History Early Church

Early Women Martyrs of the Church: Coloring book

Book cover: 'Early Women Martyrs of the Church: Coloring book'
Author(s): 
Katie Elizabeth Roll
Subject(s): 
Setting: 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
Portraits of 12 saints--from St. Philomena to St. Lucy--are portrayed in large ready-to-color illustrations alongside a brief description of the martyr. This 8 1/2" x 11" coloring book has a soft cover and staple binding making it easy to lay open for coloring. The saints are depicted with the common symbols telling about their life and death and the descriptions are simple and short enough that they can be enjoyed by a child as young as 5 or 6 years old. This coloring book would be a nice introduction to the early church and saint symbols for a young child or as a supplement to a history course for children up to age 10 or 12.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
1999

Exiles of the Cebenna

Book cover: 'Exiles of the Cebenna'
Author(s): 
John Mason Neale
Number of pages: 
132 pages
Publisher: 
Paidea Classics
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Setting: 
Review: 
I came across this little gem of a story from the 19th century while visiting the Paidea Classics website. This is a website with resources for Eastern Orthodox home schooling families. If you are studying the time period of the early Church you will find a lot of primary sources and resources there.

Exiles of the Cebenna was originally written in the 19th century and pretends to be the long lost journal of a priest from the 3rd century. The language is delightful and the story very moving. It takes place at the time of the persecution by Decius, a particularly brutal time of martyrdom. The people of Arles, France have been told that they must appear at the arena to give sacrifice to the Roman gods. If they refuse, they will be tortured and killed. A small group of Christians under the leadership of the priest telling the story plan an escape through a secret tunnel. The Bishop however, must stay behind.

On the day of his appointed appearance, the Bishop quails under the torture and makes the sacrifice. He is utterly devastated that he could not bear witness to his faith and has failed his people. Hearing of this, his daughter who was one of the escapees, tries to return to see her father and comfort him. Since the tortures, the people and officials are subdued by the horrific spectacle, and the Christians feel that it is now safe to travel in the open. They are recognized however and taken to the prison. The daughter is told that she must sacrifice. She refuses, and in the most moving scene in the book begins her torture. Her life is spared at the last moment, but she does eventually die from her wounds. Her death indeed helps her father to proclaim his faith, and, according to the epilogue, he is also eventually martyred.

Although, a student may have trouble getting into the language of the story at first, it does become more readable and draws the reader in. The ending is worth every word of the rest of the book. It gives a truly inspiring image of the trials and glory of the martyrs.

Recommended for 7th grade and up.

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
1999

Fabiola, or the Church of the Catacombs

Book cover: 'Fabiola, or the Church of the Catacombs'
Author(s): 
His Eminence Cardinal Wiseman
Number of pages: 
616 pages
Copyright: 
1997
Publisher: 
Lepanto Press
Binding: 
Sewn Hardcover
Subject(s): 
Setting: 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
Late in the third century, under the rule of the barbarian Diocletian, began the last and one of the most severe persecutions of Christians in early church history. During this time Sts. Sebastian, Agnes, and Tarcisius, among many others, won the martyr's crown. This book gives an account of their witness.

Fabiola is a Roman lady, a "noble pagan" of intelligence, virtue and spirit, who like many Romans of the time has heard nothing but false, vile reports of Christian beliefs and practices. At the same time she can't help contrasting the behavior of her young cousin, Agnes, her friend Sebastian, and her slave Syra with the corrupt brutality so rampant in pagan society. Without knowing that they are Christians, she senses that they are in light while she is still in darkness.

