The First Christians: Keeping the Faith in Times of Trouble
by Gerard Verschuuren
In this book, we speak about these first Christians mainly through the people who gave them a voice and a compass: the Church Fathers. They were their leaders and their teachers, heirs to the apostles. They were also the ones to tell us, present-day Christians, about the deep Faith of the first Christians. They told us how these Christians could keep the Faith in times of trouble—even in very tumultuous times, when they were constantly besieged from two sides: by prosecution from without and by heresies from within. The Church Fathers kept their flock together and kept them on the right path. We can only understand the Church Fathers if we understand them as fathers who deeply cared about the newborn Church as if it were their own family. They are Fathers with a “pedigree.”
Verschuuren has tried to let the Church Fathers speak for themselves, as much as possible. To do so, he used a translation of their words that is easily accessible on the Internet, so readers can check the accuracy and the context in which these words were spoken and written. This translation may not always be smooth, and the way the Church Fathers expressed themselves may not always be clear to modern ears, but their words deserve serious attention, for they are the pillars on which the Church has built what Catholics believe—now and then. They are a vital part of our history and tradition, dating back to Jesus Christ himself.
Paperback: $18.99 | Kindle: $9.99
TESTIMONIALS
“This book should be in every home, offering every family the opportunity to learn more about how our Church was born and how she developed her core beliefs. The author wrote a very informative book that gives us a deep insight into what the early Church Fathers taught us about who Jesus Christ really is. The author has a true gift of laying out positions quickly with a few strokes of the pen. Easy to read, this book is full of insights and apt quotations – a real gift to Catholics. Buy it and read it.” — Fr. C. John McCloskey, STD, Former Director of the Catholic Information Center of the Archdiocese of Washington, Research Fellow at the Faith and Reason Institute, Washington, D.C.
“Many of us wish we knew more about the early Church Fathers but we are not scholars of Church history.
Here is an excitingly readable book with great quotations from the Fathers in context of the troubles of their times. It will give you courage to read how the Church survived all those heresies, as we believe today that the Church will survive our troubles. I recommend it as a book that will benefit college students, thoughtful adult Catholics, and all defenders of the faith.” — Ronda Chervin, Ph.D., A Jewish convert to Catholicism, Professor of Philosophy, writer, and Catholic speaker
“Verschuuren ably sets forth the often bewildering struggles of the early Catholics to understand and precisely articulate the deepest truths of our faith. He accurately and yet concisely presents an immensely helpful portrait of those times. The book is sure to remain a great resource for all who seek to understand the early Church. An excellent book. A great summary.” — Msgr. Charles Pope, Our Sunday Visitor Columnist and blogger, Pastor at Holy Comforter – St Cyprian Parish, Washington, D.C.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gerard M. Verschuuren is a human geneticist who also earned a doctorate in the philosophy of science. He studied and worked at universities in Europe and the United States. Currently semi-retired, he spends most of his time as a writer, speaker, and consultant on the interface of science and religion, faith and reason.
More information about his life and works may be found on his Wikipedia page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_Verschuuren
A review of Aquinas and Modern Science: A New Synthesis of Faith and Reason, by Gerard M. Verschuuren, has appeared in Volume 57, Issue 4 (December 2017) of the International Philosophical Quarterly
OTHER ACADEMIC BOOKS
New Paths to God and the Soul by Roger Skrenes
New Paths to God and the Soul by Roger Skrenes Much of what we receive through media of social communications does not concern itself with either God or the soul. So it is up to each of us to make ourselves aware of the pathways to God and the evidence for...
Among the Marvelous Things
Among the Marvelous Things: The Media of Social Communications and the Next Generation of Pastoral Ministers Edited by Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP When Saint John Paul II 'suggested' in Redemptoris Missio (1990) that instruction in the use of mass media be decisively...
Screen Addiction: Why You Can’t Put that Phone Down
Screen Addiction: Why You Can't Put That Phone Down by Sister Marysia Weber, RSM Have you ever had an irresistible urge to check your texts, social media posts or email updates when your cell phone rings, beeps or buzzes? Is the amount of time spent on your cell phone...
Do You See what I See? Discovering the Obvious, authored by Robert Hanley
Do You See What I See? Discovering the Obvious Robert Hanley THIS BOOK IS ABOUT finding a better, more meaningful life. Robert Hanley has an insightful way of looking at the world-finding deeper meaning in everyday events that seem to float past the...
