The Ancient Path: Old Lessons from the Church Fathers for a New Life Today

by John Michael Talbot, Mike Aquilina, Donald Wuerl (Foreword by)

Overview

People often imagine that the Church Fathers looked like their icons and smelled of incense, heroic figures wrapped in fine liturgical vestments of silk and lace, engulfed in billows of smoke from their golden censers. Yet, truth be told, even in their writings they resemble more the tattered cloak of Jesus or the dusty sweat-soaked habits of the early Desert Fathers and Mothers. Theirs is an utterly incarnational spirituality. It is heaven-sent, but it moves forward with both feet on the ground of the earth.
 
In this powerful work, John Michael Talbot tells the story of how these men deeply influenced his spiritual, professional and personal life. Coming to the Christian faith as a young man during the turbulent 1960s, he soon grew a fond of the Church Fathers, including St. Ambrose, St. Jerome, St. Augustine and Gregory the Great and found guidance, reassurance and wisdom on his path to Jesus.
 
“The First Epistle of Saint Peter,” writes Talbot, “tells us that we are ‘a spiritual temple built of living stones.’ The early Church Fathers represent the first rows built upon the foundation of the Apostles. And that sacred building project continues throughout history to our time today. But it rests on the Fathers. It depends on them.”
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780804139960
Publisher:	Random House Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/20/2015
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

JOHN MICHAEL TALBOT, the author of The Lessons of St. Francis, is one of the founding fathers of Christian music with over 4.5 million records sold. He has received, among many other honors, Dove Awards and Grammy nominations. He tours constantly, headlining over 150 shows which include music and lectures per year.

Table of Contents

Map 8

Foreword 9

Preface 15

Chapter 1 You Can Become All Fire 19

Chapter 2 Our Spiritual Fathers 27

Chapter 3 Jesus Christ 43

Chapter 4 Salvation 61

Chapter 5 Community 77

Chapter 6 Prayer of the Heart 93

Chapter 7 The Public Work 109

Chapter 8 Nothing Without the Bishop 131

Chapter 9 Charity 145

Chapter 10 Stewardship of the Earth 155

Chapter 11 Heart and Hands and Voices 169

Chapter 12 On the Road Again 181

Chapter 13 The God-Bearer 187

Timeline 195

Notes 197

Editorial Reviews

John Michael Talbot has done us all a great favor by opening up the great gift of the Fathers. In his own unique style he has produced a splen­did window looking out on the wisdom and the world of the Fathers. This work is a true blessing.” – Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington, D.C.
 
“The so-called Church Fathers are not some theologians as we know them nowadays. They were close to the teaching of the Apostles conveying the teaching of those who were close to Jesus. Their theology and wisdom is close to everyday life. We have to thank John Michael Talbot that he has been able to unearth the treasures of those times. This was only possible because he himself in his community experiences the Gospel lived out in our times.” – Notker Wolf OSB, Abbot Primate of the Benedictine Order
 
“John Michael Talbot has provided an excellent, readable and creative book that introduces the Fathers to the ordinary reader.  He does so by letting us know what the Fathers taught concerning the mysteries of Jesus – who Jesus is, how he saved us, the sacraments he instituted.  He also familiarizes us with the life of the early church – how she was structured, prayed, lived and worked. Highly recommended for personal reading, Catholic young adult and adult education, and Christian reading groups.” – Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy, O.F.M., Cap. Member of the Vatican’s International Theological Commission

"Besides being the story of John Michael Talbot's personal faith journey, this is an easy introduction to the teachings of the Church Fathers, the great preachers and leaders of the early Christian Church. His story shows how the ancient documents are not dead letters but living guides for our own time. Hopefully his very readable account will inspire others to search the treasures of the Christian legacy for inspirtational guidance in their own lives." -Abbot Jerome Kodell, O.S.B., Subiaco Abbey
 
“I loved this book. John Michael Talbot seamlessly weaves his own journey with that of the fathers of the Church, to help the reader apply time-tested wisdom to the realities of life in the twenty-first century. This is John Michael Talbot's best book yet. And the collaboration with Mike Aquilina is a partnership made in heaven. Their love for the tradition and those who passed it on is evident on every page.” – Jim Papandrea, co-author of Seven Revolutions

From the Publisher