New Wheaton Program on Patristics

Interest in the Early Church Fathers and the practices of the ancient undivided church has been steadily growing for years among Evangelicals and other Protestants thanks to the work of such figures as Rob Webber, Thomas Oden, and others.

Now, thanks to generous donors, Wheaton College, one of the best respected and most intellectually substantial Evangelical colleges in the US, has launched a Center for Early Christian Studies, dedicated to encouraging interaction between Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox regarding the common heritage of all Christians in the fathers of the undivided Church of the first millenium. This is exciting stuff to me - hopefully it is a step in the direction of greater acknowledgment of our common ancient and ecumenical faith AND a move toward a deeper and more permanent appreciation of the Fathers among Protestants.