Patrology: Volume I

The first volume in a monumental four-volume series which places at the disposal of the English-reading public a solid introduction to early Christian literature and the teachings of the early Church. It is the first work of its kind written originally in English. The first volume appeared in 1950. Reviewers were unanimous in heaping praise upon the publication and in looking upon it as a breakthrough in studying the Fathers of the Church. To arouse interest in the works of the Fathers, Johannes Quasten provided numerous excerpts of Patristic writings in English. These selections were designed to show the development of theology in the early centuries and to illustrate the approach of the Fathers to the deposit of faith.

Volume I—The Beginnings of Patristic Literature: From the Apostles Creed to Irenaeus
Volume II—The Ante-Nicene Literature: After Irenaeus
Volume III: The Golden Age of Greek Patristic Literature: From the Council of Nicaea to the Council of Chalcedon
Volume IV: The Golden Age of Latin Patristic Literature: From the Council of Nicaea to the Council of Chalcedon

German priest Johannes Quasten (1900–1987) was a theologian and scholar of patristics. He was a professor at the Catholic University of America for thirty years, until his retirement in 1979. The Quasten Medal—the only academic award given by CUA’s School of Theology and Religious Studies—is named after Father Quasten.

Quasten published more than one hundred books and articles and is best known for his four-volume Patrology, a standard reference in the field of patrology.