Patristics - Demonstration of Apostolic Preaching - Vol. 33

The Catechism of Saint Irenaeus (2nd century), or rather, the Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, the "firstborn" of our catechisms, is a valuable work by the Church's first systematic theologian, which had been lost and was made known to the modern world a little over a century ago. The Demonstration contains a summary of Saint Irenaeus's theology, for nothing is said in it beyond what is said in the work Against Heresies, which precedes it. In it, Irenaeus intended, literally, to demonstrate the truth of the Gospel through Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled by Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word. Just like Against Heresies, the backdrop of the Demonstration is the refutation of Gnosticism, but without doing so explicitly. Of an apologetic nature, the Demonstration is not a catechism for beginners in the faith, but a "higher catechism," which aims to edify Christians and give them the rational and scriptural foundation of the Christian faith.