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]
Agrippa Castor2nd century
Alexander of Alexandria[3]326 or 328 
Alexander of Jerusalem 251
Alexander of Lycopolis4th century 
Ambrose of Milan397one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western Church; strongly opposed Arianism
Ammonius of Alexandria 3rd century
Amphilochius of Iconium[2][3]403 or earlier 
Ananias of Shirak[3][4]685wrote a work on Christmas and one on Easter
Anastasius of Sinai[2][3]7th century 
Andrew of Caesarea[2]637commented on the Apocalypse
Andrew of Crete[3]712, 726, or 740author of the 250-strophe Great Canon
Anthony the Great[2]356 
Aphraates345Mesopotamian bishop who authored 23 homilies[2]
Apollinaris of Hierapolisbetween 177-180 
Apollinaris of Laodicea382 
Apollinaris the Elder4th century
Apollonius of Ephesusafter 210 
Apringius of Beja6th centurycommented on the Apocalypse[5]
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 of Sicca[2]330author of Against the Heathen
Arnobius the Younger460
Arsenius the Great445 
Asterius of Amasea[3]410wrote sermons on morality including topics like divorce and covetousness, and the parables of Jesus Christ
Athanasius the Great of Alexandria373one of the Four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church
Athenagoras of Athens[2]190wrote in defense of the resurrection of the dead[3]
Atticus[2]420s 
Augustine of Hippo430one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western Church (Doctor Gratiae)
Aurelius Prudentius[2][3]413commented on the Psalms[6]
Ausonius395 
Avitus of Vienne[2]518author of the five-book poem De spiritualis historiae gestis; converted King Sigismund; combated Arianism
Barnabas[3]061wrote a single Epistle
Barsanuphius 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 monachism
Bede[2]735Doctor of the Church and author of Ecclesiastical History of the English People
Benedict of Nursia[2][3]547best known for the Rule of St Benedict
Boethius[3]520sauthor of Consolation of Philosophy
Braulio of Zaragoza651commented on the Psalms[6]
Caesarius of Arles[2]542commented on the Apocalypse
Caius3rd century 
Cassiodorus[2][3]585 
Chromatius[3]407wrote sermons on the Gospel of Matthew
Clement of Alexandria215 
Clement of Rome099 
Coelius Sedulius[2]5th century 
Columba of Iona[2][3]597 
Commodianus3rd century 
Cyprian of Carthage[2]258 
Cyril of Alexandria444Doctor of the Church (Doctor Incarnationis) combated the Nestorian heresy
Cyril of Jerusalem386Doctor of the Church who wrote thorough instructions to catechumens and baptized Christians[2]
Pope Damasus I384 
Didymus the Blind[2]398teacher 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]268combated Sabellianism
Dionysius the Areopagite096Secular scholars attribute writings in his name to Pseudo-Dionysius.
Pope Dionysius the Great of Alexandria265 
Ephrem the Syrian373Doctor of the Church
Epiphanius of Salamis403friend of Jerome who strongly opposed Origenism and wrote a history of heresies
Eucherius of Lyon[2][3]449 
Eugippius[4]535 
Eusebius of Caesarea339 
Eusebius of Emesa360commented on Genesis[7]
Eusebius of Vercelli[2]371 
Firmilian[2]269 
Fulgentius of Ruspe527 or 533 
Gaius Marius Victorinus4th centurycombated Arianism[2]
Gennadius of Massilia[2]496 
Pope Gregory I the Great604one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western Church and author of Dialogues
Gregory 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 Hierarchs
Gregory of Nyssa395 
Gregory of Tours[3]594 
Gregory Thaumaturgus270 
Hegesippus of Palestine[2]180a Jewish convert who combated Gnosticism and Marcionism
Hermias[3]3rd century 
Hesychius of Jerusalem5th century 
Hilary of Poitiers367Doctor of the Church
Hippolytus of Rome[2][3]235 
Ignatius of Antioch108 
Irenaeus2nd (end of) or beginning of 3rd century 
Isaac of Nineveh700ascetic author of many spiritual homilies who commented on the Psalms[6] and contributed significantly to Syrian piety; was not Christologically Nestorian[8]
Isidore of Pelusium450author of 2000 letters dealing primarily with allegorical exegesis[2]
Isidore of Seville[2][3]636Doctor of the Church
Jacob of Serugh[4][6][9]521a.k.a. Mar Jacob
Jerome420one of the Four Great Doctors of the Western Church
John Cassian[2][9]435 
John Chrysostom407one of the Four Great Doctors of the Eastern Church and one of the Three Holy Hierarchs
John Climacus[9]649 
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 Sentences
Julianus Pomerius[2]between 499-505author of De Vita Contemplativa concerning Christian sanctity
Julius Firmicus Maternus4th century 
Justin Martyr165 
Juvencus[2]4th century 
Lactantius325 
Pope Leo I the Great461Doctor of the Church
Leontius of Byzantium[2]543 
Lucian of Antioch[2]312 
Lucifer[2]370combated Arianism and defended Athanasius at the Council of Milan in 354
Macarius of Alexandria[9]395 
Macarius of Egypt[9]391 
Malchion3rd century?played key role in the deposition of Paul of Samosata
Marcus Minucius Felix[2][9]250author of Octavianus
Marius Mercator451made a compilation on Nestorianism and another on Pelagianism[2]
Martin of Braga580commented on the Psalms[6]
Martin of Tours[9]397 
Mathetes2nd 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 Sardis180author of an important sermon called On Pascha about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ
Methodius of Olympus[2][9]311combated Origenism
Moses of Chorene490author of A History of Armenia
Nectarius of Constantinople[9]397 
Nemesius390
Nicetas of Remesiana414the patron saint of Romania commented on the Psalms[6]
Nilus of Sinai430 
Nonnus5th century 
Novatian[2]258commented on the Psalms[6]
Oecumenius6th centuryauthor of the first extant Greek commentary on the Apocalypse[5]
Optatus4th centurycombated Donatism[2]
Origen of Alexandria254posthumously anathematized at Fifth Ecumenical Council (553)
Orosius[2]418 
Pachomius[2][9]348Father of Christian cenobitic monasticism
Pacian of Barcelona[9]391combated Novatianism
Palladius of Helenopolis[2][9]420s 
Pamphilus of Caesarea309 
Pantaenus200first to make the Catechetical school of Alexandria famous[2]
Papias[9]163disciple of John the Evangelist and Ariston[2]
Patrick[9]5th century 
Paulinus of Nola[9]431 
Peter Chrysologus450Doctor of the Church
Pope Peter of Alexandria311 
Philip the priest 5th Century (dates uncertain)Acquaintance of Jerome,[10] commented on the Book of Job
Philoxenus of Hierapolis[4]6th centuryauthor of 13 ascetic discourses who combated Nestorianism, Manichaeism, and Marcionism
Poemen450commented on the Psalms[6]
Polycarp156Wrote a single Epistle to the Philippians
Proclus of Constantinople440s 
Prohaeresius[2]368 
Prosper of Aquitaine[2]455 
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 Aquinas
Quadratus of Athens[2]129wrote a non-extant apology to Emperor Hadrian
Rabbula[4][11]435ascetic and energetic bishop of Edessa and ally of Cyril of Alexandria who opposed the heretical teachings of Nestorius
Rhodon after 192
Romanus the Melodist[11]556
Sahdona649commented on the Psalms[6]
Salvian[2][11]490sGallic author of On the government of God
Severian of Gabalabetween 408 and 425commented 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 Constantinople439 
Sophronius of Jerusalem[11]638 
Sozomen450 
Sulpicius Severus[11]425disciple and biographer of Martin of Tours and author of an Ecclesiastical History[2]
Synesius of Cyrene[2][11]414 
Tatian185 
Tertullian240died a Montanist, First of the Latin Fathers
Theodore of Mopsuestia[2]428commented on Acts of the Apostles and the First and Second Epistle to the Corinthians
Theodoret of Cyrus458continuator of Eusebius of Caesarea[2]
Theodotus of Ancyra5th century 
Theophilus of Antioch[2]Between 183-185first writer known to have used the term Trinity to describe the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
Theotimus407 
Tichonius390commented on the Apocalypse; his seven principles of interpretation from his Book of Rules inspired Augustine of Hippo[5]
Tyrannius Rufinus410friend of Jerome and continuator of Eusebius of Caesarea[2] who commented on the Psalms[6]
Valerian of Cimiez460commented on the Psalms[6]
Venantius Fortunatus600 or 609wrote a poem on Easter
Victor of Antioch 5th century (late) to early 6th centurycontemporary of John Chrysostom,[12] commented on the Gospel of Mark[2]
Victorinus of Pettau303author of On the Creation of the World and a Commentary on the Apocalypse of the Blessed John
Vincent of Lérins450 
Zeno of Verona371 
Pope Zephyrinus217commented on the Psalms

