40 Days with the Fathers: A Daily Reading Plan Introduction
Why read the Early Church Fathers?
Maybe for some of you reading this, the question might better be phrased as: who are the Church Fathers?
No doubt you will be familiar with some of their names: Augustine, Jerome, Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, Justin Martyr et al. You may have even read portions or quotes by some of these men. But that still doesn't really explain to you who they are and why you should care, much less actually read any of their works.
My new book deals with a selection of some of the most influential Early Church Fathers, sometimes also referred to as the Apostolic Fathers (if they lived between AD 70-150), or collectively as the Ante Nicene Fathers for all of those in the period of time preceding the Council of Nicea (AD 325). It is these men who wrote doctrine and defences against heresy and helped to continue and shape the Church in its most formative years.
Some of the earlier Christian leaders of the 2nd Century were discipled and taught by the Apostles themselves. Those include Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch and Polycarp of Smyrna. Still others in mid-2nd century were then taught by those who knew the men who were taught by some of the Apostles. One of the more well-known Bishops who was second generation to the Apostles was Irenaeus (best known for his extensive apologetic works, Against Heresies).
From chapter 21 onward in my book, I look at a few writers from beyond this period (around 356) up until AD 449 where we can observe some distinctive changes in thought and practice.
These people who came before us, those great men of faith, many of whom suffered persecution and martyrdom to preserve the Church and Christ's mission, bridge the gap between the Bible and the present day. They fill the void we sometimes wonder about when we get to the end of reading Acts or the Epistles and think, “what happened next?” or “what happened to the Ephesian church after Paul left?”.
So Why Read What They Wrote?
The Bible didn't just drop out of the sky, all leather bound and ready to read for us to pick up today. There was a lengthy process of selecting and preserving the apostles teachings which spanned nearly four centuries, and it was due to the Fathers and their faithfulness to the Scriptures that this was possible. Not only that, but due to their close links to the Apostles — some who were even taught directly by an apostle — we now have valuable resources and insights into aspects, teaching and issues within the very early Church which we can learn from and measure our doctrine and interpretation against.
This isn't to say that everything the Church Fathers said, did or wrote is perfect; or that we should elevate their texts to the level of Scripture, but we can glean much from those who knew and were discipled by the Apostles (or those who knew them second hand). We can read what certain portions of Scripture meant to them, or see how they interpreted things in the years following the Apostles, and can compare that to how we might read those same Scriptures today.
This is a highly valuable resource for us to still have available; to be able to check our beliefs and doctrines against accepted, historical orthodoxy, which was quite literally shaped through blood, sweat and tears.
It's a wonderful thing to be able to look back millennia and know that what we believe and follow as Christians has been faithfully passed on and preserved for all this time. Many doctrines we now take for granted were actually developed and defended during this time; carefully worded and formed to ensure that the truth of God doesn't get lost, diluted or warped for selfish gain.
We owe much to these men of God and can still learn a great deal from them, as they still speak to us today as part of that great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us (Heb 12:1).
This has been an excerpt from the introduction to my book.
You can read more from the Early Church Fathers in my new book, 40 Days with the Fathers: A daily reading plan, which is available now on Amazon and Kindle.
See fortydays.co.uk for more details and to begin your journey through the first four centuries of the Church!
Leave a comment Like Back to Top Seen 1.4K times Liked 0 times
Enjoying this? Consider contributing regular gifts for this content on Patreon.
* Patreon is a way to join your favorite creator's community and pay them for making the stuff you love. You can simply pay a few pounds per month or per post that a creator makes, and in return receive some perks!
Subscribe to Updates
If you enjoyed this, why not subscribe to free email updates and join over 186 subscribers today!
Subscribe to Blog updates
Alternatively, you can subscribe via RSS 
All email subscriptions must be confirmed to comply with GDPR.
