Irenaeus of Lyons (–202)

Very important piece of literature concerning the Early Church.

Irenaeus was one of the first to hold the four Gospels as cannon.

The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is because there is a lot of repetitiveness concerning all the Gnostic Heresies.

Outstanding short book on the Incarnation by the first great Christian theologian. Excellent choice for Lent reading.

Strikingly orthodox for such an early work, but thenthe version which survives is a much later manuscript of a translation so it may have been smoothed out over time; notable also for its strong reliance on the Jewish tradition

An important work for scholars, but mystifying to others who probably had no idea that there were as many as 60 different sects of Christianity during the 2nd. cent. This is the book referred to by almost all later writers. When Iranaeus wrote this he did not call the sects heretics - that came later from the RC Church - but he suggested they were sects in error in their thinking. he wrote the book for a friend (Bishop) to warn him how to detect wrong thinking in his congregation.