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Books by Dave Armstrong: The Quotable Eastern Church Fathers

Books by Dave Armstrong: The Quotable Eastern Church Fathers

Last updated on: July 14, 2026 at 10:03 pm by Dave Armstrong

Books by Dave Armstrong: The Quotable Eastern Church Fathers 2026-07-14T22:03:04-04:00 Dave Armstrong

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[completed on 8 July 2013, 303 pages, and published at Lulu on the same day]

Purchase Information

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[PAPERBACK: Amazon / Lulu] [PDF + ePUB: $9.99]

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Misc.

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In troductory Post [Facebook]

Discussion and Justification of Some “Western” Terminology Used in the Book (Particularly “Sacrifice of the Mass”) [Facebook]

Favorable Review by Matthew Celestis (1-25-15)

Introduction and Sources

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This collection is devoted to documentation of examples of “distinctively Catholic” theological beliefs or doctrines in the Eastern Church fathers; that is (very broadly speaking, or generalizing), ones in harmony with historic Catholic teaching but differing in some way from one or more strains of Protestant theology (including liberal theology) or Eastern Orthodox views.

Quotations will be drawn from the “Three Holy Hierarchs” of Eastern Christian Tradition: St. Basil the Great (c. 330-379, abbreviated as “B”), St. John Chrysostom (c. 345-407, “JC”), and St. Gregory Nazianzen (c. 330-c. 390, “G”). St. Athanasius (c. 297-373, “A”) is usually added to this list, and these are the Four Great Eastern Doctors of the Church.

Additionally, the following four fathers are included: St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376-444, “CA”), St. Ephraim [or, Ephrem] of Syria (c. 306-373, “E”), St. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 315-387, “CJ”), and St. John Damascene [or, John of Damascus] (c. 676-749, “JD”). All eight men are designated as “Doctors” of the Catholic Church.

Quotations are drawn from the public domain works listed below; using the abbreviations in quotation marks, as a quick reference. All of these sources are found online at the magnificent Christian Classics Ethereal Library website. I am greatly indebted to it for making the compilation of this book far easier than it would have been, prior to the Internet.

Early Church Fathers: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series 1 [“NPNF1-”] (Philip Schaff, editor, Edinburgh, 1889, 14 volumes).

Early Church Fathers: Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers Series 2 [“NPNF2-”] (Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, editors, Edinburgh, 1900, 14 volumes).

A Library of Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church, Anterior to the Division of the East and West, Translated by Members of the English Church [“LFC43” / “LFC47” / “LFC48”] (Oxford: James Parker & Co. / Rivingtons, 1881; Volumes 43, 47, and 48).

Commentary on Luke [“CL”] (St. Cyril of Alexandria, translated by R. Payne Smith, Oxford University Press, 1859).

S. Ephraim’s Prose Refutations of Mani, Marcion and Bardaisan, by C. W. Mitchell, Vol. 1 of 2 [“EPR”] (London: Williams and Norgate / William Clowes & Sons, Ltd., 1912).

St. John Damascene on Holy Images, Followed by Three Sermons on the Assumption [“JDHI” / “JDA”] (translated by Mary H. Allies, London: Thomas Baker, 1898).

