The Idea Of Reform: Its Impact On Christian Thought And Action In The Age Of The Fathers
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Fair
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
A landmark work of intellectual and ecclesiastical history, The Idea of Reform: Its Impact on Christian Thought and Action in the Age of the Fathers presents a rigorous and authoritative examination of how the concept of reform shaped early Christian civilization. Gerhart B. Ladner argues that the idea of personal and institutional renewal — rooted in the patristic understanding of humanity's restoration to the image of God — was not a peripheral concern but a driving force behind the theology, asceticism, and ecclesiology of the early Church. With meticulous scholarly precision, Ladner traces the evolution of this reformist ideal from its biblical and Platonic origins through the writings of the Church Fathers, illustrating how figures such as Augustine, Origen, and Gregory of Nyssa gave it theological depth and cultural momentum. The tone is dense and academic, rewarding patient readers with a profound synthesis of theology, philosophy, and history that remains an indispensable reference in patristic studies. This magisterial study stands as one of the twentieth century's most enduring contributions to the understanding of Christian thought in late antiquity.
Author: Gerhart B. Ladner
Format: Paperback
Published: 1967, Harper Torchbooks
Genre: Religion
Condition remarks:
Book: Fair
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image
A landmark work of intellectual and ecclesiastical history, The Idea of Reform: Its Impact on Christian Thought and Action in the Age of the Fathers presents a rigorous and authoritative examination of how the concept of reform shaped early Christian civilization. Gerhart B. Ladner argues that the idea of personal and institutional renewal — rooted in the patristic understanding of humanity's restoration to the image of God — was not a peripheral concern but a driving force behind the theology, asceticism, and ecclesiology of the early Church. With meticulous scholarly precision, Ladner traces the evolution of this reformist ideal from its biblical and Platonic origins through the writings of the Church Fathers, illustrating how figures such as Augustine, Origen, and Gregory of Nyssa gave it theological depth and cultural momentum. The tone is dense and academic, rewarding patient readers with a profound synthesis of theology, philosophy, and history that remains an indispensable reference in patristic studies. This magisterial study stands as one of the twentieth century's most enduring contributions to the understanding of Christian thought in late antiquity.