Tradition & the Rule of Faith in the Early Church

The meaning of "tradition" is broad. It can refer to the deposit of faith or the "Apostolic Tradition," to Scripture as the most perfect expression of what is handed over from Christ, or to the disciplinary and liturgical practices of the Church. It can also refer more broadly to those theological and doctrinal teachings, inherited by one generation of ecclesiastical writers and passed on to another generation of theological heirs. The Fathers themselves were always acutely aware of the traditions they stood within and especially of their relation to the Apostolic Tradition. Tradition and the rule of faith are particularly apt themes for this collection of studies. The essays are written in honor of Joseph T. Lienhard, S.J., renowned American patristic scholar whose research and writings have focused on this particular theme. The volume brings together some of the most prominent scholars from the U.S. and abroad, specializing in different areas of patristic studies, to address tradition and the rule of faith. Ronnie J. Rombs is assistant professor of theology at the University of Dallas. He is the author of St. Augustine and the Fall of the Soul and coeditor of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Alexander Y. Hwang is assistant professor of historical theology at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and author of Intrepid Lover of Perfect Grace: The Life and Thought of Prosper of Aquitaine.