Related Posts
Luke J. Wilson | 26th July 2022 | 40 Days with the Fathers
I was interviewed about my book, 40 Days with the Fathers, a few months ago. It's taken a while to be released, but now it's available to listen to! Ruah Space, who endeavours "to provide you with experiences and space to encounter God and deepen your faith", got in touch with me for a chat about my book, the early church, and the spiritual practices of the ancient church. We talked about everything from fasting to martyrdom, and the topics covered in the book, so if you're interested to hear more about that (or my thoughts on it all), then click the link below to go and listen to the podcast: Spiritual Formation & The Church Fathers with Luke Wilson – Ruah Space I hope you enjoy the interview! And if you haven't already got it, you can buy my book on Amazon. ...
Luke J. Wilson | 31st January 2022 | 40 Days with the Fathers
INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRD EDITION As with many things, they can always be improved. And as somewhat of a “recovering perfectionist”, I can't let things go until I have that sense of completion about it; whether that be my work projects, writing or some other form of the creative process I am involved in. I say “recovering” because I try not to let myself be burdened by needless (and endless) perfectionism over the things I make, and have learned to let things be. With that said, though, this book has always niggled at me in the back of my mind ever since I first published it in December 2017. I knew it wasn't truly complete at the time, but I had also recently become a father for the first time and so I did rush it to print just to make sure I got it out. Once life settled down, that niggle was still there and I published a Revised Edition about eight months later which included some of the additions I had wanted to include the first time around, such as the maps and timelines. I was happy to leave it there, but as more people read it and had questions about different aspects of early history, or had suggestions about what they would find useful to make this book a better resource... that niggle returned! I've finally updated various chapters with more detail or better footnotes and sources plus added a new chapter dedicated to the Council of Nicaea to help dispel some myths. Now, here we are at the beginning of 2022 after a couple of the craziest years we've lived through in recent memory with the pandemic, and what better time to reflect on the past and hear from people who lived through far worse times, yet came through stronger for it and found God in the midst of their suffering? We can take hope in our forefathers in the Faith, learn from them and grow from their wisdom and insights, and maybe begin to see and trust the God who suffers with us yet gives us the strength to endure. I hope and pray that this book will be a blessing to you as you read through each chapter and delve into the mind of the Church Fathers and have your own faith built up. If that happens to even one person reading this, then maybe that niggle will finally cease and I can be at peace about this third (and maybe final) edition. Luke Wilson January 2022 Buy the new book here: lukejwilson.com/amazon...
Luke J. Wilson | 31st January 2022 | 40 Days with the Fathers
After many, many months of working on this in between COVID and other “life events” that kept me busy, I’ve finally released the Third Edition of my book, 40 Day With the Fathers: A Journey Through Church History! The Third Edition includes: a foreword by Paul Pavao (author of Decoding Nicea), updated content and also a new chapter about the Council of Nicaea explaining what did (and didn’t) happen there. “I cannot imagine there is a better way to get familiar with 350 of the most important years of church history in seven hours spread over 40 days.” — Paul Pavao, author of Decoding Nicea If you are unfamiliar with my previous editions and what this book is about, here’s the blurb and some quotes from reviewers to give you an overview of its content: Take a journey through the first 400 years of Church History in only 40 days! Over the course of this reading plan you will read extracts and commentary on 23 different early Church texts from a selection of some of the most influential Church Fathers: Didache, Diognetus, Polycarp, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Cyprian, Athanasius, Cyril of Jerusalem, Ambrose of Milan, and Leo the Great. These people who came before us, those great men of faith, many of whom suffered persecution and martyrdom to preserve the Church and Christ’s mission, bridge the gap between the Bible and the present day. They fill the void we sometimes wonder about when we get to the end of reading Acts or the Epistles and think, “what happened next?” or “what happened to the Ephesian church after Paul left?” — well now you can read for yourself and see how God continued to grow His Church! Praise for 40 Days with the Fathers: “Timeless truths still for today” — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Insightful and captivating” — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “[This book] will round out your knowledge and help you become a better teacher.” — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “If you are a pastor or church leader, I highly recommend this book for you.” — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Luke Wilson has put together an easy to read and insightful 40 day journey through the writings of the early church fathers” — ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Readers who are unfamiliar with the Church Fathers, as well as theology and church history more generally, will find Wilson’s writing clear, approachable, informative, and often enjoyable.” — ⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you are interesting in learning more about the early church in bite-sized portions that will gradually introduce you to the various figures, leaders, theologians and doctrines from the first 400 years of Christianity, then this book is for you! Order now from Amazon and enjoy it in paperback or hardcover form, or on your Kindle device: 40 Day With the Fathers: A Journey Through Church History....
