Finding patristic writings online

[Nik Stanosheck]

Glory to Jesus Christ!

About a month ago I found a site that I think was created by an Ethiopian Orthodox fellow and he had PDFs of the writings of the Church Fathers of Orthodoxy. Does anyone know where this site or a similar site is, as I seem to have misplaced the bookmark. :-(

Thank you in advance for any help and God Bless you all!

In Christ,
-Nik!
The ROCOR Cafe Web Portal and Forum! (http://www.ROCORCafe.com)

[Timothy]

Have you checked all the links in the "Links catalog" on this website, for links to patristic texts? There are loads. And some of them are to huge sites: like CCEL, which has almost everything.

I hope this is helpful.

[Donald Wescott]

Nik,
Check this site out:
http://www.ccel.org/
Hope this helps

His Ubworthy Servant,
Donald Eusebios

[Hermit]

Download freeware at the link below:

"The Early Church Fathers Series in WinHelp Format
A 37-volume electronic collection of writings from the first 800 years of the Church.

Programmed in WinHelp by: Maged Nabih Kamel, MD
Email: mkamel@geocities.com

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7084

Converted to HTML Help format by Graham Ranson
Email: graham.ranson@btinternet.com

© 1996 Dr. Maged N Kamel. All rights reserved. "

[Richard McBride]

An interesting site, Hermit.

Looking at it, I could not help wondering if you are very much interested in Coptic Christianity?

I was under the impression that you preferred the Roman viewpoint. Of the two, I should think the Copts were on better religious footing. I have known a few Copts -- truly sweet and beautiful people. They seem very close to God. Their Church left Orthodoxy a millenium and a half past, because they could not stomoch the bickering and deceitful politicking going on at the time, especially between Constantinople and Rome.

But as for me, I am strictly Orthodox. No mixing or matching bits and pieces of religious preferences. That is a certain road to restless unhappiness -- probably to the black fires which give no light.

Thanks for the URLs.

richard mcb

[Richard McBride]

The site I meant is"

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7084

r mcb

[Hermit]

I'm Catholic, Richard, but was looking at one time for a collection of Early Church Father writings to download, and this was simply the first one I came across. The program works fairly well, I was surprised at all the references to "Eucharist" I found.

I'm attracted to any branch of Christianity which has some emphasis on mysticism, in the sense of direct union with God. I don't believe theology or authority is nearly as vital as determining how people have become saints in the past, but they are important enough so I could never become a Protestant. The differences between Catholic and Orthodox Christianity seem trivial to me, mainly whether you accept one strong leader or not as Christ's intention in making Peter the foundation of the Church.

I'd always thought of the Coptic Church as one of the Eastern Orthodox, not that it matters ... saints have come from all of the Christian traditions, though not so many from the Protestant branches as others.

[Fr Averky]

When I was in Cairo, our tourist guide was a Coptic Christian, and therefore, all of our contacts, van driver, shop owners, and so on were Copts. They are indeed a gentle, kind, and extremely pious. However, the truth of the the Church has never been a question of personalities, thank God, but that of the integrity of the faith. I too was Roman Catholic, and I can tell Hermit, that especially today, there is a vast gulf between the mindset of Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, and the differences are far from trivial. It is not merely a matter of leadership. I would say that Orthodoxy has a sense of "mystery," in that there is much which is beyond our power to grasp -we don't have "mysticism," per say. People like St. Seraphim cannot be termed as being a "mystic," as would be Teresa of Avila or John of the Cross in the West. I have read accounts attempting to compare St. Seraphim of Sarov and St. Francis of Assisi, but while each loved God, there is no comparison to be made.

[sweden]

Dear Hieromonk,
Would you like to expound shortly on what you see as the difference between the mystics (e.g. John of the Cross) and Orthodox saints such as St. Seraphim. What do you see as the main problems with western mysticism?
I have apreciated your recent post highly.