{"id":99602,"date":"2026-06-05T11:47:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T15:47:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/?page_id=99602"},"modified":"2026-06-05T11:53:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T15:53:40","slug":"the-quotable-eastern-church-fathers-distinctively-catholic-elements-in-their-theology","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/books-by-dave-armstrong\/the-quotable-eastern-church-fathers-distinctively-catholic-elements-in-their-theology","title":{"rendered":"The Quotable Eastern Church Fathers: Distinctively Catholic Elements in Their Theology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
\u2190 All Books by Dave Armstrong<\/a> \u00a0\/\u00a0 Church Fathers \/ Patristics \/ Patrology<\/span><\/div>\n
\"The<\/a>\n
The Quotable Eastern Church Fathers: Distinctively Catholic Elements in Their Theology<\/div>\n
Dave Armstrong<\/div>\n
ePub \u2014 $9.99<\/a>Buy in Print \u2192<\/a><\/div>\n
print & e-book purchases support Dave\u2019s full-time apologetics work<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
ABOUT THIS BOOK<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

The Four Great Eastern Doctors \u2014 Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, Gregory Nazianzen, Athanasius \u2014 joined by Cyril of Alexandria, Ephraim of Syria, Cyril of Jerusalem, and John Damascene. Dave Armstrong\u2019s topical collection of where the Eastern Fathers teach what historic Catholicism has always taught.<\/p>\n

\nMore from Dave about this book<\/summary>\n
\n

Discussion and Justification of Some \u201cWestern\u201d Terminology Used in the Book (Particularly \u201cSacrifice of the Mass\u201d)<\/a> [Facebook]<\/p>\n

This collection is devoted to documentation of examples of \u201cdistinctively Catholic\u201d theological beliefs or doctrines in the Eastern Church fathers; that is (very broadly speaking, or generalizing), ones in harmony with historic Catholic teaching but differing in some way from one or more strains of Protestant theology (including liberal theology) or Eastern Orthodox views.<\/p>\n

Quotations will be drawn from the \u201cThree Holy Hierarchs\u201d of Eastern Christian Tradition: St. Basil the Great (c. 330-379, abbreviated as \u201cB\u201d), St. John Chrysostom (c. 345-407, \u201cJC\u201d), and St. Gregory Nazianzen (c. 330-c. 390, \u201cG\u201d). St. Athanasius (c. 297-373, \u201cA\u201d) is usually added to this list, and these are the Four Great Eastern Doctors of the Church.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the following four fathers are included: St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376-444, \u201cCA\u201d), St. Ephraim [or, Ephrem] of Syria (c. 306-373, \u201cE\u201d), St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 315-387, \u201cCJ\u201d), and St. John Damascene [or, John of Damascus] (c. 676-749, \u201cJD\u201d). All eight men are designated as \u201cDoctors\u201d of the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n

Quotations are drawn from the public domain works listed below; using the abbreviations in quotation marks, as a quick reference. All of these sources are found online at the magnificent Christian Classics Ethereal Library<\/em> website. I am greatly indebted to it for making the compilation of this book far easier than it would have been, prior to the Internet.<\/p>\n

Early Church Fathers: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series 1<\/em> [\u201cNPNF1-\u201d] (Philip Schaff, editor, Edinburgh, 1889, 14 volumes).<\/p>\n

Early Church Fathers: Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers Series 2<\/em> [\u201cNPNF2-\u201d] (Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, editors, Edinburgh, 1900, 14 volumes).<\/p>\n

A Library of Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church, Anterior to the Division of the East and West<\/em>, Translated by Members of the English Church [\u201cLFC43\u201d \/ \u201cLFC47\u201d \/ \u201cLFC48\u201d] (Oxford: James Parker & Co. \/ Rivingtons, 1881; Volumes 43, 47, and 48).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/details>\n<\/div>\n