Luke J. Wilson | 04th July 2020 | 40 Days with the Fathers
Preface This is the companion to the first book in the series, Forty Days with the Fathers: A Daily Reading Plan. The first book originally took form on my blog as a daily post throughout the period of Lent in 2017 (hence the 40 days), and aims to give you a glimpse into the minds of that great cloud of witnesses that have come before us through short commentary of the early church texts. This book follows the same forty day pattern and chapter breaks so you can read it alongside the first book, or as a stand-alone reading plan with no additional commentary, as it features the source texts in full as translated and edited by Philip Schaff et al. All the original footnotes are included as well as few of my own where certain things required clarification for 21st century readers. The more learned readers here may notice that I have chosen to only include the shorter Ignatian epistles in this collection—this is because I am convinced by the arguments for their genuineness over the longer letters which are thought to be interpolations. The reading plan follows a collection of twenty-three early texts in full from the first four centuries. As an additional bit of information, at the beginning of each text I have given a preface which gives a Who, What, Why and When so you can read a short summary about the historical context, purpose for it being written, and the approximate date of each ancient text as well. At the end of each chapter, there is a notes section so you can jot down any thoughts you had during your reading, and at the very end of the book are some useful appendices containing historical data and maps to help bring more visual context the New Testament and Early Church texts. Each daily reading will vary in length of time to read, and by day 40, you will have read the writings of ten different Church Fathers from the Ante-Nicene and Post-Nicene period: Didache, Diognetus, Polycarp, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Cyprian, Athanasius, Cyril of Jerusalem, Ambrose of Milan, and Leo the Great. I hope that you will enjoy this journey through part of the first 400 years of Church History from some of the more prominent Early Church leaders, Bishops and martyrs; and feel as challenged and enlightened about the Faith as I did after I read these ancient witnesses for the first time. This has been an excerpt from the introduction to my recent book.You can read more from the Early Church Fathers in my new book, 40 Days with the Fathers: Companion Texts, which is available now on Amazon. ...
Luke J. Wilson | 31st January 2022 | 40 Days with the Fathers
INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRD EDITION As with many things, they can always be improved. And as somewhat of a “recovering perfectionist”, I can't let things go until I have that sense of completion about it; whether that be my work projects, writing or some other form of the creative process I am involved in. I say “recovering” because I try not to let myself be burdened by needless (and endless) perfectionism over the things I make, and have learned to let things be. With that said, though, this book has always niggled at me in the back of my mind ever since I first published it in December 2017. I knew it wasn't truly complete at the time, but I had also recently become a father for the first time and so I did rush it to print just to make sure I got it out. Once life settled down, that niggle was still there and I published a Revised Edition about eight months later which included some of the additions I had wanted to include the first time around, such as the maps and timelines. I was happy to leave it there, but as more people read it and had questions about different aspects of early history, or had suggestions about what they would find useful to make this book a better resource... that niggle returned! I've finally updated various chapters with more detail or better footnotes and sources plus added a new chapter dedicated to the Council of Nicaea to help dispel some myths. Now, here we are at the beginning of 2022 after a couple of the craziest years we've lived through in recent memory with the pandemic, and what better time to reflect on the past and hear from people who lived through far worse times, yet came through stronger for it and found God in the midst of their suffering? We can take hope in our forefathers in the Faith, learn from them and grow from their wisdom and insights, and maybe begin to see and trust the God who suffers with us yet gives us the strength to endure. I hope and pray that this book will be a blessing to you as you read through each chapter and delve into the mind of the Church Fathers and have your own faith built up. If that happens to even one person reading this, then maybe that niggle will finally cease and I can be at peace about this third (and maybe final) edition. Luke Wilson January 2022 Buy the new book here: lukejwilson.com/amazon...
