DEAD THEOLOGIANS SOCIETY 

Tradition is the living faith of the dead" (Jaroslav Pelikan).

The Dead Theologians Society is a special-interest group within the Work of Christ Community. It began meeting in 1985 to read and discuss the writings of the early Church (i.e. from the first millennium of Christianity, though we have read a few classics from later periods). The society is an ecumenical group, with members coming from several Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches, and it is for this reason that the focus is on the first millennium. The Christian Church was one unified body (more or less) up to the year 1054. Thus, writings before this date represent our common heritage and are ostensibly of interest to Christians of all traditions.

The DTS meets on odd Thursdays (this is easy to remember because we are an "odd" group.) from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. (yes, that is pretty early.) Location varies, so please call or e-mail in advance. We begin with a simple breakfast (bagels and coffee are the usual fare) and then discuss the reading assignment - usually about 20 pages every two weeks. Discussion is lively and jovial and often strays from the topic, but that’s half the fun. It’s not a scholarly group (but scholars are welcome to attend), rather we are a bunch of Christians who have discovered that many long-dead theologians have timely, inspiring, and helpful wisdom for us today. Precisely because these writers come from a different time and a different culture, they can address and challenge us in ways our contemporaries cannot.

Books read by the group include The Apostolic Fathers, On The Incarnation by St. Athanasius, The Confessions of St. Augustine, and The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition by Jaroslav Pelikan. (OK, Jaroslav Pelikan is a modern author, but his book is about the period, and we took our motto from it: "Tradition is the living faith of the dead.") The books we read are selected by consensus (more or less) after an often lively discussion. See bottom of page for a more complete list.

Leadership of the Society is pretty low key. One person manages the breakfast schedule, another sets upcoming reading assignments,  and a third (Jan) assumed the job of asking people to stop talking about politics and get back on topic. Rather than have an "expert" give a lesson, we have chosen a format where every member offers his/her insights. It makes the group a lot less like school.

For the first several years, the Dead Theologians Society didn’t really have a name. Then the movie Dead Poets Society was released, and the temptation was just too great. Once we had a name, it only seemed logical to print up T-shirts. The DTS logo features Polycarp, a feisty martyr, bishop, and defender of the faith who was put to death in 167 AD at the age of 86.

For more information about the Dead Theologians Society or to visit a meeting (we want to make sure we have a bagel for you) please call Jerry Munk at (517) 336-8533.

Dead Theologians Society Reading List:

The Fathers Themselves:

The Apostolic Fathers. Several good editions are available; our favorites are: Lightfoot, Harmer, and Holmes, 2nd edition (Baker), and Sparks (Thomas Nelson, Conciliar Press)

Eusebius, History of the Church. Williamson edition (Penguin)

Augustine, Confessions. Many editions in print: Chadwick (Oxford), Ryan (Doubleday Image), and Pine-Coffin (Penguin)

John Chrysostom, collected sermons On Marriage and Family Life (ed. Roth/Anderson; St. Vladimir Seminary Press); On Wealth and Poverty (ed. Roth; St. Vladimir Seminary Press). Also, Commentary on the Psalms (Trans. Robert Hill, Holy Cross Orthodox Press)

Athanasius, On the Incarnation (Macmillan/St. Vladimir Seminary Press). The introduction to this volume, On the Reading of Old Books, by C.S. Lewis offers a wonderful perspective on Christian reading that constitutes the essential vision of our little society. Resurrection Letters (Thomas Nelson/Conciliar Press), and Life of Anthony (Paulist Press: Classics of Western Spirituality)

Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit (St. Vladimir Seminary Press)

John of Damascus, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith (ed. Schaff and Roberts; Hendrickson)

Irenaeus, Against Heresies (excerpted by Hans Urs von Balthazar in The Scandal of the Incarnation; Ignatius Press)

Macarius (pseudo), Fifty Spiritual Homilies and the Great Letter (Translation by George Maloney, Paulist Press)

Tertullian, various writings (edited by David Bercot in A Glimpse at Early Church Life; Scroll)

Justin Martyr, First Apology and Minucius Felix, Octavius (edited by David Bercot in We Don't Speak Great Things - We Live Them; Scroll)

The Early Christian Fathers and The Later Christian Fathers, patristic anthologies edited and translated by Henry Bettenson

Thomas Aquinas, Suma Theologica (Suma of the Suma edited by Peter Kreeft)

John Climacus, Ladder of Divine Ascent (Paulist Press: Classics of Western Spirituality)

Cyril of Jerusalem, Lectures on the Christian Sacraments (St. Vladimir Seminary Press)

Clement of Alexandria, The One Who Knows God (Scroll Publishing)

Gregory of Nyssa, On the Soul and the Resurrection (St. Vladimir Seminary Press)

About the Fathers:

Jaroslav Pelikan, The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition (volume 1 of The Christian Tradition; University of Chicago Press)

Harold O. J. Brown, Heresies (Doubleday/Hendrickson)

Peter Toon, Yesterday, Today, and Forever (Preservation Press)

Stanley Burgess, The Holy Spirit: Ancient Christian Traditions (Hendrickson)

Mike Aquilina, The Fathers of the Church (Our Sunday Visitor)

Later Christian Classics:

Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ. Several editions available; we used Gardiner (Doubleday Image) and Sherley-Price (Penguin)

Blaise Pascal, Pensees (excerpts with commentary by Peter Kreeft in Christianity for Modern Pagans; Ignatius)

For Future Consideration:

Augustine, The City of God and On the Trinity, Commentary on the Psalms

Chrysostom, Old Testament Homilies and Daily Readings (Fr. Anthony Coniaris, Light and Life)

John Henry Newman, On the Development of Doctrine

John of Damascus, On the Divine Images