Takentogether,thesetwovolumescollectseventy-fiveessayswrittenbyProfessorAndrewLouthoveraforty-yearperiod.Louth’scontributiontoscholarshipandtheologyhasalwaysbeensignificant,andtheseessayshavebeencollectedfromjournalsandeditedcollections,manyofwhicharedifficulttoaccess,andareheremadeavailableovertwothought-provokingandwide-rangingvolumes.VolumeIfocusesonavarietyoftopicsinPatristics,orearlyChristianstudies.Intheseessays,LouthdiscussesearlyChristianthinkersfromtheearlysecondcenturythroughtoPhotiosofConstantinopleintheeast(inthetenthcentury)andThomasAquinasinthewest(inthethirteenthcentury).ConstantfigureswhoappearattheheartofthesevolumesareMaximostheConfessor(c.580-662)andJohnofDamascus(676-749).