At Mass with Jesus on Calvary: Reflections on the Prayers of the Mass and the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, authored by Fr. Gene Martens, SJ
At Mass with Jesus on Calvary: Reflections on the Prayers of the Mass and the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist by Fr. Gene Martens, SJ For the ordinary Catholic, this book will clarify the teaching of the Catholic Church on the Real Presence of...
Spiritual Direction: Principles and Praxis, authored by Fr. Dominic Anaeto
Spiritual Direction: Principles and Praxis by Fr. Dominic Anaeto When Pope Benedict XVI called for the year of faith (October 11, 2012, until November 24, 2013), he invited the people of God to seek spiritual direction, for even the most devout Catholics...
Spiritual Husbands-Spiritual Fathers: Priestly Formation for the 21st Century, co-edited by Bishop Estévez and Bishop Cozzens
Spiritual Husbands-Spiritual Fathers: Priestly Formation for the 21st Century by Bishop Felipe J. Estévez, S.T.D., and Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens, S.T.D. In this book Spiritual Husbands-Spiritual Fathers: Priestly Formation for the 21st Century, Bishops Estévez and...
Philosophy Fridays: Armchair Philosophy Sessions from a High School Physics Classroom
Philosophy Fridays: Armchair Philosophy Sessions from a High School Physics Classroom by Matthew D’Antuono Aristotle began his great study on causes, which he called Metaphysics, with a simple connection to physics: "All men by nature desire to know. An...
Conception: An Icon of the Beginning, authored by Francis Etheredge
Conception: An Icon of the Beginning by Francis Etheredge A book to plunge into the debate on the beginning of life like a life-boat dropping into the stormy seas filled with a variety of arguments both simple and more complex, drawing on reason, evidence...
Institute for Theological Encounter with Science and Technology
The Institute for Theological Encounter with Science and Technology (ITEST) is an association of theologians, scientists and others committed to a world view in which faith and science collaborate in exploring the truth. ITEST explores truth theologically in the...
The Destructive Doctrines of our Age by Gerard M. Verschuuren
The Destructive Doctrines of Our Age by Gerard M. Verschuuren There are many doctrines around that try to change and mold our minds—doctrines such as relativism and secularism, to name just a couple, but this book discusses 13 more. These doctrines are...
A Study of the New Testament by Rev. John Paul Heil, S.S.D.
John Paul Heil is a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Ordained in 1974, he studied at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, where he received his Doctorate in Sacred Scripture in 1979. After teaching at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis for 27 years, he...
The Fullness of Life by Martin Dybicz
The Fullness of Life by Martin Dybicz This complete and highly readable overview of the Catholic faith explains how living fully is found in knowing three things: that God is real, that He communicates with us, and that He wants us to respond. The author...
Walking the Parables of Jesus: A Journey into the Words, Life and Times of Jesus Christ, authored by Deacon Bob Evans
Walking the Parables of Jesus: A Journey into the Words, Life and Times of Jesus Christ by Deacon Bob Evans Walking the Parables of Jesus is a unique treatment of Jesus’ parables. Drawing on the work of many scholars, the author takes those who seek a...
Content Area Reading: A Practical Guide by Paula Witkowski and Dianne Swenson Koehnecke
Content Area Reading: A Practical Guide by Paula Witkowski and Dianne Swenson Koehnecke Paperback $35 | Kindle $9.99 We all want to be ‘great’ teachers, don’t we? But it’s not as easy as some might think. Dealing with a variety of learners: those who are...
The Meaning of the Eucharist by Fr. Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R.
The Meaning of the Eucharist by Fr. Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R. This book highlights some of the major theological voices from the past century who contributed to a deepening of the Church’s understanding of the significance of the Eucharist and whose efforts...
Broken Hearts in a Broken World, authored by Gerard M. Verschuuren
Broken Hearts in a Broken World by Gerard M. Verschuuren Brokenness has become endemic in our days. In poll after poll, the vast majority of respondents say that our country is fundamentally broken. Our political system is broken. Our economy is broken....
A Companion to Reading Newman’s Grammar of Assent by Richard Geraghty
A Companion to Reading Newman's Grammar of Assent by Richard Geraghty In this book A Companion to Reading Newman’s Grammar of Assent, Richard Geraghty explains Newman’s truths by illustrating them as they pertain to contemporary Catholic issues. Through...
On the End Times, or the First Return of Christ by Jacques Cabaud
On the End Times, or The First Return of Christ by Jacques Cabaud To pray the "our Father" is to pray for the renewal of humanity by the Holy Spirit. This book explains the implications of our prayer for the conversion of sinners in moral and metaphysical...