After John of Damascus

Church Father Date of death Notes
Athanasius the Athonite[3]1003 
Gregory Palamas[13]1359Pillar of Orthodoxy and defender of Hesychasm
Ishodad of Merv9th centurycommented on the Book of Job
Innocent of Alaska1879his The Way Into the Kingdom of Heaven is often used as an Orthodox catechism[3]
Mark of Ephesus[9]1444Pillar of Orthodoxy
Martin Luther1483Pillar of Lutheranism and Protestantism, writer of Book of Concord, and consider saint and reformer by Protestants
Nicholas Cabasilas[9]1391 
Photius the Great[9][13]893Pillar of Orthodoxy and author of Bibliotheca
Symeon Metaphrastes[11]10th century 
Symeon the New Theologian[13]1022one of three Orthodox saints honored with the title "The Theologian"
Theodore the Studite826 
Theophan the Recluse[11]1894 

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 Chapman, John (1909), Fathers of the Church, vol. I, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 2008-01-29
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Steenberg, M.C. (2008), The Patristics Master List, Page 1 (A-I), retrieved 2008-01-29
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pearse, Roger (2007), Early Church Fathers: Additional Texts, retrieved 2008-01-29
  5. 1 2 3 Weinrich, William C. (2005), Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament, vol. VIII: Revelation
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Wesselschmidt, Quentin F. (2007), Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament, vol. VIII: Psalms 51-150
  7. 1 2 Sheridan, Mark (2002), Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament, vol. II: Genesis 12-50
  8. ↑ Arendzen, J.P. (1910), Isaac of Nineveh, vol. VIII, New York: Robert Appleton Company, retrieved 2008-01-31
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Steenberg, M.C. (2008), The Patristics Master List, Page 2 (J-P), retrieved 2008-01-29
  10. ↑ Vicchio, Stephen J. (2006-10-04). Job in the Medieval World. Wipf and Stock Publishers. ISBN 9781597525336.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Steenberg, M.C. (2008), The Patristics Master List, Page 3 (Q-Z), retrieved 2008-01-29
  12. ↑ "Victor of Antioch from the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia". McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia Online. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  13. 1 2 3 Azkoul, Dr. Fr. Michael, Who Is A Church Father?, archived from the original on July 30, 2009, retrieved 2008-01-30
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