Index of Topics

Abortion 9

Absolution 9

Almsgiving 10

Angels, Guardian 11
Angels, Veneration of 11

Apostasy (Falling Away from the Faith or Salvation) 13

Apostolic Deposit 15

Apostolic Succession 15

Atonement, Universal 18

Baptism and Being “Born Again” 22

Baptism and Grace 23

Baptism and Justification / Sanctification 24

Baptism and Salvation 25

Baptism, Infant 28

Baptism, Method or Mode of 29

Baptism of Blood 29

Baptism of Desire 30

Baptism, Schismatic or Heretical 31

Baptismal Regeneration 31

Bishops and Church Government 35

Caesaropapism, Falsity of 37

Celibacy and Consecrated Virginity 38

Children, Salvation of 40

Church and Salvation 41

Church: Authority of 41

Church, Catholic 41

Church, Holy Mother 43

Church, Indefectibility of 43

Church, Infallibility of 43

Church: One “True” 44

Church, Sinners in 45

Concupiscence 45

Confirmation, Sacrament of 45

Conscience, Examination of 46

Contraception; Contralife Will 46

Councils, Ecumenical 47

Creeds 49

Cross, Sign of the 49

Crucifixes 51

Dead: Almsgiving for 52

Dead: Masses for 54

Dead: Prayer for 56

Demons 57

Denominationalism; Sectarianism 58

Development (of Doctrine) 60

Dissent (from Catholicism) 61

Eucharist and Grace 61

Eucharist and Salvation 62

Eucharist: Closed Communion 65

Eucharist: Real Substantial Presence 66

Eucharist: Transubstantiation 74

Eucharistic Adoration 76

Evangelical Counsels 76

Evil 78

Excommunication 79

Exorcism 80

Faith Alone (Falsity of) / Antinomianism 81

Faith and Reason 86

Faith and Works 87

Fasting and Abstinence 94

Free Will 94

Free Will and God’s Foreknowledge 98

God: Anthropomorphism 100

God: Anthropopathism 101

God: Circumincession / Coinherence / Perichoresis 102

God: Creation Ex Nihilo 105

God: Goodness of 106

God: Holy Spirit / Filioque Issue 106

God: Immutability, Simplicity, and Self-Sufficiency 113

God: Omnipotence of 117

God: Omnipresence of 118

God: Omniscience of 120

God: Outside of Time 120

God, Providence of 121

God: Sustainer of Creation 123

God the Father: Invisible in His Essence 125

God the Father: Monarchia / Principatus of 127

Gospel, The 131

Grace: Degrees or Greater Measure of 131

Grace, Irresistible (Falsity of) 131

Hardening of the Heart 132

Healing 133

Hell (Eternal Punishment) 134

Heresy; Heretics 134

Hermits 138

Holy Days 138

Holy Items 138

Holy Places; Shrines 139

Images, Icons, and Statues: Use and Veneration of 140

Indulgences 144

Jesus Christ: Supposed “Ignorance” of Certain Matters 145

Justification, Infused (Sanctification) 149

Justification, Ongoing / Multiple 153

Lent 154

Marriage: Sacrament 155

Mary: Bodily Assumption of 155

Mary: Mother of God (Theotokos) 157

Mary: New Eve; Second Eve 163

Mary: Perpetual Virginity of 163

Mary: Sinlessness 165

Mary: Veneration of 167

Mary: Virginity In Partu (During Childbirth) 168

Mass, Daily 169

Mass, Sacrifice of 170

Mass, Sacrifice of (and the Crucifixion) 172

Merit 173

Monks and Nuns 176

Mortification and Self-Denial 176

Original Sin; Fall of Man 178

Orthodoxy (Correct Beliefs) 179

Paganism and Christianity 181

Papacy; Popes; Papal Primacy 182

Paul and Peter 185

Penance / Temporal Punishment of Sins 185

Peter: Primacy of 191

Peter: Successors of (as Popes) 195

Prayer (of the Righteous) 196

Priests: Alter Christus 196

Priests; Sacrament of Holy Orders 196

Priests and “Call No Man ‘Father’” 199

Procreation 200

Purgatory; Preparation for Heaven in the Afterlife (and This Life) 200

Rationalism (in Opposition to Faith) 201

Relics 201

Reprobation; Causes of Damnation 206

Roman Primacy 208

Rule of Faith / “Three-Legged Stool” (Bible-Church-Tradition) 214

Sacraments 218

Sacraments and Salvation 219

Sacraments: Ex Opere Operato 219

Saints: Awareness of and Contact with This World 220

Saints, Communion of 220

Saints, Imitation of 222

Saints, Invocation and Intercession of 224

Saints, Veneration of 225

Salvation and Works 233

Salvation, Instant (Falsity of) 237

Salvation, Moral Assurance of 240

Satan 241

Schism; Separation 244

Scripture: Canon of 246

Scripture: Deuterocanon 246

