List of Church Fathers

The following is a list of Christian Church Fathers. Roman Catholics generally regard the Patristic period to have ended with the death of John of Damascus 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 FatherDate of deathNotesAdrian the monk of Antioch 5th Century (estimate)wrote a manual on the Antiochene method of Scriptural exegesisAgrippa Castor2nd centuryAlexander of Alexandria326 or 328 Alexander of Jerusalem251Alexander of Lycopolis4th century Ambrose of Milan397one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western Church; strongly opposed ArianismAmmonius of Alexandria3rd centuryAmphilochius of Iconium403 or earlier Ananias of Shirak685wrote a work on Christmas and one on EasterAnastasius of Sinai7th century Andrew of Caesarea637commented on the ApocalypseAndrew of Crete712, 726, or 740author of the 250-strophe Great CanonAnthony the Great356 Aphraates345Mesopotamian bishop who authored 23 homiliesApollinaris of Hierapolisbetween 177-180 Apollinaris of Laodicea382 Apollinaris the Elder4th centuryApollonius of Ephesusafter 210 Apringius of Beja6th centurycommented on the ApocalypseArchelaus (bishop of Carrhae) 3rd century (early)supposedly a bishop of Carchar who wrote against ManichaeismAristides the Athenian134 Aristo of Pella160 Arnobius of Sicca330author of Against the HeathenArnobius the Younger460Arsenius the Great445 Asterius of Amasea410wrote sermons on morality including topics like divorce and covetousness, and the parables of Jesus ChristAthanasius the Great of Alexandria373one of the Four Great Doctors of the Eastern ChurchAthenagoras of Athens190wrote in defense of the resurrection of the deadAtticus420s Augustine of Hippo430one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western Church (Doctor Gratiae)Aurelius of Carthage429Aurelius Prudentius413commented on the PsalmsAusonius395 Avitus of Vienne518author of the five-book poem De spiritualis historiae gestis; converted King Sigismund; combated ArianismBarnabas061wrote a single EpistleBarsanuphius of Palestine540 Basil the Great of Caesarea379one of the Four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church and one of the Three Holy Hierarchs; father of monachismBede735Doctor of the Church and author of Ecclesiastical History of the English PeopleBenedict of Nursia547best known for the Rule of St BenedictBoethius520sauthor of Consolation of PhilosophyBraulio of Zaragoza651commented on the PsalmsCaesarius of Arles542commented on the ApocalypseCaius3rd century Cassiodorus585 Chromatius407wrote sermons on the Gospel of MatthewClement of Alexandria215 Clement of Rome099 Coelius Sedulius5th century Columba of Iona597 Commodianus3rd century Cyprian of Carthage258 Cyril of Alexandria444Doctor of the Church (Doctor Incarnationis) combated the Nestorian heresyCyril of Jerusalem386Doctor of the Church who wrote thorough instructions to catechumens and baptized ChristiansPope Damasus I384 Didymus the Blind398teacher 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 CouncilDiodore of Tarsus390 Dionysius of Corinth2nd century Pope Dionysius of Rome268combated SabellianismDionysius the Areopagite096Secular scholars attribute writings in his name to Pseudo-Dionysius.Pope Dionysius the Great of Alexandria265 Ephrem the Syrian373Doctor of the ChurchEpiphanius of Salamis403friend of Jerome who strongly opposed Origenism and wrote a history of heresiesEucherius of Lyon449 Eugippius535 Eusebius of Caesarea339 Eusebius of Emesa360commented on GenesisEusebius of Vercelli371 Firmilian269 Fulgentius of Ruspe527 or 533 Gaius Marius Victorinus4th centurycombated ArianismGennadius of Massilia496 Pope Gregory I the Great604one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western Church and author of DialoguesGregory of Nazianzus389one 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 HierarchsGregory of Nyssa395 Gregory of Tours594 Gregory Thaumaturgus270 Hegesippus of Palestine180a Jewish convert who combated Gnosticism and MarcionismHermias3rd century Hesychius of Jerusalem5th century Hilary of Poitiers367Doctor of the ChurchHippolytus of Rome235 Ignatius of Antioch108 Irenaeus2nd (end of) or beginning of 3rd century Isaac of Nineveh700ascetic author of many spiritual homilies who commented on the Psalms and contributed significantly to Syrian piety; was not Christologically NestorianIsidore of Pelusium450author of 2000 letters dealing primarily with allegorical exegesisIsidore of Seville636Doctor of the ChurchJacob of Serugh521a.k.a. Mar JacobJerome420one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western ChurchJohn Cassian435 John Chrysostom407one of the Four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church and one of the Three Holy HierarchsJohn Climacus649 John of Damascus749Doctor 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 SentencesJulianus Pomeriusbetween 499-505author of De Vita Contemplativa concerning Christian sanctityJulius Firmicus Maternus4th century Justin