"This is the book I wish I had when I was first studying the early church and the development of Christianity," says author James Papandrea. Reading the Early Church Fathers introduces the reader to the primary sources of church history, with commentary that will help the reader make sense of the theological/Christological trajectory that led the church from the New Testament era, through the apologists, to the development of the major doctrines of the church. Papandrea's treatment of the early church fathers is unique in that he situates his discussion against the social and cultural context of the Roman Empire and its relationship to the church, especially with regard to the effect of the persecutions on the church.

Reading the Early Church Fathers does not provide actual excerpts of the works under discussion; instead, it directs the reader to the primary sources available on the Internet, resources that will be updated regularly. The result, for all students of the early church, is a unique and unprecedented "big picture" of early Christian literature.