List of Church Fathers

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The following is a list of Christian Church Fathers. Roman Catholics generally regard the Patristic period to have closed with the death of John of Damascus, a Doctor of the Church, in 749. However, Orthodox Christians believe that the Patristic period is ongoing. Therefore, the list is split into two tables.

Until John of Damascus

Church Father Date of death Notes
Adrian the monk of Antioch   wrote a manual on the Antiochene method of Scriptural exegesis[1]
Alexander of Alexandria[2] 326  
Alexander of Lycopolis 4th century  
Ambrose of Milan 397 one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western Church; strongly opposed Arianism
Amphilochius of Iconium[1][2] 403 or earlier  
Ananias of Shirak[2][3] 7th century wrote a work on Christmas and one on Easter
Anastasius Sinaita[1][2] 7th century  
Andrew of Caesarea[1] 6th century commented on the Apocalypse
Andrew of Crete[2] 8th century author of the 250-strophe Great Canon
Anthony the Great[1] 356  
Aphraates 367 Mesopotamian bishop who authored 23 homilies[1]
Apollinaris of Hirapolis 2nd century  
Apollinaris of Laodicea 390  
Apollonius of Ephesus 210  
Archelaus   supposedly a bishop of Carchar who wrote against Manichaeism
Aristides the Athenian[1][2] 134  
Aristo of Pella[1] 2nd century  
Arnobius[1] 330 author of Against the Heathen
Arsenius the Great 445  
Apringius of Beja 6th century commented on the Apocalypse[4]
Asterius of Amasea[2] 405 wrote sermons on morality including topics like divorce and covetousness, and the parables of Jesus Christ
Athanasius 373 one of the Four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church
Athenagoras of Athens[1] 190 wrote in defense of the resurrection of the dead[2]
Atticus[1] 420s  
Augustine of Hippo 430 one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western Church (Doctor Gratiae)
Aurelius Prudentius[1][2] early 5th century commented on the Psalms[5]
Ausonius 395  
Avitus of Vienne[1] 523 author of the five-book poem De spiritualis historiae gestis; converted King Sigismund; combated Arianism
Barnabas[2] 061  
Barsanuphius of Palestine 540  
Basil the Great of Caesarea 379 one of the Four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church and one of the Three Holy Hierarchs; father of monachism
Bede[1] 735 Doctor of the Church and author of Ecclesiastical History of the English People
Benedict of Nursia[1][2] 547 best known for the Rule of St Benedict
Boethius[2] 520s author of Consolation of Philosophy
Braulio of Zaragoza 651 commented on the Psalms[5]
Caesarius of Arles[1] 542 commented on the Apocalypse
Caius 3rd century  
Cassiodorus[1][2] 585  
Chromatius[2] 407 wrote sermons on the Gospel of Matthew
Clement of Alexandria 210s  
Clement of Rome 099  
Coelius Sedulius[1] 5th century  
Columba of Iona[1][2] 597  
Commodianus 3rd century  
Cyprian of Carthage[1] 258  
Cyril of Alexandria 444 Doctor of the Church (Doctor Incarnationis) combated the Nestorian heresy
Cyril of Jerusalem 386 Doctor of the Church who wrote thorough instructions to catechumens and baptized Christians[1]
Pope Damasus I 384  
Didymus the Blind[1] 398 teacher of Jerome and Rufinus; follower of Origen; opponent of Arianism and the Macedonian heresy; works condemned at the Fifth Ecumenical Council and the Sixth Ecumenical Council
Diodore of Tarsus[1] 390  
Dionysius of Corinth[1] 2nd century  
Pope Dionysius of Rome[1] 268 combated Sabellianism
Dionysius the Areopagite 1st century Writings attributed to him are thought to have been faked by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite.
Pope Dionysius the Great of Alexandria 265  
Ephrem the Syrian 373 Doctor of the Church
Epiphanius of Salamis 403 friend of Jerome who strongly opposed Origenism and wrote a history of heresies
Eucherius of Lyon[1][2] 449  
Eugippius[3] 6th century  
Eusebius of Caesarea 339  
Eusebius of Emesa 360 commented on Genesis[6]
Eusebius of Vercelli[1] 371  
Firmilian[1] 269  
Fulgentius of Ruspe 6th century  
Gaius Marius Victorinus 4th century combated Arianism[1]
Gennadius of Massilia[1] 496  
Pope Gregory I the Great 604 one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western Church and author of Dialogues
Gregory of Nazianzus 389 one of the Four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church; one of three Orthodox saints honored with the title "The Theologian;" one of the Three Holy Hierarchs
Gregory of Nyssa 394  
Gregory of Tours[2] 594  
Gregory Thaumaturgus 270  
Hegesippus of Palestine[1] 180 a Jewish convert who combated Gnosticism and Marcionism
Hermias[2] 3rd century  
Hesychius of Jerusalem 5th century  
Hilary of Poitiers 367 Doctor of the Church
Hippolytus of Rome[1][2] 235  
Ignatius of Antioch 107  
Irenaeus end of 2nd or beginning of 3rd century  
Isaac of Nineveh 700 ascetic author of many spiritual homilies who commented on the Psalms[5] and contributed significantly to Syrian piety; was not Christologically Nestorian[7]
Isidore of Pelusium 449 author of 2000 letters dealing primarily with allegorical exegesis[1]