Martyr165 Juvencus4th century Lactantius325 Pope Leo I the Great461Doctor of the ChurchLeontius of Byzantium543 Lucian of Antioch312 Lucifer370combated Arianism and defended Athanasius at the Council of Milan in 354Macarius of Alexandria395 Macarius of Egypt391 Malchion3rd century?played key role in the deposition of Paul of SamosataMarcus Minucius Felix250author of OctavianusMarius Mercator451made a compilation on Nestorianism and another on PelagianismMartin of Braga580commented on the PsalmsMartin of Tours397 Mathetes2nd century? author of an Epistle to DiognetusMaximus of Turin465 Maximus the Confessor662 Meletius of Antioch381 Melito of Sardis180author of an important sermon called On Pascha about the Resurrection of Jesus ChristMethodius of Olympus311combated OrigenismMoses of Chorene490author of A History of ArmeniaNectarius of Constantinople397 Nemesius390Nicetas of Remesiana414the patron saint of Romania commented on the PsalmsNilus of Sinai430 Nonnus5th century Novatian258commented on the PsalmsOecumenius6th century author of the first extant Greek commentary on the ApocalypseOptatus4th centurycombated DonatismOrigen of Alexandria254posthumously anathematized at Fifth Ecumenical Council (553)Orosius418 Pachomius348Father of Christian cenobitic monasticismPacian of Barcelona391combated NovatianismPalladius of Helenopolis420s Pamphilus of Caesarea309 Pantaenus200first to make the Catechetical school of Alexandria famousPapias95-110disciple of John the Apostle and AristonPatrick5th century Paulinus of Nola431 Peter Chrysologus450Doctor of the ChurchPope Peter of Alexandria311 Philip the priest 5th Century (dates uncertain)Acquaintance of Jerome, commented on the Book of JobPhiloxenus of Hierapolis6th centuryauthor of 13 ascetic discourses who combated Nestorianism, Manichaeism, and MarcionismPoemen450commented on the PsalmsPolycarp156Wrote a single Epistle to the PhilippiansProclus of Constantinople440s Prohaeresius368 Prosper of Aquitaine455 Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite6th centuryauthor 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 AquinasQuadratus of Athens129wrote a non-extant apology to Emperor HadrianQuodvultdeus453Rabbula435ascetic and energetic bishop of Edessa and ally of Cyril of Alexandria who opposed the heretical teachings of NestoriusRhodonafter 192Romanus the Melodist556Sahdona649commented on the PsalmsSalvian490sGallic author of On the government of GodSeverian of Gabalabetween 408 and 425commented on Genesis and the First and Second Epistle to the CorinthiansSeverus of Antioch538 Sextus Julius Africanus240 Sidonius Apollinaris489 Socrates of Constantinople439 Sophronius of Jerusalem638 Sozomen450 Sulpicius Severus425disciple and biographer of Martin of Tours and author of an Ecclesiastical HistorySynesius of Cyrene414 Tatian185 Tertullian240died a Montanist, First of the Latin FathersTheodore of Mopsuestia428commented on Acts of the Apostles and the First and Second Epistle to the CorinthiansTheodoret of Cyrus458continuator of Eusebius of CaesareaTheodotus of Ancyra5th century Theophilus of AntiochBetween 183-185first writer known to have used the term Trinity to describe the Father, the Son, and the Holy SpiritTheotimus407 Tichonius390commented on the Apocalypse; his seven principles of interpretation from his Book of Rules inspired Augustine of HippoTyrannius Rufinus410friend of Jerome and continuator of Eusebius of Caesarea who commented on the PsalmsValerian of Cimiez460commented on the PsalmsVenantius Fortunatus600 or 609wrote a poem on EasterVictor of Antioch 5th century (late) to early 6th centurycontemporary of John Chrysostom, commented on the Gospel of MarkVictor of Capua554wrote the Codex FuldensisVictorinus of Pettau303author of On the Creation of the World and a Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed JohnVincent of Lérins450 Zeno of Verona371 Pope Zephyrinus217commented on the Psalms

After John of Damascus

Church FatherDate of deathNotesAthanasius the Athonite1003 Gregory Palamas1359Pillar of Orthodoxy and defender of HesychasmIshodad of Merv9th centurycommented on the Book of JobInnocent of Alaska1879His The Way Into the Kingdom of Heaven is often used as an Orthodox catechismMark of Ephesus1444Pillar of OrthodoxyNicholas Cabasilas1391 Photius the Great893Pillar of Orthodoxy and author of BibliothecaSymeon Metaphrastes10th century Symeon the New Theologian1022one of three Orthodox saints honored with the title "The Theologian"Theodore the Studite826 Theophan the Recluse1894 

See also Ante-Nicene Fathers (book) Apostolic Fathers Cappadocian Fathers Church Fathers Desert Fathers Doctors of the Church List of early Christian writers Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Patristics Patrologia Graeca Patrologia Latina Patrologia Orientalis Three Holy Hierarchs

Notes and references

External links Fathers of the Church (Catholic Encyclopedia) Monachos Patristics Master List Writings of Church Fathers from NewAdvent