While Fabiola and her journey towards conversion is the focal point of the book, there are as many turns and side passages in the plot as there are in the catacombs. There is a subplot concerning an immature Christian who falls into apostasy and betrays his friends - but repents and is restored to grace. Another subplot concerns a martyr's son who longs to follow in his father's footsteps. A chapter is devoted to explaining the purpose of the catacombs and how the inscriptions came to be written within them. There is a lot to be learned from this book about an important time in Christian history. The descriptions of the martyrs' deaths are realistic, and because of this, and the length and ornate style of the book, it might be best read by teenagers and adults.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Additional notes: 

Originally published in the late 19th century, reprinted by Lepanto Press

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
1999

In This Sign Your Shall Conquer

Copyright: 
1998
Publisher: 
Regina Martyrum
Subject(s): 
Setting: 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
The story of Constantine, the first Christian emperor and his mother, Saint Helen, who found the true cross, is presented in an audio drama in the fashion of old-time radio dramas. It includes a full cast and narrator, appropriate music and sound effects. Our family really enjoyed this story, even down to my 3 and 1/2 year old son, who now asks for Constantine by name. The story contains a nice balance of historical information, action and spiritual lessons.
Perspective: 
Catholic
Additional notes: 

85 minutes

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
1999

Saint Athanasius

Book cover: 'Saint Athanasius'
Author(s): 
F.A. Forbes
Number of pages: 
98 pages
Copyright: 
1919
Publisher: 
TAN Books and Publishers Inc.
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Setting: 
Review: 
This short, and fairly easy to read biography chronicles the life of Saint Athanasius (early 300s) - Patriarch/bishop of Alexandria and Doctor of the Church (and model of perserverance). Athanasius was a defender of the faith in a very critical time in the early Church's history. Even before the Edict of Milan which allowed Christians to practice their faith freely (at least for a time), the heresy of Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ, was beginning its attack on the Church. Although the heresy was firmly rejected at the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.), the heretics were very powerful and continued to attack the Church - even winning the Emperor Constantine to their side. While the heresy was never embraced by the Pope, the heretics used the Emperor to banish orthodox bishops from their diocese, replacing them with those sympathetic to their rebellious ideas. All through this difficult time, Athanasius led his people (sometimes while in hiding with the desert monks for years at a time) by his writings.
Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
3-13-2000

Saint Paul the Apostle

Book cover: 'Saint Paul the Apostle'
Author(s): 
Mary Fabyan Windeatt
Number of pages: 
231 pages
Copyright: 
1949
Publisher: 
TAN Books and Publishers
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Setting: 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
Saul was a devout Jew so zealous about the Law that he persecuted the followers of the Nazarene with a vengeance. Through God's miraculous intervention Saul discovers that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and longs to proclaim and exhort that which he has formerly persecuted and abhored. There are many obstacles to overcome. The Christians have a difficult time trusting him and are focused on differences with the Jews, whereas Paul is eager to proclaim the Gospel to everyone. As he travels all over the Mediterranean, he is impeded by shipwreck and many who hate him. He fled communities in secret and on at least once occasion barely escaped with his life.

The short chapters are nice for beginning readers and for busy moms trying to read the story aloud a little at a time.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
5-13-2000

Signs and Mysteries

Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols
Author(s): 
Mike Aquilina
Illustrator(s): 
Lea Marie Ravotti
Number of pages: 
192 pages
Copyright: 
2008
Publisher: 
Our Sunday Visitor
Setting: 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
Mike Aquilina's newest book, Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols is a great read and a great reference book in one. It's also an exquisite piece of art, thanks to the illustrations by Lea Marie Ravotti. (Do yourself a favor and click through to her site. Her work is gorgeous.) It's so easy to take illustrators for granted, isn't it? But one cannot do so with this book. The illustrations are integral; the book is, after all, about looking more closely at symbols, visual representations of the life of faith. It won't do merely to talk about them. We need to see them. And see them we do, beautifully rendered by a gifted artist. But the other thing we can't take for granted is the explication of these powerful, enduring symbols, and the importance of a knowledgeable guide. We need a guide who can gently but firmly impress upon us the power that is present in the visual language we're touring:
These symbols are, in one sense, quite ordinary; they are commonplace items from everyday life in the ancient world. And so we might take them for granted, overlook them. But they're there for a reason ... When we see these signs, how can we help sensing we have received an urgent message, telegraphic, cryptic, from a distant family member?
If it would be an injustice to merely talk about the symbols without illustrating them, it would be an equal injustice to focus only on the visuals. Signs and Mysteries takes us on a pilgrimage of sorts, delivering those urgent messages from our ancient brothers and sisters in Christ, because, as the author tells us of these symbols:
The first Christians traced those lines because they wanted them to stand forever as a perpetual prayer, for remembrance of the dead, for the perseverance of the living, and for deliverance in times of trial.
Exploring these ancient (but still relevant) symbols is far more than an archaeological exercise. Signs and Mysteries may be a fascinating read and a valuable reference, as well as a visual feast, but it is also about connections to our Christian family. It is a personal book in the best sense of the word -- a book that connects us, through a shared and vital language, to the person of Jesus Christ.
Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
5-11-2009

