Image | Name(s) | Birth | Death |
Role(s)
|
Works
|
Overview
|
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St. Athanasius | c. 296 Alexandria, Egypt |
May 2/3, 373 Alexandria |
Bishop of Alexandria | On the Incarnation; Life of St. Anthony | Opponent of Arianism, defender of Nicene Christology; supporter of monasticism. |
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St. Augustine of Hippo; Aurelius Augustine; "The Doctor of Grace" | 354 Thagaste, N. Africa |
430 Hippo, N. Africa |
Bishop of Hippo, theologian | City of God; Confessions; On Free Will; On the Trinity; Handbook on Faith, Hope and Love | Developed orthodox doctrines of grace, original sin, soul, Trinity, the church. |
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Basil the Great | c.330 Cappadocia |
c.379 | Cappadocian father, monk, Bishop of Caesarea | Philocalia; On the Holy Spirit; Against Eunomius | Involved in Arian controversy. |
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St. Clement of Alexandria | c. 150 | c. 215 | theologian; professor | Exhortations; Teachings; Miscellanies | Interpreted Christian teachings in the context of Greek philosophy. |
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St. Clement of Rome; Clement I; Pope St. Clement | unknown | c. 101 | Bishop of Rome | 1 Clement | Considered fourth Pope by Catholics; might be mentioned in Php. 4:3. Probable author of 1 Clement, a letter once considered for the NT canon. |
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Gregory of Nazianzus | 329/30 Nazianzus in Cappadocia |
389/90 | Cappadocian father, monk, preacher | Five Theological Orations | Studied at Athens. Influenced outcome of Council of Constantinople (381) by his eloquent preaching. |
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Gregory of Nyssa | c. 330 Cappadocia |
c. 395 Constantinople? |
Cappadocian father, Bishop of Nyssa, monk, preacher, theologian | Against Eunomius, Against Apollinarius, Catechetical Oration; On Virginity | Brother of St. Basil. Influenced by Platonism. |
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Ignatius of Antioch | unknown | c. 110 Rome, Italy |
Bishop of Antioch | seven letters | Wrote letters on his way to be matryred; opposed Docetism. |
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Irenaeus of Lyons | c. 140 | c. 200 France |
Bishop of Lyons | Against Heresies | Disciple of Polycarp. Developed idea of "recapitulation." Writings were formative in the early development of Christian theology. Against Heresies is a detailed description and refutation of Gnosticism. |
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Jerome | c. 342 Slovenia |
420 Bethlehem |
scholar, theologian | Vulgate; Against Jovinian; Against Vigilantius; Commentaries | Translated Bible into Latin |
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Justin Martyr | c. 100 Flavia Neapolis, Palestine [now Nabulus] |
c. 165 Rome, Italy (feast: June 1) |
apologist, philosopher | Apology; Dialogue with Trypho the Jew | A convert from paganism and Greek philosopher, Justin represents the first positive encounter between Christianity and Greek philosophy. |
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Origen of Alexandria; Origenes Adamantius | c. 185 Alexandria |
c. 254 Caeserea or Tyre |
apologist, theologian, teacher | Against Celsus; Commentaries; Homilies | Taught universalism and preexistence of souls. Views condemned by Council in 533. |
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Tertullian | 160 Carthage |
220 | theologian, apologist | Against Praxeas; Apology; On the Soul | Coined theological terms such as trinity, person, substance; argued that faith and reason do not mix. "Father of Latin Theology." |
This chart provides basic facts on the early church fathers, including the Apostolic Fathers, the Apologists, the Cappadocian Fathers, and other important early Greek and Latin fathers. Click links in the chart for biographies and other information, and see the left column for print resources on the church fathers.