In an age where most young people believe time started with the creation of the smartphone, Christians are in danger of losing their valuable connection to those who came before them. Michael Haykin’s book Rediscovering the Church Fathers: Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church is a valuable link between modern Christians and the Christians of the patristic era and should be read by many lay churchmen and pastors alike who better want to know their history. Haykin currently serves as a professor of church history & biblical spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Haykin has a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Toronto, a Master of Religion from Wycliffe College, the University of Toronto, and a Th.D. in Church History from Wycliffe College and the University of Toronto. In addition to his role as a professor, he writes and edits numerous books, which mainly deal with church history. One of his most recent books is Loving God and Neighbor with Samuel Pearce, where Haykin and his co-author explore the forgotten Saint, Samuel Pearce, and his influence on eighteenth-century England.
Haykin does not posit that this book is a comprehensive work covering the church fathers. His aim in writing this book is to do accessible work that many can come to and gain an understanding of precisely what the title claims. Haykin has selected individuals that had an outsized influence in the patristic age of the church, and he details the parts of their lives that had the most impact. The fathers he chooses to examine are Ignatius of Antioch, the author of the Letter to Diognetus, Origen, Cyprian, Ambrose, Basil of Caesarea, and Patrick. Each of these people is not well-known by modern churchgoers, but their theology and argumentation remain active in the church to varying degrees today.
Haykin’s declared purpose for writing this book is to encourage Christians today to learn from the Christians who came before them so that the lessons already learned in history do not have to be relearned (14). He clarifies that the patristic fathers do not provide perfect theology that moderns need to copy. However, Haykin argues that the patristic fathers dealt with theological ideas and controversies that still face the church today, and their work can serve as a foundation upon which to build.
More specifically, Haykin gives his readers specific ways this is true. First, he suggests that reading the church fathers allows access to wisdom and offers new freedoms (17). He argues that there is wisdom in the patristic fathers, but this wisdom can be beneficial because these early church leaders necessarily thought in a different context. Christians today must think within their context, but the opportunity to experience thinking outside the modern context allows for perspective and insight that otherwise would not be attainable (17-18).
Haykin also claims that the church fathers had already built the foundation to defend the faith against heresy (22). The patristic fathers had to wrestle with essential ideas that were definitional to the Christian belief, and the opposition was intense. Their writings were influential in defending orthodoxy, even when they occasionally made doctrinal errors. Haykin points out that these issues may seem relegated to the early church, but they continue to appear even today (24-25). Ignoring their existing work requires it to be redone and increases the possibility of unorthodoxy or theological error (22-23).
Haykin continues that the reasons for reading the works of the patristic fathers do not stop merely at meeting the needs of the larger church. Still, also their results can be helpful on a personal level and with a Christian’s spiritual nurture (27). Specifically, studying the fathers will help Christians nurture biblical humility and modesty. The writings of Christians who have come before are not a replacement for the Bible but provide soul-nourishing food and wisdom in an age often deprived of both (28).
There are other essential reasons Haykin believes the fathers should be read. Haykin argues that reading the works of the patristic fathers also can give Christians a better understanding of the NT due to the proximity of the patristic fathers to the time of the NT (19). He also believes that the patristic fathers have unfairly received a bad reputation in the modern church, and reading them will alleviate much of that undo repute (20-22).
Haykin’s model for each chapter follows the structure of introducing the historical figure, giving a brief background of the significant influences in the person’s life, and then examining the most impactful results of their life’s work. In every case, there is undoubtedly much more that can be said about the person’s personal life and much more that can be said about their writings and their influences. Consistent with the book's subtitle, Haykin’s purpose in his details is so Christians can know who they are and how they shaped the church.
For example, when Haykin examines the life of Basil of Caesarea in Chapter 6, he beings by telling his readers the time frame and geographical location he was born and worked in. He also gives an example of his peers, in this case, Basil’s friend, Gregory of Nazianzus, and his brother, Gregory of Nyssa (106). Haykin then works through the crucial details of Basil’s childhood and conversion. He also details essential elements of his theological development, specifically Basil’s early education from his father, his relationship with Gregory, and his formal education (106-107).
This type of background work is done in each chapter, enabling Haykin to explain the various doctrines and ideas each father was responsible for and why they reached their successes and importance. In the case of Basil, Haykin examines his monastic influences (108-111), his endeavoring for humility (111-117) and holiness (123-126), his contribution to the resolution of the Arian controversy (117-119), and his work on the Holy Spirit (121-123, 126-129). Haykin tailors the number of topics from each figure not by the quantity of the work available but by the areas of most influence. For example, most of the discussion on Ignatius relates to his martyrdom, whereas Basil of Caesarea receives coverage over several different areas of his life and teachings.