St Monica: Model of Christian Mothers

Author(s): 
F.A. Forbes
Number of pages: 
106 pages
Copyright: 
1915
Publisher: 
TAN Books
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Setting: 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
This book tells of the life of St. Monica (332-387 A.D.), mother of St Augustine of Hippo. As a young girl in a Christian family, she heard the stories of the early martyrs and asked God to let her suffer for Him. Her prayer was granted in an unexpected way as she became the wife of a pagan and the mother of a son who, though brilliant and talented, soon fell into sinful ways and in time adopted the heretical beliefs of the Manichees. For many years, Monica prayed and wept for her son -- "It is not possible that the son of such tears should perish" a bishop told her - and she had the joy of seeing her husband, her haughty mother-in-law and finally her son baptized and fervent Christians before she died.

The author, F.A. Forbes, was a nun who converted to Catholicism at the age of 31 and joined a contemplative order. She wrote several other saints' books. This is a short book, and told simply enough so that an 11-year-old could read it, though I would think a slightly older child would get more out of the book. Patricius' infidelity and Augustine's sins of the flesh are referred to only in the most general terms. Included are several prayers to St. Monica, including a litany and a novena.

It could be read as part of a historical study of the early Church or as a devotional reading. It would also be a good book for mothers to turn to when they are weary of the inevitable frustrations of being a wife and mother - and daughter in law! St Monica's perseverance and continual turning to God for strength make her, indeed, the model of Christian mothers.

Suitable for ages 11 and up.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
1999

The First Christians, The Acts of the Apostles

Book cover: 'The First Christians, The Acts of the Apostles'
Author(s): 
Marigold Hunt
Illustrator(s): 
Ted Schluenderfritz
Number of pages: 
165 pages
Copyright: 
1953
Publisher: 
Sophia Institute Press
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Setting: 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
The sequel to A Life of Our Lord for Children, this title by Marigold Hunt tells the story of the infant Church. After a few introductory remarks, the story begins with the Pentecost (Acts 1) and ends with Paul's visit to the Jews of Rome (Acts 28). The beauty of this book is the wonderful storytelling style of Hunt. It is a great book to read aloud because then it really sounds as if she is speaking to us. One day I was reading out loud to my nine year-old and all the other children had gathered around. My eleven year-old said, "That's a cool author." I know he meant, "I love to hear the way that author tells a story."

At the beginning of each chapter Hunt lists the corresponding chapters from Acts of the Apostles. At various points in the text she recommends the reader go and read from the Bible. For example, when she describes the Pentecost, she suggests that the reader reads Peter's speech which is recorded in Acts 2. She calls it the "very first sermon of the very first pope." I have to admit that when I read her suggestions, I wanted to hop up and read the Bible version! Hunt selects particular tales from Acts, saying that she couldn't tell all that happened. However, she selects those that would be of most interest to young readers. For example, she chooses to include the story of Philip running next to the chariot of the Treasurer to tell him about the Faith, which is kind of a funny image. Hunt also does a good job explaining the problem that Christians Jews had with gentiles becoming Christian without keeping the "law of Moses," and how it was resolved. She makes it clear that Peter makes the final decision, and that when he does, everyone accepts it, clearly establishing him historically as the leader of the Church. With every story she explains things in ways a child would understand by comparing them to things in our own time.

As with A Life of Our Lord for Children, this edition, reissued in 2004, is illustrated by Ted Schluenderfritz (a homeschooling dad!). His drawings add greatly to the text. This is a book that will appeal to all children and is a joy to read aloud. It could be read independently by a 4th grader.

Perspective: 
Catholic
Additional notes: 

Imprimatur

Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
5-3-05

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