jan. 31 - Ad Nationes, Book II, chaps. X-XIII

READINGS FOR JANUARY 18-24

2009-01-19T23:10:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Jan. 18 - Lord's Day
Monday, Jan. 19 - Tertullian, De Spectaculis, chapters IX-XVII
Tuesday, Jan. 20 - De Spectaculis, chaps. XVIII-XXX (end)
Wednesday, Jan. 21 - De Corona, chaps. I-VIII
Thursday, Jan. 22 - De Corona, chaps. IX-XV (end)
Friday, Jan. 23 - To Scapula
Saturday, Jan. 24 - Ad Nationes, chaps. I-VI

Questions in re: On Idolatry

2009-01-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

Dear Uncle Wes, et aliis my comrades in the 38,

Hope it's okay to post in the main body of this blog. I ran into some of Tertullian's assertions that I don't understand, and I was hoping one or more of y'all had some other insight on these passages.

1) Chap. XIX - Tertullian, I see, does not approve of military service. Is he saying that we as Christians are *not* to hold military service, because it would be giving honour to idols? Is that because Caesar was considered God, or because the worship of idols was part of Roman military service, or what? In that case, what about nowadays, when serving in the military is supposed to be a service to the country, but involves swearing loyalty to a presidential commander-in-chief whom half the country thinks is God?

In addition, Tertullian mentions in this chapter that one cannot serve two masters, God and Caesar (misquote - should be God and Mammon?); but he doesn't mention the bit about a) giving unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and b) that bit in Timothy about respecting one's authorities, i.e. Caesar, which he gloats over in his Apology, saying that Caesar is more ours than theirs, since God appointed him. Is military service to Caesar the same as paying taxes, or is this more of an issue of where your ultimate loyalty lies?

2) Chap. XX - Swearing in the name of false gods. Was this only an issue while people actually believed that those gods existed, or is this something to be avoided now? Could I call a piece of furniture from the sixties "Thor-awful ugly", or exclaim, "by Jove!", or is that admitting the divinity of a nonexistent being, as Tertullian says?

3) Chap XXII - Accepting blessing in the name of idols. From what I understand of what Tertullian is saying here, if I, thinking to please God by giving some charity, offer a meal voucher to a homeless guy on the street, and he blesses me in the name of Allah, suddenly I'm cursed in the name of God because the homeless guy blessed me in the name of a false god. I'm not clear on what Tertullian says after that; will I only be cursed if I don't contradict the fellow and tell him in whose name the gift is given (although that won't likely change in whose name the chap accepts it), or am I stuck?

READINGS FOR JANUARY 11-17

2009-01-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Jan. 11 - Lord's Day
Monday, Jan. 12 - Tertullian, Apology, chapters XXXIX-XLV
Tuesday, Jan. 13 - Apology, chaps. XLVI-L (end)
Wednesday, Jan. 14 - On Idolatry, chaps. I-IX
Thursday, Jan. 15 - On Idolatry, chaps. X-XV
Friday, Jan. 16 - On Idolatry, chaps. XVI-XXIV (end)
Saturday, Jan. 17 - De Spectaculis, chaps. I-VIII

READING FOR JANUARY 4-10

2009-01-03T15:48:00.000-08:00

Sunday, Jan. 4 - Lord's Day
Monday, Jan. 5 - Tertullian, Apology, chapters I-IV
Tuesday, Jan. 6 - Apology, chaps. V-IX
Wednesday, Jan. 7 - Apology, chaps. X-XV
Thursday, Jan. 8 - Apology, chaps. XVI-XXI
Friday, Jan. 9 - Apology, chaps. XXII-XXVII
Saturday, Jan. 10 - Apology, chaps. XXVIII-XXXVIII

What is the Company of the Fathers?

2009-01-02T22:03:00.000-08:00

To remind you all (and to explain to the couple of new people I've invited) what the Company of the Fathers is, here are three links to follow:

1) Here's the original letter I sent out when I started the Company back in 2005; it partly summarizes the desire I had (and still have) to read the Fathers and explains why. Re-reading it gets me excited all over again to keep this up: http://www.hillabbey.org/company.html

2) Here is the first post on the original blog welcoming everyone and more briefly explaining what the Company is all about: http://www.hillabbey.org/societaspatrum/2005/12/welcome-to-company-of-fathers.html

3) And here is a very short note of appeal regarding how we should be reading these Fathers: http://www.hillabbey.org/societaspatrum/2005/12/two-more-very-important-things.html

The Company of the Fathers lives again!

2009-01-02T21:31:00.000-08:00

My friends, it's been two years since I dropped the ball on the Company of the Fathers, and though a couple of us have continued half-heartedly, for the most part it's been a wretched hiatus in what should be an admirable plan. And while we were going it was wonderful. So...

I repent. I'm amending my ways.

We're starting again. At least *I'm* starting again and I hope you'll join me, but I don't want to presume upon any of you who were part of the Company before and may not have time now. I just want you all to know what I'm doing in case you're interested, and here are a couple of important points to ponder:

First: because the Early Church Fathers set is so huge and would take so long to get through even if we were steadily, unswervingly faithful, and because life is short (at least *mine* appears to be) I've changed my mind about the approach we should take. I now think we'll skip more, reading those authors and works that are more important, more interesting, more significant - by what is admittedly my subjective judgment (but *anything* from the set is great, so we can't fail). If we get through all the really top authors we can go back and do the others later. We'll still read entire works, though perhaps not entire volumes. For example, we might read Augustine's Confessions in the first volume of the Augustine series, but not the letters which are contained in the same volume (of course you should read anything you want to, whether it's part of the Company plan or not!).

Second: We have competition and it's very good competition. As you may have noticed on pastor Doug Wilson's blog or pastor Toby Sumpter's blog, Princeton Theological Seminary is sponsoring "A Year with the Institutes", a reading program taking one through John Calvin's "Institutes of the Christian Religion" in a year in commemoration of 2009 being the 500th anniversary of Calvin's birth. I intend to follow this plan too as it doesn't look too burdensome, and they've only just barely started so it should be easy to jump on board. What a combination - the Fathers and Calvin.

So! Having said all that, I would like to go back and start Tertullian again. I didn't get further than the Apology and On Idolatry, and I'd like to re-read them. So this weekend I'm going to read just the introductory material, and then on Monday the first four chapters of the Apology. This will keep us on our previous pace of about five pages per day. If we stick with it, we'll pass our last point in a month and half at most and then press on. I think Tertullian is wonderful and I think you'll think so too.

Please, join me? If you don't want to, that's quite all right! I know (believe me, I KNOW) how busy life can be. But that's why this is a good thing to do. All that business will lead us to old age and regrets that we didn't read and ponder and love and discuss the greatest Christian authors outside the Scripture: the Fathers. If you do think you can join me in reviving our reading together, please let me know who's up for continuing the Company, by posting a comment to this post and just saying waving your hand at me and woohooing once or twice. :) I'll drop anyone's name from the email list who hasn't posted a comment in a few days so you won't be harassed by unwanted emails. And blessings on all of you, whether you join me or not.