List of Church Fathers
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 | 5th Century (estimate)[1] | wrote a manual on the Antiochene method of Scriptural exegesis[2] |
| Alexander of Alexandria[3] | 326 or 328 | |
| 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[2][3] | 403 or earlier | |
| Ananias of Shirak[3][4] | 685 | wrote a work on Christmas and one on Easter |
| Anastasius Sinaita[2][3] | 7th century | |
| Andrew of Caesarea[2] | 637 | commented on the Apocalypse |
| Andrew of Crete[3] | 712, 726, or 740 | author of the 250-strophe Great Canon |
| Anthony the Great[2] | 356 | |
| Aphraates | 345 | Mesopotamian bishop who authored 23 homilies[2] |
| Apollinaris of Hierapolis | between 177-180 | |
| Apollinaris of Laodicea | 382 | |
| Apollonius of Ephesus | 210 | |
| Archelaus (bishop of Carrhae) | 3rd century (early) | supposedly a bishop of Carchar who wrote against Manichaeism |
| Aristides the Athenian[2][3] | 134 | |
| Aristo of Pella[2] | 160 | |
| Arnobius[2] | 330 | author of Against the Heathen |
| Arsenius the Great | 445 | |
| Apringius of Beja | 6th century | commented on the Apocalypse[5] |
| Asterius of Amasea[3] | 410 | 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[2] | 190 | wrote in defense of the resurrection of the dead[3] |
| Atticus[2] | 420s | |
| Augustine of Hippo | 430 | one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western Church (Doctor Gratiae) |
| Aurelius Prudentius[2][3] | 413 | commented on the Psalms[6] |
| Ausonius | 395 | |
| Avitus of Vienne[2] | 518 | author of the five-book poem De spiritualis historiae gestis; converted King Sigismund; combated Arianism |
| Barnabas[3] | 061 | wrote a single Epistle |
| 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[2] | 735 | Doctor of the Church and author of Ecclesiastical History of the English People |
| Benedict of Nursia[2][3] | 547 | best known for the Rule of St Benedict |
| Boethius[3] | 520s | author of Consolation of Philosophy |
| Braulio of Zaragoza | 651 | commented on the Psalms[6] |
| Caesarius of Arles[2] | 542 | commented on the Apocalypse |
| Caius | 3rd century | |
| Cassiodorus[2][3] | 585 | |
| Chromatius[3] | 407 | wrote sermons on the Gospel of Matthew |
| Clement of Alexandria | 215 | |
| Clement of Rome | 099 | |
| Coelius Sedulius[2] | 5th century | |
| Columba of Iona[2][3] | 597 | |
| Commodianus | 3rd century | |
| Cyprian of Carthage[2] | 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[2] |
| Pope Damasus I | 384 | |
| Didymus the Blind[2] | 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[2] | 390 | |
| Dionysius of Corinth[2] | 2nd century | |
| Pope Dionysius of Rome[2] | 268 | combated Sabellianism |
| Dionysius the Areopagite | 96 | 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[2][3] | 449 | |
| Eugippius[4] | 535 | |
| Eusebius of Caesarea | 339 | |
| Eusebius of Emesa | 360 | commented on Genesis[7] |
| Eusebius of Vercelli[2] | 371 | |
| Firmilian[2] | 269 | |
| Fulgentius of Ruspe | 527 or 533 | |
| Gaius Marius Victorinus | 4th century | combated Arianism[2] |
| Gennadius of Massilia[2] | 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 | 395 | |
| Gregory of Tours[3] | 594 | |
| Gregory Thaumaturgus | 270 | |
| Hegesippus of Palestine[2] | 180 | a Jewish convert who combated Gnosticism and Marcionism |
| Hermias[3] | 3rd century | |
| Hesychius of Jerusalem | 5th century | |
| Hilary of Poitiers | 367 | Doctor of the Church |
| Hippolytus of Rome[2][3] | 235 | |
| Ignatius of Antioch | 108 | |
| Irenaeus | 2nd (end of) or beginning of 3rd century | |