The Art of Accompaniment: Practical Steps for the Seminary Formator by Sister Marysia Weber, RSM
The Art of Accompaniment: Practical Steps for the Seminary Formator by Sister Marysia Weber, RSM The role of a seminary formator is to accompany the seminarian in the external forum and to discern with him, the seminary community, and larger Church...
The Wise Guy and the Fool: A Philosophical Odyssey from Modern Error to Truth, authored by Matthew D’Antuono
The Wise Guy and the Fool by Matthew D’Antuono This is not a textbook on philosophy. It is not an essay on philosophy. It is not a treatise on philosophy. This book is more like philosophical entertainment and illustration: a collection of philosophical...
Social Media Magisterium: A No-Nonsense Guide to the Proper Use of Media, authored by Shaun McAfee
Social Media Magisterium: A No-Nonsense Guide to the Proper Use of Media by Shaun McAfee The positive influence of the media, new and old, is seen through the expansion of Catholic networks that span over 150 countries, and more, allowing the gospel and Christian...
Missionary Priests in the Homeland: Our Call to Receive
COMING SOON! Missionary Priests in the Homeland: Our Call to Receive by Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP, and Bishop Richard Henning International priests have served the Roman Catholic Church in the United States since its inception. With...
The Thomist Tradition: Avoiding Scylla and Charybdis
COMING SOON! The Thomist Tradition: Avoiding Scylla and Charybdis by Dr. Donald Boland As with every great philosopher and theologian, the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, though perhaps the clearest expressed of all, has inevitably been subject...
Eastern Civilization from a Catholic Viewpoint
Eastern Civilization from a Catholic Viewpoint by Fr. Peter Samuel Kucer, MSA, STD Eastern Civilization from a Catholic Viewpoint traces the history of East and South East Asia from ancient times to modern times. In the process, the reader is introduced to...
East and South East Asian History
East and South East Asian History by Fr. Peter Samuel Kucer, MSA East and South East Asian History studies the historical development of countries that make up East Asia (China, Taiwan, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea) and countries that make up...
Western Civilization from the End of the Renaissance to Modern Times
COMING SOON! Western Civilization from the End of the Renaissance to Modern Times by Fr. Peter Samuel Kucer, MSA This book presents the history of Western Civilization from the end of the Renaissance to Modern and the so-called Post-Modern...
Western Civilization from Prehistorical Times to the Protestant Reformation
COMING SOON! Western Civilization from Prehistorical Times to the Protestant Reformation by Fr. Peter Samuel Kucer, MSA Western Civilization owes a debt of gratitude to three ancient civilizations: Jewish, Greek, and Roman. The first half of...
The Eclipse of God: Is Religion on the Way Out?
The Eclipse of God: Is Religion on the Way Out? by Gerard Verschuuren This book was specifically written for all those who feel lost in a world dominated by ideologies that obscure God. It is hard to pinpoint one particular cause of how we feel in such...
Contemporary Sacred Art: Conversations on Art & Faith
COMING SOON! Contemporary Sacred Art: Conversations on Art & Faith by Dr. Michela Ferri In translation now from the Italian. Buy it in the original language here: What is the so-called “Contemporary Sacred Art”? In her book, Michela...
The Obligation of Perfect and Perpetual Continence and Married Deacons in the Latin Church
The Obligation of Perfect and Perpetual Continence and Married Deacons in the Latin Church by Rev. Anthony McLaughlin, J.C.D. Through the reception of diaconate a man becomes a cleric. Canon 277 §1 states: “Clerics are obliged to observe perfect and...
The Narrative Spirituality of Dante’s Divine Comedy: a hundred-day guided journal
COMING SOON! The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri has captivated the imagination of its readers for over seven centuries as Dante, a pilgrim on a journey to God, is called by Our Blessed Mother through the supernatural realms of the afterlife...
A Fool’s Errand: A Brief, Informal Introduction to Philosophy for Young Catholics
A Fool’s Errand: A Brief, Informal Introduction to Philosophy for Young Catholics by Matthew D’Antuono What is the meaning of life? What is the nature of existence? Why am I here? What is real happiness? The big questions. Are there answers to these...
Voyage to Insight
Voyage to Insight by Dr. Ronda Chervin En Route Books and Media has reprinted Ronda Chervin and Lois Janis’ book Voyage to Insight with fresh, exciting graphics. It can be read straight through or you can add your own insights into the book and even...
Economic Science and St. Thomas Aquinas: On Justice in the Distribution and Exchange of Wealth
Economic Science and St. Thomas Aquinas: On Justice in the Distribution and Exchange of Wealth by Dr. Donald Boland This is a book on what is perhaps the most burning and urgent of social issues of our times, namely, the relationship between the science of...
