How Knowing About Patristics Helps Minister to People

November 25, 2020

A few episodes ago, Adam, Joey, Keith, and David all gave reasons for why you should study the patristics. In this episode, they’ll convince you why On the Incarnation specifically is both helpful and impactful. The group shares how they’ve used this book in their various ministries and discuss some of the major themes and features of this work.

From usefulness in preaching to supporting the lyrics of a popular worship song, On the Incarnation has had very practical applications for this group of ministry leaders. And there’s no doubt that Athanasius has influenced the churches each of them belong to – there’s a baby in David’s parish named after Athanasius, and this church father is, as Keith notes, a hero in the Orthodox church.

The conversation also underscores the deep and sometimes personal insights of each contributor. One theme is that the tone and content are not just optimistic but “triumphalistic” as Athanasius explores the importance of Christ’s physical body, the fall, and more. Listen in to this episode to find other highlights from the book, learn about Keith’s hospitality ministry, and hear Adam and the crew geek out about more words.

 

Jump Through the Conversation

  • [0:36] Intro/fasting and feasting/man buns/Chattanooga and Dante’s Inferno

  • [6:22] Practical and personal applications after reading On the Incarnation

    • [7:10] Joey: used Athanasius while preaching on Hebrews 2

    • [8:35] David: useful for sermon prep, quotations

  • [9:14] Brief rabbit trail Athanasius’ name and “kerygmatic”

  • [10:30] Keith’s name chosen at baptism and his hospitality ministry

  • [13:12] Return to practical and personal applications

    • [13:12] Adam: how Athanasius helped him defend a line in a Hillsong song

    • [14:53] Keith: insights increase with each reading

  • [16:11] Reflections on the whole book

    • [16:34] Joey: Athanasius’ holistic approach

    • [17:29] Keith: challenging ideas/concepts

    • [19:23] Adam: triumphal tone

    • [21:34] Keith: the incarnation

    • [22:00] Aside on apophatic theology

    • [25:49] David: Athanasius’ triumphalism

 

Links and Resources

 

A resource of the Chattanooga House of Prayer