| Isaac of Nineveh | 700 | ascetic author of many spiritual homilies who commented on the Psalms[6] and contributed significantly to Syrian piety; was not Christologically Nestorian[8] |
| Isidore of Pelusium | 450 | author of 2000 letters dealing primarily with allegorical exegesis[2] |
| Isidore of Seville[2][3] | 636 | Doctor of the Church |
| Jacob of Serugh[4][6][9] | 521 | a.k.a. Mar Jacob |
| Jerome | 420 | one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western Church |
| John Cassian[2][9] | 435 | |
| John Chrysostom | 407 | one of the Four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church and one of the Three Holy Hierarchs |
| John Climacus[9] | 649 | |
| 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[2] | between 499-505 | author of De Vita Contemplativa concerning Christian sanctity |
| Julius Firmicus Maternus | 4th century | |
| Justin Martyr | 165 | |
| Juvencus[2] | 4th century | |
| Lactantius | 325 | |
| Pope Leo I the Great | 461 | Doctor of the Church |
| Leontius of Byzantium[2] | 543 | |
| Lucian of Antioch[2] | 312 | |
| Lucifer[2] | 370 | combated Arianism and defended Athanasius at the Council of Milan in 354 |
| Macarius of Alexandria[9] | 395 | |
| Macarius of Egypt[9] | 391 | |
| Malchion | 3rd century? | played key role in the deposition of Paul of Samosata |
| Marcus Minucius Felix[2][9] | 250 | author of Octavianus |
| Marius Mercator | 451 | made a compilation on Nestorianism and another on Pelagianism[2] |
| Martin of Braga | 580 | commented on the Psalms[6] |
| Martin of Tours[9] | 397 | |
| Mathetes | 2nd century? | author of an Epistle to Diognetus |
| Maximus of Turin[2] | 465 | |
| Maximus the Confessor[2][9] | 662 | |
| Meletius of Antioch[9] | 381 | |
| Melito of Sardis | 180 | author of an important sermon called On Pascha about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ |
| Methodius of Olympus[2][9] | 311 | combated Origenism |
| Moses of Chorene | 490 | author of A History of Armenia |
| Nectarius of Constantinople[9] | 397 | |
| Nicetas of Remesiana | 414 | the patron saint of Romania commented on the Psalms[6] |
| Nilus of Sinai | 430 | |
| Nonnus | 5th century | |
| Novatian[2] | 258 | commented on the Psalms[6] |
| Oecumenius | 6th century | author of the first extant Greek commentary on the Apocalypse[5] |
| Optatus | 4th century | combated Donatism[2] |
| Origen of Alexandria | 254 | posthumously anathematized at Fifth Ecumenical Council (533) |
| Orosius[2] | 418 | |
| Pachomius[2][9] | 348 | Father of Christian cenobitic monasticism |
| Pacian of Barcelona[9] | 391 | combated Novatianism |
| Palladius of Helenopolis[2][9] | 420s | |
| Pamphilus of Caesarea | 309 | |
| Pantaenus | 200 | first to make the Catechetical school of Alexandria famous[2] |
| Papias[9] | 163 | disciple of John the Evangelist and Ariston[2] |
| Patrick[9] | 5th century | |
| Paulinus of Nola[9] | 431 | |
| Peter Chrysologus | 450 | Doctor of the Church |
| Pope Peter of Alexandria | 311 | |
| Philip the priest | 5th Century (dates uncertain) | Acquaintance of Jerome,[10] commented on the Book of Job |
| Philoxenus of Hierapolis[4] | 6th century | author of 13 ascetic discourses who combated Nestorianism, Manichaeism, and Marcionism |
| Poemen | 450 | commented on the Psalms[6] |
| Polycarp | 156 | Wrote a single Epistle to the Philippians |
| Proclus of Constantinople | 440s | |
| Prohaeresius[2] | 368 | |
| Prosper of Aquitaine[2] | 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[2] | 129 | wrote a non-extant apology to Emperor Hadrian |
| Rabbula[4][11] | 435 | ascetic and energetic bishop of Edessa and ally of Cyril of Alexandria who opposed the heretical teachings of Nestorius |