Scripture: Hermeneutics (Interpretation) 254

Scripture: Inerrancy and Infallibility 255

Scripture: Inspiration of 256

Scripture: Old Testament 258

Scripture: Perspicuity (Clearness of) 260

Scripture: Septuagint (Ancient Greek Translation) 265

Sin: Mortal and Venial 265

Suffering, Redemptive (Participation in Christ’s Suffering) 266

Synergy: Cooperation with God’s Grace as “Co-Laborers” 269

Theophanies 274

Theosis; Deification; Divinization 274

Total Depravity (Falsity of); Human Nature 280

Tradition, Apostolic 281

Tradition, Oral 286

Traditions of Men 294

War, Just 295

Works, Good (in Grace) 295

Works of the Law / “New Perspective on Paul” 296

Worship (Latria) 297

Excerpts

[all on Facebook unless otherwise specified]

St. John Chrysostom

On the Contralife Will (and by Logical Extension, Contraception)

On Salvation and Works

On Infused Justification (Sanctification)

On Jesus’ Real and Substantial Presence in the Eucharist

On Synergy: Cooperation with God’s Grace as “Co-Laborers”

Citation of Ecclesiasticus [Sirach] as Scripture

On the Spiritual Benefits of Baptism

On the Falsity of “Faith Alone”

On the Moral Assurance of Salvation

On Free Will and God’s Foreknowledge (Romans 9)

On Masses for the Dead

On Crucifixes

On the Veneration of the Saints

On the Sacrifice of the Mass

On Purgatory

On the Definition of the “Gospel”

On Free Will

On Closed Communion

St. Athanasius

On God as the Sustainer of Creation

On the Omnipresence of Jesus

On Apostolic Succession

On the Power of the Sign of the Cross

On Satan

On the Falsity of Caesaropapism

On the Deuterocanon

On Theosis; Deification; Divinization

On the Holy Spirit

On the Rule of Faith (“Three-Legged Stool” of Bible | Tradition | Church)

On Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos)

St. Basil the Great

On Oral Tradition as Authoritative, Even Concerning the Doctrine of God

On the Falsity of Instant Salvation

To St. Athanasius, Suggesting That the Pope Should Suppress Heresies and Schism in the Eastern Church

On Faith and Reason

On the Supposed “Ignorance” of Jesus Christ (The Last Days)

On Faith and Works

On Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos)

St. Gregory Nazianzen

On the Perspicuity of Scripture and the “Me, My Bible, and the Holy Spirit” Mentality

On the Development of Doctrine

On Baptism and Salvation

On Mary, Mother of God (Theotokos)

References to the Deuterocanon

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

References to the Deuterocanon

On the Falsehood of the Calvinist “TULIP”

On Faith and Works

On the Complete Harmony of the Old Testament with the New

On Transubstantiation

St. Cyril of Alexandria

Fabulous Defense of Mother of God and Searing Critique of Nestorian / Protestant Denigrations of It

On the Procession of the Holy Spirit

On Transubstantiation

St. John Damascene

On the Monarchia / Principatus of God the Father

On Crucifixes

On the Catholic Rule of Faith

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Purchase Information

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[PAPERBACK: Amazon / Lulu] [PDF + ePUB: $9.99]

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Practical Matters: This is the most comprehensive and multi-faceted Catholic apologetics blog: rated #1 for Christian sites by leading AI tool, ChatGPT. I offer more than 5,000 free online articles, fifty-eight books, and many scores of videos at the Catholic Bible Highlights YouTube channel (please subscribe!). If you believe my full-time apostolate is worth supporting, please seriously consider financially supporting it. PayPal donations are the easiest: just send to my email address: [email protected]. You’ll see the term “Dave Armstrong Bookstore”. To learn about the different methods of contributing (including Zelle and 100% tax-deductible donations if desired), see my page: About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong / Donation Information. Thanks a million!

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Last updated on 14 July 2026

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