Most Protestants believe that there's a big difference between modern Catholicism and first-centuries Christianity. But in this exploration of history and early theological writings, Papandrea (a former Protestant minister) shows that there's actually a stunning similarity.
The essence of Christianity is this: we hold fast to what we were given by those who came before us. From Jesus and the apostles to believers throughout history, God's saving revelation has been proclaimed, preserved, and passed on, each generation staying true to the tradition it received.
In Handed Down: The Catholic Faith of the Early Christians, James L. Papandrea examines that most crucial era in the transmission of Christian truth: the time of the early Church, when the brilliant and holy teachers known as the Church Fathers took the apostolic faith they received and from it shaped the Christian religion.
And that religion of the Fathers continues todayfaithfully kept, vibrant and alivein the Catholic Churc
