Next year, my hope and prayer is to whet my students' appetites for the Church Fathers and leave them wanting more. Beginning to Read the Church Fathers by Mark A. Tarpley is the perfect resource. He has selected an impressive range of topics, but in bite-sized amounts so teens can digest the information without getting overwhelmed. The Q & A section at the end of each chapter is a brilliant idea. As a teacher, this book has saved me a summer of research and planning. I look forward to using it in the classroom with teens from multi-denominations this fall.
This blog space serves as a resource for those reading and utilizing the books offered by Forgotten Lighthouse. While the books we publish may be utilized for youth, young adults, and adults alike, they are largely written out of an experience of working with youth and young adults for two decades in the classroom and Church context. Consequently, those using these books in the context of the homeschool, classroom, and Church should find themselves at ease using these books.
Beginning to read the Church Fathers can prove difficult for a number of reasons. One common challenge is people often do not know where to begin. They may pick up a volume of homilies or a theological discourse and begin reading, which is similar to starting to read the Bible beginning with Deuteronomy, quickly feeling overwhelmed and disinterested. Another reason is that the Church Fathers can be perceived as difficult to understand.
