*Irenaeus by Simonetta Carr

Simonetta Carr continues her outstanding series of Christian-History biographies with Irenaeus of Lyon, a hero of the early church.  Ages 8-12

Irenaeus (Christian Biographies for Young Readers) by Simonetta Carr.  Reformation Heritage, 2017, 62 pages including appendix

Reading level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10

Recommended for: ages 8-up

 Irenaeus’s story actually begins with the twelve apostles commissioned by Jesus to “go into all the world” preaching the good news of salvation.  One of those apostles was John, who later in life settled in the city of Ephesus.  There he met and taught a young disciple names Polycarp.  Polycarp became an evangelist in turn, eventually settling in Smyrna (present-day Izmir, Turkey) as a revered church leader and teacher.  Sitting at his feet was a brilliant, eager young man named Irenaeus.  Just two generations removed from Christ himself, Irenaeus became a vital link in the chain forged by the Holy Spirit to protect the church in her infancy and provide solid food for her to grow.

His life was not as dramatic as the Apostles’, or even that of his teacher Polycarp, who was famously martyred at the stake. Irenaeus lived through two great periods of persecution and saw many brothers and sisters meet their end, during which he encouraged and comforted believers.  But his calling was to confront the other great threat to the church, namely heresy. The challenges of his day were Marcion (who taught that the God of the Old and New Testaments were separate beings), Valentinian (who taught of version of Gnosticism), and Marcus (who was basically a con man).  Against Heresy, Irenaeus’s signature work, served not only to expose false teaching but also to crystalize true doctrine.  He formulated the first “Apostles’ Creed,” a version of which is recited by Christians worldwide to this day.  Excerpts from his works are included in the appendix, and like all Christian biographies from Reformation Heritage, this one is beautifully produced and illustrated.

Cautions: None

Overall Rating: 5 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 5
• Artistic Value: 5