Church Fathers(General Inrtroduction)

The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers

of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and
writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of
Christianity. The historical period in which they worked became known
as the Patristic Era and spans approximately from the late 1st to mid 8th
centuries,[1] flourishing in particular during the 4th and 5th centuries,
when Christianity was in the process of establishing itself as the state
church of the Roman Empire.
In traditional dogmatic theology, authors considered Church Fathers are
treated as authoritative, and a somewhat restrictive definition is used.
The academic field of patristics, the study of the Church Fathers, has
extended the scope of the term, and there is no definitive
list.[2][3][better source needed] Some, such as Origen and Tertullian,
made major contributions to the development of later Christian theology,
but elements of their teaching were later condemned.
Great Fathers
In the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church traditions there are
four Fathers each who are called the "Great Church Fathers"[dubious –
discuss][by whom?].[4] In the Catholic Church, they are collectively
called the "Eight Doctors of the Church",[4]
Western Church
Ambrose (A.D. 340–397)
Jerome (347–420)
Augustine of Hippo (354–430)
Pope Gregory I (540–604)
Eastern Church
Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296 or 298 – 373)
Gregory of Nazianzus (329 – c. 390)
Basil of Caesarea (c. 330 – 379)
John Chrysostom (347–407)
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, three of them (Basil of Caesarea,
Gregory of Nazianzus and John Chrysostom) are honored as the "Three
Holy Hierarchs".
Apostolic Fathers
The Apostolic Fathers were Christian theologians who lived in the 1st
and 2nd centuries AD, who are believed to have personally known some
of the Twelve Apostles, or to have been significantly influenced by
them.[5] Their writings, though popular in Early Christianity, were
ultimately not included in the canon of the New Testament once it
reached its final form. Many of the writings derive from the same time
period and geographical location as other works of early Christian
literature that did come to be part of the New Testament, and some of
the writings found among the Apostolic Fathers' seem to have been just
as highly regarded as some of the writings that became the New
Testament. The first three, Clement, Ignatius, and Polycarp, are
considered the chief ones.
Clement of Rome
Main article: Pope Clement I
The First Epistle of Clement (c. 96),[6] is the earliest extant epistle from
a Church Father.[7] In the epistle, Clement calls on the Christians of
Corinth to maintain harmony and order.[6]
Copied and widely read in the Early Church,[8] First Clement had been
considered by some as part of the New Testament canon, e.g., listed as
canonical in Canon 85 of the Canons of the Apostles,[9] among other
early canons of the New Testament, showing that it had canonical rank
in at least some regions of early Christendom. As late as the 14th
century Ibn Khaldun mentions it as part of the New Testament.[10]
Ignatius of Antioch
Main article: Ignatius of Antioch
Ignatius of Antioch (also known as Theophorus) (c. 35 – c. 110)[11] was
the third bishop of Antioch and a student of the Apostle John. En route
to his martyrdom in Rome, Ignatius wrote a series of letters which have
been preserved. Important topics addressed in these letters include
ecclesiology, the sacraments, the role of bishops, and the Incarnation of
Christ. Specifically, concerning ecclesiology, his letter to the Romans is
often cited as a testament to the universal bounds of the Roman church.
[12] He is the second after Clement to mention Paul's epistles.[6]
Polycarp of Smyrna
Main article: Polycarp
Polycarp of Smyrna (c. 69 – c. 155) was a Christian bishop of Smyrna
(now İzmir in Turkey). It is recorded that he had been a disciple of
"John". The options/possibilities for this John are John, the son of
Zebedee, traditionally viewed as the author of the Gospel of John, or
John the Presbyter.[13] Traditional advocates follow Eusebius of
Caesarea in insisting that the apostolic connection of Polycarp was with
John the Evangelist and that he was the author of the Gospel of John,
and thus the Apostle John.
Polycarp tried and failed to persuade Pope Anicetus to have the West
celebrate Passover on the 14th of Nisan, as in the Eastern calendar.
Around A.D. 155, the Smyrnans of his town demanded Polycarp's
execution as a Christian, and he died a martyr. The story of his
martyrdom describes how the fire built around him would not burn him,
and that when he was stabbed to death, so much blood issued from his
body that it quenched the flames around him.[6] Polycarp is recognized
as a saint in both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
Papias of Hierapolis
Main article: Papias of Hierapolis
Very little is known of Papias apart from what can be inferred from his
own writings. He is described as "an ancient man who was a hearer of
John and a companion of Polycarp" by Polycarp's disciple Irenaeus
(c. 180). Eusebius adds that Papias was Bishop of Hierapolis around the
time of Ignatius of Antioch. In this office, Papias was presumably
succeeded by Abercius of Hierapolis. The name Papias was very
common in the region, suggesting that he was probably a native of the
area. The work of Papias is dated by most modern scholars to about
A.D. 95–120.
Despite indications that the work of Papias was still extant in the Late
Middle Ages, the full text is now lost. Extracts, however, appear in a
number of other writings, some of which cite a book number.
Greek Fathers
Those who wrote in Greek are called the Greek (Church) Fathers. In
addition to the Apostolic Fathers, famous Greek Fathers include: Justin
Martyr, Irenaeus of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria, Athanasius of
Alexandria, John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, the Cappadocian
Fathers (Basil of Caesarea, Gregory Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa),
Peter of Sebaste, Maximus the Confessor, and John of Damascus.
Justin Martyr
Main articles: Justin Martyr and First Apology of Justin Martyr
Justin Martyr was an early Christian apologist, and is regarded as the
foremost interpreter of the theory of the Logos in the 2nd
century.[14][15] He was martyred, alongside some of his students, and
is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church,[16] the Anglican
Church,[17] the Eastern Orthodox Church,[18] and the Oriental
Orthodox Churches.
Irenaeus of Lyons
Main article: Irenaeus
Irenaeus was bishop of Lugdunum in Gaul, which is now Lyon(s),
France. His writings were formative in the early development of
Christian theology, and he is recognized as a saint by both the Eastern
Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. He was a notable
early Christian apologist. He was also a disciple of Polycarp.
His best-known book, Against Heresies (c.180) he enumerated heresies
and attacked them. Irenaeus wrote that the only way for Christians to
retain unity was to humbly accept one doctrinal authority—episcopal
councils.[6] Irenaeus proposed that the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John all be accepted as canonical.