Luke J. Wilson | 04th July 2020 | 40 Days with the Fathers
Preface This is the companion to the first book in the series, Forty Days with the Fathers: A Daily Reading Plan. The first book originally took form on my blog as a daily post throughout the period of Lent in 2017 (hence the 40 days), and aims to give you a glimpse into the minds of that great cloud of witnesses that have come before us through short commentary of the early church texts. This book follows the same forty day pattern and chapter breaks so you can read it alongside the first book, or as a stand-alone reading plan with no additional commentary, as it features the source texts in full as translated and edited by Philip Schaff et al. All the original footnotes are included as well as few of my own where certain things required clarification for 21st century readers. The more learned readers here may notice that I have chosen to only include the shorter Ignatian epistles in this collection—this is because I am convinced by the arguments for their genuineness over the longer letters which are thought to be interpolations. The reading plan follows a collection of twenty-three early texts in full from the first four centuries. As an additional bit of information, at the beginning of each text I have given a preface which gives a Who, What, Why and When so you can read a short summary about the historical context, purpose for it being written, and the approximate date of each ancient text as well. At the end of each chapter, there is a notes section so you can jot down any thoughts you had during your reading, and at the very end of the book are some useful appendices containing historical data and maps to help bring more visual context the New Testament and Early Church texts. Each daily reading will vary in length of time to read, and by day 40, you will have read the writings of ten different Church Fathers from the Ante-Nicene and Post-Nicene period: Didache, Diognetus, Polycarp, Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Cyprian, Athanasius, Cyril of Jerusalem, Ambrose of Milan, and Leo the Great. I hope that you will enjoy this journey through part of the first 400 years of Church History from some of the more prominent Early Church leaders, Bishops and martyrs; and feel as challenged and enlightened about the Faith as I did after I read these ancient witnesses for the first time. This has been an excerpt from the introduction to my recent book.You can read more from the Early Church Fathers in my new book, 40 Days with the Fathers: Companion Texts, which is available now on Amazon. ...
Recent Posts
Luke J. Wilson | 22nd December 2025 | Self-Publishing
📘 How to Self-Publish Your Book Easily (Even If You’ve Never Done It Before) So, you’ve written a book—maybe a devotional, a character study, or your first novel—and now you're wondering: “How do I actually publish this?” Don’t worry. Self-publishing doesn’t have to be overwhelming or expensive. In fact, I’ve refined a process over the years that removes nearly all the hassle, even if you're just starting out. Here’s my streamlined, step-by-step guide to publishing your book without needing to learn complicated formatting software or juggle multiple publishing platforms. ✅ Step 1: Write and Format Your Book Using Reedsy (FREE) 📍 https://editor.reedsy.com Reedsy is a free online book editor that handles professional formatting for both ebooks and print-ready manuscripts. Just sign up, paste in your chapters, and Reedsy will: Automatically format your book to industry standards Include front matter (title, copyright, etc.) Add back matter like About the Author or Also by this Author Export both an EPUB (ebook) and a PDF (print) version This means no need to mess around with Microsoft Word or typesetting software—Reedsy does the heavy lifting for you. ✅ Step 2: Distribute Your Book Using PublishDrive 📍 https://publishdrive.com Once your files are ready, head over to PublishDrive. This platform lets you publish your book to multiple global retailers (like Amazon, Apple Books, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and more) all from one dashboard. There's a free tier for one published book. Paid tiers are available if you’re publishing more titles. It helps track and manage all your sales, royalties, and reports in one place. This saves you the headache of uploading your files separately to each store and logging into five dashboards every month. ✅ Step 3: Buy an ISBN (Optional but Recommended) If you’re publishing print versions, you’ll need an ISBN. 