\n
EXCERPTS<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0[all on Facebook unless otherwise specified]<\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0St. John Chrysostom<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Relics <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Oral Tradition<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Merit <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Faith and Works <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Contralife Will (and by Logical Extension, Contraception) <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Salvation and Works <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Infused Justification (Sanctification) <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Jesus\u2019 Real and Substantial Presence in the Eucharist<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0 On Synergy: Cooperation with God\u2019s Grace as \u201cCo-Laborers\u201d<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0Citation of Ecclesiasticus [Sirach] as Scripture <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Spiritual Benefits of Baptism <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Falsity of \u201cFaith Alone\u201d<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Moral Assurance of Salvation<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Free Will and God\u2019s Foreknowledge (Romans 9) <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Masses for the Dead<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Crucifixes <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Veneration of the Saints <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Sacrifice of the Mass <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Purgatory <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Definition of the \u201cGospel\u201d <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Free Will <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Closed Communion <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0St. Athanasius<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On God as the Sustainer of Creation<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Omnipresence of Jesus<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Apostolic Succession <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Power of the Sign of the Cross <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Satan<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Falsity of Caesaropapism<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Deuterocanon <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Theosis; Deification; Divinization<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Holy Spirit<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Rule of Faith (\u201cThree-Legged Stool\u201d of Bible | Tradition | Church)<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos<\/i>)<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0St. Basil the Great<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0
 On Oral Tradition as Authoritative, Even Concerning the Doctrine of God<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Falsity of Instant Salvation<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0To St. Athanasius, Suggesting That the Pope Should Suppress Heresies and Schism in the Eastern Church <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Faith and Reason <\/a>

<\/a>On the Supposed \u201cIgnorance\u201d of Jesus Christ (The Last Days) <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Faith and Works <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos<\/i>)<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0St. Gregory Nazianzen<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Perspicuity of Scripture and the \u201cMe, My Bible, and the Holy Spirit\u201d Mentality<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Development of Doctrine <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Baptism and Salvation<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos<\/i>) <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0References to the Deuterocanon<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0St. Cyril of Jerusalem<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0References to the Deuterocanon<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Falsehood of the Calvinist \u201cTULIP\u201d<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Faith and Works <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Complete Harmony of the Old Testament with the New <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Transubstantiation <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0St. Cyril of Alexandria <\/strong><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0Fabulous Defense of Mother of God<\/i> and Searing Critique of Nestorian \/ Protestant Denigrations of It<\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Procession of the Holy Spirit <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Transubstantiation <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0St. John Damascene<\/strong><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Monarchia<\/i> \/ Principatus<\/i> of God the Father <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On Crucifixes <\/a><\/div>\n
\u2726<\/span> \u00a0On the Catholic Rule of Faith<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"Dave<\/span><\/a>\n
Get The Quotable Eastern Church Fathers: Distinctively Catholic Elements in Their Theology<\/i> at Dave\u2019s Bookstore<\/div>\n
ePub \u2014 $9.99<\/a>Buy in Print \u2192<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u2190 Back to All Books by Dave Armstrong<\/a><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u2190 All Books by Dave Armstrong \u00a0\/\u00a0 Church Fathers \/ Patristics \/ Patrology The Quotable Eastern Church Fathers: Distinctively Catholic Elements in Their Theology Dave Armstrong ePub \u2014 $9.99Buy in Print \u2192 print & e-book purchases support Dave\u2019s full-time apologetics work ABOUT THIS BOOK The Four Great Eastern Doctors \u2014 Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2331,"featured_media":0,"parent":99551,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-99602","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Quotable Eastern Church Fathers: Distinctively Catholic Elements in Their Theology - Biblical Evidence for Catholicism<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"← All Books by Dave Armstrong  \/  Church Fathers \/ Patristics \/ PatrologyThe Quotable Eastern Church Fathers: Distinctively Catholic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davearmstrong\/books-by-dave-armstrong\/the-quotable-eastern-church-fathers-distinctively-catholic-elements-in-their-theology\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Quotable Eastern Church Fathers: Distinctively Catholic Elements in Their Theology - 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