I have read this book twice, and reread my highlights I got so much from it. Presley argues that Biblical interpretation for the early Church began with a right view of God and a pure desire to know him, love him, and grow in personal virtue. Right there is where the wisdom of the ancient church collides with the post-modern would be interpreters of Scripture! From this base point, the author moves on to describe how the early church father’s saw the synergy between Scripture, the rule of faith, catechesis, and liturgy. I particularly appreciated the authors discussion of the Biblical narrative and how the early Church saw themselves as living within and participating in the narrative as pilgrims and travellers on the way. In the discussion on narrative I am also grateful for Presley’s engagement with Jean-François Lyotard and Alistair MacIntyre.

While this may be considered an academic book, the writing is engaging and accessible to an average reader. I think what Presley has to say here is so important, I would love to see this book as required reading for all Church leadership and ministry development courses. The modern church, so much obsessed by novelty, has much to learn from our forefathers. For anyone interested in hermeneutics, Biblical Theology, preaching, teaching, liturgy, discipleship, mission ie if you are involved in church ministry, please read and pass this book on!

Presley has developed thoughtful, insightful, and convicting points throughout the entirety of the book that are supported by well researched and condensed details of life in the early church. The structure of this book is really well thought out, providing easy accessibility to each point he is trying to convey while connecting to an overall call to relearn what it means to read the Bible through the lens of the Bible. I think like all great Christian authors, it can be a bit dense and repetitive at times but ultimately his multitude of early church father historical examples and background is insightful and helpful in thinking about our modern church. Although I think his summary is a little too negative to some great examples of churches in our current generation that are actively working the points he tries to make, I would still recommend this book as an excellent reminder of how the church operated in early days while still responding to the changing world around them.