Isidore of Seville[1][2] 636 Doctor of the Church
Jacob of Serugh[3][5][8] 521 a.k.a. Mar Jacob
Jerome 420 one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western Church
John Cassian[1][8] 435  
John Chrysostom 407 one of the Four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church and one of the Three Holy Hierarchs
John Climacus[8] 606  
John of Damascus 749 Doctor of the Church and author of An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith and ascetic and exegetical writings and hymns; Peter Lombard based his Four Books of Sentences on the works of John of Damascus and Thomas Aquinas based his Summa Theologica on Peter Lombard's Sentences
Julianus Pomerius[1] 5th century author of De Vita Contemplativa concerning Christian sanctity
Julius Firmicus Maternus 4th century  
Justin Martyr 165  
Juvencus[1] 4th century  
Lactantius 320  
Pope Leo I the Great 461 Doctor of the Church
Leontius of Byzantium[1] 543  
Lucian of Antioch[1] 312  
Lucifer[1] 370 combated Arianism and defended Athanasius at the Council of Milan in 354
Macarius of Alexandria[8] 395  
Macarius of Egypt[8] 391  
Malchion 3rd century? played key role in the deposition of Paul of Samosata
Marcus Minucius Felix[1][8] 250 author of Octavianus
Marius Mercator 451 made a compilation on Nestorianism and another on Pelagianism[1]
Martin of Bruga 4th century commented on the Psalms[5]
Martin of Tours[8] 397  
Mathetes 2nd century? author of an Epistle to Diognetus
Maximus of Turin[1] 465  
Maximus the Confessor[1][8] 662  
Meletius of Antioch[8] 381  
Melito of Sardis 180 author of an important sermon called On Pascha about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Methodius of Olympus[1][8] 311 combated Origenism
Moses of Chorene 490 author of A History of Armenia
Nectarius of Constantinople[8] 398  
Nicetas of Remesiana 414 the patron saint of Romania commented on the Psalms[5]
Nilus of Sinai 430  
Nonnus 5th century  
Novatian[1] 258 commented on the Psalms[5]
Oecumenius 6th century author of the first extant Greek commentary on the Apocalypse[4]
Optatus 4th century combated Donatism[1]
Origen of Alexandria 254 posthumously anathematized at Fifth Ecumenical Council (533)
Orosius[1] 420  
Pachomius[1][8] 348 Father of Christian cenobitic monasticism
Pacian of Barcelona[8] 391 combated Novatianism
Palladius of Helenopolis[1][8] 5th century  
Pamphilus of Caesarea 309  
Pantamus 214 first to make the Catechetical school of Alexandria famous[1]
Papias[8] 155 disciple of John the Evangelist and Ariston[1]
Patrick[8] 5th century  
Paulinus of Nola[8] 431  
Peter Chrysologus 450 Doctor of the Church
Pope Peter of Alexandria 311  
Philip the priest   commented on the Book of Job
Philoxenus of Hierapolis[3] 6th century author of 13 ascetic discourses who combated Nestorianism, Manichaeism, and Marcionism
Poemen 450 commented on the Psalms[5]
Polycarp 155  
Proclus of Constantinople 440s  
Prohaeresius[1] 367  
Prosper of Aquitaine[1] 455  
Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite 6th century author of The Divine Names, The Mystical Theology, The Celestial Hierarchy, The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, and the non-extant Theological Outlines; quoted extensively in the Summa Theologica of Thomas Aquinas
Quadratus of Athens[1] 129 wrote a non-extant apology to Emperor Hadrian
Rabbula[3][9] 435 ascetic and energetic bishop of Edessa and ally of Cyril of Alexandria who opposed the heretical teachings of Nestorius
Romanos the Melodist[9] 556
Sahdona 649 commented on the Psalms[5]
Salvian[1][9] 490s Gallic author of On the government of God
Severian of Gabala 408 commented on Genesis[6] and the First and Second Epistle to the Corinthians
Severus of Antioch[3][9] 538  
Sextus Julius Africanus[1][8] 240  
Sidonius Apollinaris[1][9] 489  
Socrates of Constantinople 5th century  
Sophronius[9] 638  
Sozomen 450  
Sulpicius Severus[9] 425 disciple and biographer of Martin of Tours and author of an Ecclesiastical History[1]
Synesius of Syrene[1][9] 414  
Tatian 185  
Tertullian 222 died a Montanist
Theodore of Mopsuestia[1] 428 commented on Acts of the Apostles and the First and Second Epistle to the Corinthians
Theodoret of Cyrus 457 continuator of Eusebius of Caesarea[1]
Theodotus of Ancyra 4th century  
Theophilus of Antioch[1] 180s first writer known to have used the term Trinity to describe the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Theotimos 407  
Tichonius 390 commented on the Apocalypse; his seven principles of interpretation from his Book of Rules inspired Augustine of Hippo [4]
Tyrannius Rufinus 410 friend of Jerome and continuator of Eusebius of Caesarea[1] who commented on the Psalms[5]
Valerian of Cimiez 460 commented on the Psalms[5]
Venantius Fortunatus 7th century wrote a poem on Easter
Victor of Antioch   commented on the Gospel of Mark[1]
Victorinus of Pettau 303 author of On the Creation of the World and a Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John
Vincent of Lérins 450  
Zeno of Verona 371  
Pope Zephyrinus 217 commented on the Psalms