| Romanos the Melodist[11] | 556 | |
| Sahdona | 649 | commented on the Psalms[6] |
| Salvian[2][11] | 490s | Gallic author of On the government of God |
| Severian of Gabala | between 408 and 425 | commented on Genesis[7] and the First and Second Epistle to the Corinthians |
| Severus of Antioch[4][11] | 538 | |
| Sextus Julius Africanus[2][9] | 240 | |
| Sidonius Apollinaris[2][11] | 489 | |
| Socrates of Constantinople | 439 | |
| Sophronius[11] | 638 | |
| Sozomen | 450 | |
| Sulpicius Severus[11] | 425 | disciple and biographer of Martin of Tours and author of an Ecclesiastical History[2] |
| Synesius of Syrene[2][11] | 414 | |
| Tatian | 185 | |
| Tertullian | 240 | died a Montanist, First of the Latin Fathers |
| Theodore of Mopsuestia[2] | 428 | commented on Acts of the Apostles and the First and Second Epistle to the Corinthians |
| Theodoret of Cyrus | 458 | continuator of Eusebius of Caesarea[2] |
| Theodotus of Ancyra | 5th century | |
| Theophilus of Antioch[2] | Between 183-185 | 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 [5] |
| Tyrannius Rufinus | 410 | friend of Jerome and continuator of Eusebius of Caesarea[2] who commented on the Psalms[6] |
| Valerian of Cimiez | 460 | commented on the Psalms[6] |
| Venantius Fortunatus | 600 or 609 | wrote a poem on Easter |
| Victor of Antioch | 5th century (late) to early 6th century | contemporary of John Chrysostom,[12] commented on the Gospel of Mark[2] |
| 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[3] | 1003 | |
| Gregory Palamas[13] | 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[3] |
| Mark of Ephesus[9] | 1444 | Pillar of Orthodoxy |
| Nicholas Cabasilas[9] | 1391 | |
| Photius the Great[9][13] | 893 | Pillar of Orthodoxy and author of Bibliotheca |
| Symeon Metaphrastes[11] | 10th century | |
| Symeon the New Theologian[13] | 1022 | one of three Orthodox saints honored with the title "The Theologian" |
| Theodore the Studite | 826 | |
| Theophan the Recluse[11] | 1894 |
See also
Notes and references
- Martens, Peter W. (2013-04-01). "Adrian's Introduction to the Divine Scriptures and Greco-Roman Rhetorical Theory on Style". The Journal of Religion. 93 (2): 197–217. doi:10.1086/669208. ISSN 0022-4189. S2CID 170946143.
- Chapman, John (1909), Fathers of the Church, I, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 2008-01-29
- Steenberg, M.C. (2008), The Patristics Master List, Page 1 (A-I), retrieved 2008-01-29
- Pearse, Roger (2007), Early Church Fathers: Additional Texts, retrieved 2008-01-29
- Weinrich, William C. (2005), Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament, VIII: Revelation
- Wesselschmidt, Quentin F. (2007), Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament, VIII: Psalms 51-150
- Sheridan, Mark (2002), Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament, II: Genesis 12-50
- Arendzen, J.P. (1910), Isaac of Nineveh, VIII, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 2008-01-31
- Steenberg, M.C. (2008), The Patristics Master List, Page 2 (J-P), retrieved 2008-01-29
- Vicchio, Stephen J. (2006-10-04). Job in the Medieval World. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 9781597525336.
- Steenberg, M.C. (2008), The Patristics Master List, Page 3 (Q-Z), retrieved 2008-01-29
- "Victor of Antioch from the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia". McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia Online. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
- Azkoul, Dr. Fr. Michael, Who Is A Church Father?, archived from the original on October 26, 2009, retrieved 2008-01-30
External links
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