🔗 Cheapest ISBN source for UK authors: https://bookisbn.org.uk 🔗 Cheapest ISBN source for US authors: https://www.isbnservices.com Here’s what you need to know: Reedsy and PublishDrive allow ISBNs. Buying from ISBN Services is cheaper and will label your book as independently published. This site includes the barcode graphic, which some ISBN sellers charge extra for. If you want to list under your own publishing imprint name, you'll need to buy from Nielsen UK (more expensive). In short: Book ISBN - UK only: affordable ISBN with the barcode graphic for (£40 at the time of writing) ISBN Services – USA only: affordable and includes the barcode graphic (around $22 at the time of writing) ISBN Agency – $34.99 for one ISBN (at the time of writing) Nielsen UK – ideal if you want it listed under your own UK imprint Owning your ISBN also makes your book appear more professional and gives you greater distribution flexibility. 💡 Tip: If you're only using Amazon KDP, they provide a free ISBN, but it can only be used on Amazon. ✅ Step 4: (Optional) Use Amazon KDP for Amazon-Only Publishing 📍 https://kdp.amazon.com If you want to publish only to Amazon, you can skip PublishDrive and go direct. But be warned: You’ll need to handle your own formatting (or use a tool like Reedsy first). The process can be more manual and time-consuming. KDP does offer free ISBNs, but you won’t be able to use them elsewhere. I personally recommend using Reedsy + PublishDrive for wider reach and less hassle. ✅ Step 5: Get Early Reviews with Booksprout (ARC Tool) 📍 https://booksprout.co Want to launch your book with reviews already in place? Set up an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) campaign using Booksprout. It allows you to: Invite beta readers or early reviewers Distribute copies securely Gather early reviews for Amazon and other platforms This boosts visibility when your book goes live...
Luke J. Wilson | 19th May 2025 | Social Media
📣 How to Market Your Books (and Yourself) on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook: A Practical Guide for Authors You’ve written your book. You’ve published it. Now comes the tricky part: getting people to notice it. With traditional marketing channels becoming more expensive and competitive, authors are turning to social media, particularly TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, to grow their audience and drive book sales. And the good news? You don’t need to go viral or dance on camera to make an impact. Here’s how to build your brand, connect with readers, and market your books authentically on each platform—without (hopefully) burning yourself out! 📱 TikTok (a.k.a. #BookTok) Why It Matters: TikTok has become one of the most powerful platforms for authors. A single video can launch a self-published book into bestseller status if it resonates with the right audience. What Works: Short, punchy videos (15–30 seconds) Behind-the-scenes content: your writing process, inspiration, book cover reveal Reader-focused videos: "If you liked this, you’ll love that" Trends with a twist: use popular sounds/memes/trends but relate them to your book or niche Hosting Live Q&As, giveaways, or launch parties Easy Content Ideas: “3 books that inspired my novel” “The hardest chapter I had to write” “Things only writers understand” A dramatic reading of a powerful line from your book Annotated flip-through of your print edition Tools: Use CapCut for quick, stylish edits Add on-screen captions for accessibility and retention (A 2019 study conducted by Verizon Media found that up to 69% of consumers prefer watching videos without sound, so captions are a must) Tips: Post 3–5 times a week (or build up to this, consistency is key) Use #BookTok, genre-specific hashtags (eg, #YAfiction), and niche communities (eg, #IndieAuthor) Don’t worry about polish—real and authentic is better than perfect 📸 Instagram Why It Matters: Instagram is a visual platform perfect for branding, building an author aesthetic, and connecting with readers and other writers. What Works: Beautiful flatlays of your book with coffee, candles, or nature Author selfies with captions about your writing journey Short Reels (15–30 seconds) with trending audio or tips Carousels: "5 things I learned self-publishing my first book" Easy Content Ideas: Cover reveal with a dramatic audio Aesthetic mood boards for your characters or settings