Author: Daniel H. Williams, Professor, Departments of Religion and Classics, Baylor University.
Abstract:
In order to do justice to the reality of our historical sources, we cannot interpret the patristic era in an idealistic way, nor present it as a monolithic expression of doctrine that bears witness to a single faith. Still, the Fathers of the earliest centuries can be considered authors and exponents of a “founding” Christian identity which has been essentially preserved and continuously elucidated in subsequent ages. Both the scriptural canon and the canon of faith (or tradition) are products of the ancient church, which together became the foundation upon which all theology, spirituality and exegesis has been built (in support or disavowal of it). Practically speaking, the patristic legacy has functioned as a canon of Christian belief, especially the achievement of the fourth and fifth centuries as doctrinal and confessional canon.
Keywords:
Patristics, biblical canon, canon of faith, doctrine, confession
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