Learning Christ is a thorough theological and historical engagement. The book should be read by students and scholars of early Christianity, but is written clearly enough to be accessible to interested readers outside of the academy. Vail's implementation of the 'hermeneutic of understanding and empathy' has provided not only an in-depth analysis of Ignatius's letters, but potentially a helpful way to engage other figures in church history theologically.""—Anglican Theological Review

""This is a careful analysis of the letters of Ignatius with no lack of scholarly erudition…""—Choice

""Learning Christ is well worth the time put into reading it carefully. It is a book that places Vall among those scholars who are also capable teachers, allowing fairly easy access to difficult material, providing what is also an enjoyable and rewarding reading experience.""—The Downside Review

""Through such an analysis Vall constructs a thoroughgoing theology from the letters of Ignatius, which is both sophisticated and coherent.""—The Expository Times

""His study will be a valuable resource for those interested in positioning the Antiochene bishop within the broader currents of Catholic theology.""—Religious Studies Review

""In ten clear and illuminating chapters, Gregory Vall brings the reader through the many legends and apocryphal assumptions surrounding Ignatius and his thinking… Vall specializes in matters where the New Testament and the Apostolic Fathers converge, and his latest is a welcome contribution in just such a field.""—The Thomist