The First Steps of the Way: Walking with the Fathers of the Church - Hardcover

by Mark Miller (Editor)

Spending time in the writings of the early Church Fathers is at once solidifying, inspiring, and elevating. But for most Christians, the words of the Fathers and the context of the early Church exist in a realm of hearsay or behind walls of stuffy academia.

The First Steps of the Way seeks to make the early fathers of the Church and the context of their church life more accessible to every Christian. This is done through:

• Short biographic entries on thirty influential voices of the early Church.
• Page-long summaries of twenty-four influential writings, such as Origen's On First Principles, Athanasius's On the Incarnation, Augustine's Confessions, and many more.
• Context chapters to describe the setting and experiences of the early Church.
• Some of the earliest sacred hymns and poetry.
• Handmade maps.
• Sourced quotes to hear the fathers in their own words.

All this information is presented alongside beautiful and vibrant artwork, some from the masters of their eras, others created specifically for this book. Utilizing details known about Church Fathers and advancements in modern AI image generation, realistic portraits were created for each featured individual, bringing the Fathers to life before our eyes.

The First Steps of the Way is meant to be approachable and easy to pick up for any one. It is worth spending time with the Fathers, and through them, to know "the God of our Fathers."