Quote graphics from your book (designed in Canva) Snippets from reviews or reader messages Behind-the-scenes shots: your writing space, launch day, drafts Tools: Canva for branded, eye-catching graphics Planoly, Later, or Metricool for scheduling and analytics Tips: Stick to a consistent colour scheme or aesthetic Post to Stories daily, grid 3–4 times per week Be social: comment on posts, reply to DMs, and engage with others in your niche 👥 Facebook Why It Still Matters: Facebook remains a powerhouse for community building, especially with Groups, Events, and your author Page. What Works: Updates on your book’s progress, launch plans, or reviews Joining or creating Facebook Groups for your genre or niche Hosting Live Q&As, giveaways, or launch parties Sharing blog links, ARC sign-ups, and behind-the-scenes updates Easy Content Ideas: “What chapter was hardest for me to write?” Book cover teaser with “Coming soon!” energy Reader polls (“Which character do you relate to most?”) Sharing links to blog posts, interviews, or book trailers Tips: Post 2–3 times per week Pin important posts (like new releases) to the top of your Page Create Events for launches, virtual readings, or live discussions 🔁 Cross-Platform Content Strate...
Luke J. Wilson | 26th July 2022 | 40 Days with the Fathers
I was interviewed about my book, 40 Days with the Fathers, a few months ago. It's taken a while to be released, but now it's available to listen to! Ruah Space, who endeavours "to provide you with experiences and space to encounter God and deepen your faith", got in touch with me for a chat about my book, the early church, and the spiritual practices of the ancient church. We talked about everything from fasting to martyrdom, and the topics covered in the book, so if you're interested to hear more about that (or my thoughts on it all), then click the link below to go and listen to the podcast: Spiritual Formation & The Church Fathers with Luke Wilson – Ruah Space I hope you enjoy the interview! And if you haven't already got it, you can buy my book on Amazon. ...
Luke J. Wilson | 31st January 2022 | 40 Days with the Fathers
INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRD EDITION As with many things, they can always be improved. And as somewhat of a “recovering perfectionist”, I can't let things go until I have that sense of completion about it; whether that be my work projects, writing or some other form of the creative process I am involved in. I say “recovering” because I try not to let myself be burdened by needless (and endless) perfectionism over the things I make, and have learned to let things be. With that said, though, this book has always niggled at me in the back of my mind ever since I first published it in December 2017. I knew it wasn't truly complete at the time, but I had also recently become a father for the first time and so I did rush it to print just to make sure I got it out. Once life settled down, that niggle was still there and I published a Revised Edition about eight months later which included some of the additions I had wanted to include the first time around, such as the maps and timelines. I was happy to leave it there, but as more people read it and had questions about different aspects of early history, or had suggestions about what they would find useful to make this book a better resource... that niggle returned! I've finally updated various chapters with more detail or better footnotes and sources plus added a new chapter dedicated to the Council of Nicaea to help dispel some myths. Now, here we are at the beginning of 2022 after a couple of the craziest years we've lived through in recent memory with the pandemic, and what better time to reflect on the past and hear from people who lived through far worse times, yet came through stronger for it and found God in the midst of their suffering? We can take hope in our forefathers in the Faith, learn from them and grow from their wisdom and insights, and maybe begin to see and trust the God who suffers with us yet gives us the strength to endure. I hope and pray that this book will be a blessing to you as you read through each chapter and delve into the mind of the Church Fathers and have your own faith built up. If that happens to even one person reading this, then maybe that niggle will finally cease and I can be at peace about this third (and maybe final) edition. Luke Wilson January 2022 Buy the new book here: lukejwilson.com/amazon...
