Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series

About the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series

Have you been seeking a source of theologically sound, classic commentary on Scripture? The Ancient Christian Commentary Series is just what you’ve been looking for – a truly thorough resource of historical scripture commentary compiled from the vast writings of the Church Fathers. The series does not seek to replace modern critical commentary, but rather to enhance and frame it by providing the reader with the words of the Fathers who helped to shape the Church in her infancy.

The intended audience is varied, and not limited merely to scholars or theologians. The publisher of the Ancient Christian Commentary Series intended a resource for the general, lay, non-professional individual who reads the Bible regularly. These books are tomes of thorough, thought-provoking commentary, but one need not be a professional or a Bible scholar to use them.

What Exactly is the Ancient Christian Commentary Series (ACCS)?

As described by the publishers, the ACCS is:

“a twenty-eight volume Patristic commentary on Scripture. The patristic period, the time of the Fathers of the Church, spans the era from Clement of Rome (fl. c. 95) to John of Damascus (c. 645-c. 749). The commentary thus covers seven centuries of Biblical interpretation, from the end of the New Testament to the mid-eighth century, including the Venerable Bede.

“The Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture is a post critical revival of the early commentary tradition known as the glossa ordinaria, a text artfully elaborated with ancient and authoritative reflections and insights. An uncommon companion for theological interpretation, spiritual reading, and wholesome teaching and preaching.

“Arranged by the books of the Bible, each portion of the commentary allows the living voices of the Church in its formative centuries to speak as they engage the sacred page of Scripture, rendered throughout the series in English in the . . . Revised Standard Version of the Bible.”

Each book in the ACCS covers one or a few related books of the Bible, or in some cases, a portion of a Biblical book. To view the titles in the Ancient Christian Commentary Series, please click here.

Features of the ACCS

To aid the reader in the study of Holy Scripture with the ACCS, the series was put together with the following features:

• Pericopes of Scripture: A pericope is set of verses that form one unit or idea. In the ACCS, pericopes of Scripture means that the Holy Scripture has been divided into passages which focus on one thought or subject. Each pericope has a heading for the convenience of the reader, and also to conform with the citations and commentary provided.

• Overviews: The commentary for each pericope includes its own overview, a brief summary of what the commentary will be discussing. The summary does not necessarily follow a chronological or verse-by-verse sequence, but rather provides a cohesive summation of the thought expressed.

• Headings and Footnotes: Topical headings are used to summarize the idea of the commentary in a key word or phrase. The identity of the patristic commentator is always included. Footnotes are included so that the reader can seek the sources from which the commentary was lifted if they wish to study further the writings and commentary of the cited Church Father.