Lewis Ayres on “Irenaeus, the Rule of Faith, and the Task of the Christian Intellectual”

There is a great essay by Lewis Ayres on “Irenaeus, the Rule of Faith, and the Task of the Christian Intellecutal” from his Academia.edu page. Well worth reading!

Ireaneus does not envisage a Christian intellectual working other than at the service of the community and for the purpose of instructing others. He is concerned that the work of the Christian intellectual serve the overall visible coherence of the “body of truth.” The appropriate institutional context for intellectual work seems to be conceived (rather inchoately) as a community within which particular traditions of teaching are acknowledged and the mysteries of God are publicly acknowledged and taught. While he does acknowledge the importance of episcopal leaders, he seems as much interested in the character of the community.