After John of Damascus

Church Father Date of death Notes
Athanasius the Athonite[2] 1000  
Gregory Palamas[10] 1359 Pillar of Orthodoxy and defender of Hesychasm
Ishodad of Merv 9th century commented on the Book of Job
Innocent of Alaska 1879 his The Way Into the Kingdom of Heaven is often used as an Orthodox catechism[2]
Mark of Ephesus[8] 1444 Pillar of Orthodoxy
Nicholas Cabasilas[8] 1391  
Photius the Great[8][10] 893 Pillar of Orthodoxy and author of Bibliotheca
Symeon Metaphrastes[9] 10th century  
Symeon the New Theologian[10] 1022 one of three Orthodox saints honored with the title "The Theologian"
Theodore the Studite 826  
Theophan the Recluse[9] 1894  

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm Chapman, John (1909), Fathers of the Church, vol. I, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 2008-01-29
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Steenberg, M.C. (2008), The Patristics Master List, Page 1 (A-I), retrieved 2008-01-29
  3. ^ a b c d e f Pearse, Roger (2007), Early Church Fathers: Additional Texts, retrieved 2008-01-29
  4. ^ a b c Weinrich, William C. (2005), Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament, vol. VIII: Revelation
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wesselschmidt, Quentin F. (2007), Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament, vol. VIII: Psalms 51-150
  6. ^ a b Sheridan, Mark (2002), Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament, vol. II: Genesis 12-50
  7. ^ Arendzen, J.P. (1910), Isaac of Nineveh, vol. VIII, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 2008-01-31
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Steenberg, M.C. (2008), The Patristics Master List, Page 2 (J-P), retrieved 2008-01-29
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Steenberg, M.C. (2008), The Patristics Master List, Page 3 (Q-Z), retrieved 2008-01-29
  10. ^ a b c Azkoul, Dr. Fr. Michael, Who Is A Church Father?, archived from the original on October 26, 2009, retrieved 2008-01-30 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

External links

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