Haykin’s interactions with the specific areas of influence in each chapter come in the form of a summary, including explicit details and references where Haykin sees they are appropriate. For example, Haykin’s examination of Basil’s involvement in fighting the Arian controversy gives a background of the debate outside of Basil and related to Arius (117-119) and then examines how Basil contributed to the conversation. Specifically, he examines Basil’s conflict with Eustathius (120). He even includes a large section of the original text of a statement of faith that Eustathius signed as part of an agreement between Basil and Eustathius. This type of detail and reference work is done consistently throughout the book for each person of interest Haykin examines.
Haykin’s work in this book is heavily researched, as expected from a book covering historical figures. As also would be expected, much of his research is done in original sources as he will explore and reference the various original texts related to the individuals he covers in the different chapters. He seeks to understand what the original author meant, explains his understanding of the original authors, and defends or criticizes these authors as he sees appropriate. This is a consistent feature of the book and can be found in each chapter examining the historical figures. His use of research is integrated into this book's brief nature, and Haykin has always made choices about what to include and exclude.
Along with extensive research in the original sources, Haykin regularly addresses other scholars’ work throughout the book. He is also willing to include the arguments of those who hold different views from him and engage with them briefly. The shorter nature of this book allows him little time to interact with other thinkers. Still, Haykin integrates some secondary sources into the appropriate places in this short book.
Haykin is highly successful in achieving what he has set out to accomplish, helping Christians to rediscover (or even discover for the first time) the church fathers and how they influenced the church.[1] This is particularly remarkable because the book is short and covers many people. Ultimately, this book demonstrates that Haykin is well-studied in history and the people he covers. It also indicates that he is efficient and effective with his writing. A work like this could read like a collection of random research notes, but Haykin is intentional and careful with every detail, ensuring there is little fluff and each idea presented can be and is built upon.
The method Haykin uses, as described in the summary section of this review, is particularly effective. Haykin knows precisely the correct details to include and what to exclude. If he had been unsophisticated or did not research properly, this project could have quickly become jumbled or unhelpful. His movement from introducing each father in summary form to addressing their influential acts based on the criteria of how they shaped the church is correct in almost all cases. This works well because when he arrives at particulars, he can combine his analysis with references to the source material and cross-references to other scholarly work.
This is a strong project with few weaknesses. However, it has one drawback that, if addressed, could only strengthen this book. The book purports to rediscover the church fathers, but the average churchgoer would need more to understand how they might be different after rediscovering them. Chapter by chapter, this book resoundingly succeeds at rediscovering the church fathers from a historical perspective. However, what is laid out in the first chapter as reasons why Christians should seek the early church fathers is not reinforced directly in each chapter addressing the individual fathers.
This could be resolved by simply refining the book's intended target audience. Given the short and summary nature of the book and the style that Haykin employed, the target audience appears to be an average Christian. A pastor or seminarian may know what to do next with the material, like writing a book review. However, the average Christian needs to be taught how to use this material for spiritual growth and maturity. If Haykin took the opportunity in even a short paragraph to tie back the church father to one of the elements he argued for in the first chapter and then gave some specific applications of that into a modern-day Christian’s life, he would better serve the intended audience of this book.
This also would address an issue with the final chapter of the book and Appendix I, which should be flipped. This means chapter 8 would better serve as Appendix I, and Appendix I should become chapter 8 and be expanded.[2]Expanding the contents of Appendix I not just to include further resources to read but also to have instructions on how to read those resources would be extremely helpful. Haykin could give some brief instructions on ideas to look out for, how to take notes on the reading, or how to avoid the pitfalls that some of the early church fathers made. Concluding the book with a history of Haykin’s journey is exciting and of value, but it makes an awkward ending to the book, and that space should be used to motivate Christians onward to what is next.
Haykin’s Rediscovering the Church Fathers succeeds at doing exactly what the title claims to do. It is essential that such history is not discarded but is treasured in this generation and is taught to the next generation. After reading this book, any churchgoer will know more and be strengthened by the faithful of God throughout the ages.
Michael Haykin, Rediscovering the Church Fathers: Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church, Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway, 2011.
Biles, Deron J. Review of Rediscovering the Church Fathers: Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church, by Michael Haykin. Southwestern Journal of Theology 56, no. 2, (Spr 2014): 294–95.
Timothy, Scott. Review of Rediscovering the Church Fathers: Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church by Michael Haykin. Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 16, (2011): 117–18.
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