Refractions of Light: 201 Answers on Apparitions, Visions and the Catholic Church
Refractions of Light: 201 Answers on Apparitions, Visions and the Catholic Church by Kevin Symonds For the past several decades, there has been a notable rise in claims of apparitions, visions and messages from heaven. This growth has often led to...
Weeping with Jesus: The Journey from Grief to Hope
Weeping with Jesus: The Journey from Grief to Hope by Dr. Ronda Chervin In the past the word grief was used only to describe the sorrow of loss through death. Nowadays pain coming from other kinds of losses such as rejection and divorce are also seen to...
Bereavement Miracles
Bereavement Miracles by Michael Frey The Bereavement Miracles program was designed to play a quintessential role in evangelizing the “spirit of mission” to individuals who are suffering from the death of a loved one by relating eternal realities in a...
In Praise of Life
In Praise of Life by Dr. Donald DeMarco This book illustrates how ten different factors can improve our appreciation of life: Evolution prepares it, Meaning justifies it, Love enhances it, Truth directs it, Freedom crowns it, Virtue strengthens it,...
How to Flourish in a Fallen World
How to Flourish in a Fallen World by Dr. Donald DeMarco How to Flourish in a Fallen World, by Donald DeMarco, engages the reader in an understanding of our common human nature and the problems it faces in a culture that actively pursues, to put it in Saint John Paul...
Feminine, Free and Faithful
Feminine, Free and Faithful by Dr. Ronda Chervin Should women be feminine and forget about liberation? Or should they reject femininity as a euphemism for slavery? Women seeking fulfillment, says Chervin, aren’t faced with this either-or, but with the...
Catholic Realism: A Framework for the Refutation of Atheism and the Evangelization of Atheists by Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP, and Dr. Ronda Chervin
Catholic Realism: A Framework for the Refutation of Atheism and the Evangelization of Atheists by Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP, and Dr. Ronda Chervin Atheism is in revival. Many in the 21st Century lack a belief in a supernatural Creator. This requires an...
A Not-So-Elementary Christian Metaphysics, Volume 2: An Introduction to Ragamuffin Thomism
A Not-So-Elementary Christian Metaphysics, Volume 2: An Introduction to Ragamuffin Thomism by Dr. Peter Redpath Nothing short of a metaphysical disturbance and metaphysical revolution of the highest order can resolve the West’s and the world’s current...
A Not-So-Elementary Christian Metaphysics, Volume 1: Written in the Hope of Ending the Centuries-old Separation between Philosophy and Science and Science and Wisdom
A Not-So-Elementary Christian Metaphysics, Volume 1: Written in the Hope of Ending the Centuries-old Separation between Philosophy and Science and Science and Wisdom by Dr. Peter Redpath This book’s chief aim is novel and radical: to reunite philosophy,...
Spirituality for All Times: Readings from the Catholic Classics
Spirituality for All Times: Readings from the Catholic Classics Spirituality for All Times is offered in the hope that it will inspire those who seek a deeper union with God. The authors have chosen to offer short selections to enable the reader to wade in...
The Jesus Code: In the Beginning was the Word
The Jesus Code: In the Beginning was the Word by Roger Skrenes Jesus is the only person in the history of the world whose biography was known before he was born! He wanted everyone on earth to know of this miraculous Old Testament portrait of himself (Luke...
The Path of Spiritual Happiness
The Path of Spiritual Happiness by Dr. Heather M. Erb This book is a story of the unfolding triumph of Christian happiness as a philosophy of life. We begin with ancient Greek roots and principles provided us by Aristotle, ‘the master of those who know.’...
Mary, the Beloved
Mary, the Beloved by Keith Berube The Magisterium of the Catholic Church teaches that Mary, the Mother of God, is a grace-filled, flesh and blood woman, who unsurpassingly loves each of us by name. Mary, the Beloved, affirms that teaching, providing a...
Eyewitnesses: Biblical Foundations in Christian Spirituality
Eyewitnesses: Biblical Foundations in Christian Spirituality – Ed. by Fr. John Horn, S.J. St. Paul prays with ardent desire that “the eyes of our understanding would be enlightened, that we might know what is the hope of the risen Jesus’ calling, and what...
The Way of Love: The Path of Inner Transformation
The Way of Love: The Path of Inner Transformation by Dr. Ronda Chervin A reprint of Dr. Ronda's The Way of Love: The Battle for Inner Transformation, this new edition under a new subtitle puts back in front of the world the nature of human love alongside...