Overview

Faith Alone investigates the post-apostolic debates over salvation and justification by faith alone. Author Erik A. Estrada demonstrates that, contrary to the historical outlook of a good number of Catholic and Protestant historians and theologians, there were indeed conflicts within the Great Church (ca. 100-700 CE) over the question ""After baptism, is faith alone enough to save the orthodox Christian?"" Demonstrating that there were such internal conflicts about justification by faith alone matters because most historians and theologians of church history believe that such debates only began with the reformations of the sixteenth century. Because of this misperception of early Christian history, historians and historical theologians have regarded the early orthodox church as having little, if anything, to say about the chief point of religious dispute during the early modern era, namely, ""Is the Christian saved or justified by faith alone?"" The unintended consequence of this prevalent view is that it is commonly believed that the early church had little role in shaping the reformations of the sixteenth century, especially on the topic of salvation by faith alone. One can thus study the Reformation with little background knowledge of ancient orthodox Christianity. Faith Alone, however, argues that there were indeed vigorous debates about faith alone within the walls of the orthodox church and that those debates continued past the early Christian era and into the early Middle Ages (ca. 600-1100 CE), where their records were left for later generations to ponder.

Full Product Details

Author:   Erik A. Estrada
Publisher:   Augsburg Fortress Publishers
Imprint:   Fortress Press,U.S.
Weight:   0.318kg
ISBN:  

9798889837695

Pages:   466
Publication Date:   14 April 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available  
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Table of Contents

Introduction: Faith Becoming Sufficient Ch. 1 - Faith and Divided Christian Communities: The Age of the Apostles Ch. 2 - Faith Begrudgingly Acknowledged: Clement of Rome, Hermas, Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus Ch. 3 - Faith and Penance: Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, Cyprian Ch. 4 - Faith, the Gospels, Paul and the Epistle of James: Heraclius, Eusebius, Hilary, Victorinus, Ambrosiaster, the Early Jerome, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, the Early Augustine, Faltonia Betitia Proba Ch. 5 - Faith and Roman Aristocratic Patrons: Rufinus of Aquileia, Pelagius, the Later Jerome, the Later Augustine, the Disciples of Pelagius, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Paulinus, Faustus and Avitus Ch. 6 - Faith and Justification by Works: Fulgentius, Caesarius, Cassiodorus Ch. 7 - Faith among the Laity at the Beginning of the Middle Ages: The School of Cassiodorus, Isidore of Seville, Julian of Toledo Conclusion - Catholic Perspectives on Justification by Faith Alone

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Author Information

Dr. Erik Estrada is a historical theologian who specializes in the history of Christian biblical exegesis and soteriology. He currently teaches at Texas Christian University, where he works as an assistant professor of religion.

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