The Early Church Fathers

The Early Church Fathers were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers. There is no definitive list. The era of these scholars who set the theological and scholarly foundations of Christianity largely ended by AD 700. In the past, the Church Fathers were regarded as authoritative and more restrictive definitions were used which sought to limit the list to authors treated as such. However, the definition has widened as scholars of patristics, the study of the Church Fathers, have expanded their scope. This collection of writings is available thanks to the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

The Early Church Fathers

Ante-Nicene Fathers

The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

Clement of Rome, Mathetes, Polycarp, Ignatius, Barnabas, Papias, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus.

Ante-Nicene Fathers

The Fathers of the Third Century

Gregory Thaumaturgus; Dionysius the Great; Julius Africanus; Anatolius and Minor Writers; Methodius; Arnobius

Ante-Nicene Fathers

The Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries

Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius, Apostolic Teaching and Constitutions, Homily, Liturgies

Ante-Nicene Fathers

The Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts and Epistles, The Clementia, Apocrypha, Decretals, Memoirs of Edessa and Syriac Documents, Remains of the First Ages

Ante-Nicene Fathers

Recently Discovered Additions to Early Christian Literature; Commentaries of Origen

The Gospel of Peter, The Diatessaron of Tatian, The Apocalypse of Peter, The Visio Pauli, The Apocalypses of the Virgin and Sedrach, The Testament of Abraham, The Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena, The Narrative of Zosimus, The Apology of Aristides, The Epistles of Clement (Complete Text), Origen’s Commentary on John, Books I-X, Origen’s Commentary on Mathew, Books I, II, and X-XIV

Additional resources and notes