The Catholic Company Book Review - The Fathers Know Best by Jimmy Akin

The Fathers Know Best by Jimmy Akin tells about what our early Church fathers had to say about many topics. Part One is divided into three sections. The Introduction tells about the book & who the early Church fathers are. They lived from the first century through about 750 AD. The World of the Fathers includes maps & a brief history of the time in which they lived. The third section gives a brief biography of the early Church fathers, and also highlights the councils, writings, & heresies of the time.

Part Two is broken down by subject, giving a brief description then listing quotes from the early Church fathers on each subject. There are an average of 13-14 quotes on each subject, most about a paragraph in length. Over 900 quotes are included on eight major topics:

God

Creation

The Sources of Faith

The Church and the Pope

Morality

Sacraments and Worship

Mary, the Saints, the Miraculous

The Last Things

Within those eight topics are 49 subtopics. These include quotes on the Trinity, Mortal Sin, Abortion, Peter the Rock, Women Priests?, Purgatory, and The Resurrection of the Body...just to name a few.

At first, I was a little confused when reading Part One. Mr. Akin kept referring to various Church councils & heresies by name, but didn't explain what they were. It wasn't until I got to that third section & saw that he had a whole list of them.

The Fathers Know Best (yes, that is a take off of the TV show Father Knows Best!) is a great resource in apologetics, confirming that the stances the Church takes on many issues are not new. This book can be read straight through or you can go directly to any subject.

This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on The Fathers Know Best. While you're there, check out all their great books & gifts for upcoming Sacraments...First Communion, Confirmation, & Baptism.