Irenaeus was a leader of the Christian community at Lyons in the last quarter of the second century. Motivated by a deep pastoral concern, he set himself to refute what he considered to be distortions of the authentic Gospel, and, in the process, he became one of the earliest Christian writers to attempt a synthesis of the major themes of theology. Largely forgotten during much of the subsequent theological tradition, he has come to be seen as a crucial figure in the early history of the development of Christian doctrine, and has much to say that modern readers will find fresh and stimulating.
Irénée de Lyon, Contre les Hérésies, édition critique par A. Rousseau, L. Doutreleau (B. Hemmerdinger, C. Mercier ), sources chrétiennes Nos100 (2 vols), 152, 153, 210, 211, 263, 264, 293, 294 (Paris, 1965-82).
2.
An accurate, modern English translation of Adversus Haereses is sorely needed. There are older translations by J. Keble in the Library of the Fathers (1872), by A. Roberts and W.H. Rambaut in the Ante-Nicene Fathers ( Edinburgh, 1868-69, reprint Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans: 1979). A translation of book one by D. Unger has appeared in Ancient Christian Writers ( Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1992). There is a good translation of some extended extracts in R. M. Grant, Irenaeus of Lyons (London: Routledge, 1997 ).
3.
Irénée de Lyon, Démonstration de la prédication apostolique, introduction, traduction et notes par A. Rousseau, Sources chrétiennes No. 406 (Paris, 1995), provides a Latin and a French translation of the Armenian, with extensive notes.
4.
St Irenaeus of Lyons, On the Apostolic Preaching, translation and introduction by J. Behr (New York: St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1997).
5.
Irenaeus' Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching. A theological commentary and translation, by I.M. MacKenzie (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2002) reprints the translation of J. A. Robinson for SPCK, 1920.
6.
St Irenaeus, Proof of the Apostolic Preaching, translated and annotated by J.P. Smith, Ancient Christian Writers No. 16, (Westminster, MD: Newman Press, 1952; reprint, Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 1978) remains useful.
7.
J. Behr, Asceticism and Anthropology in Irenaeus and Clement (Oxford : OUP2000).
8.
M.A. Donovan, One Right Reading? A Guide to Irenaeus (Collegeville, MN : Liturgical Press, 1997).
9.
D. Minns, Irenaeus (London: Geoffrey Chapman , 1994).
10.
E. Osborn, Irenaeus of Lyons (Cambridge: CUP2001).
11.
G. Wingren, Man and the Incarnation: A Study in the Biblical Theology of Irenaeus (Philadelphia, PA: Muhlenberg Press, 1959).
12.
J. Fantino, La théologie d'Irénée. Lecture des Écritures en réponse à l'exégèse gnostique. Une approche trinitaire (Paris: Éditions du Cerf, 1994).
13.
R. Noormann, Irenäus als Paulusinterpret. Zur rezeption und Wirkung der paulinischen und deuteropaulinischen Briefe im Werk des Irenäus von Lyon ( Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1994).
14.
A. Orbe, Espiritualidad de San Ireneo (Rome: Editrice Pontificia Università Gregoriana, 1989).