Clement of Alexandria
Main article: Clement of Alexandria
Clement of Alexandria was the first member of the church of Alexandria
to be more than a name, and one of its most distinguished
teachers.[clarification needed] He united Greek philosophical traditions
with Christian doctrine and valued gnosis that with communion for all
people could be held by common Christians. He developed a Christian
Platonism.[6] Like Origen, he arose from Catechetical School of
Alexandria and was well versed in pagan literature.[6]

Origen of Alexandria
Main article: Origen
Origen, or Origen Adamantius (c. 185 – c. 254) was a scholar and
theologian. According to tradition, he was an Egyptian[19] who taught
in Alexandria, reviving the Catechetical School where Clement had
taught. The patriarch of Alexandria at first supported Origen but later
expelled him for being ordained without the patriarch's permission. He
relocated to Caesarea Maritima and died there[20] after being tortured
during a persecution. He was later anathematised and some of his
writings condemned as heretical. Using his knowledge of Hebrew, he
produced a corrected Septuagint.[6] He wrote commentaries on all the
books of the Bible.[6] In Peri Archon (First Principles), he articulated
the first philosophical exposition of Christian doctrine.[6] He interpreted
scripture allegorically and showed himself to be a stoic, a Neo-
Pythagorean, and a Platonist.[6] Like Plotinus, he wrote that the soul
passes through successive stages before incarnation as a human and after
death, eventually reaching God.[6] He imagined even demons being
reunited with God. For Origen, God was not Yahweh but the First
Principle, and Christ, the Logos, was subordinate to him.[6] His views
of a hierarchical structure in the Trinity, the temporality of matter, "the
fabulous preexistence of souls", and "the monstrous restoration which
follows from it" were declared anathema in the 6th century.[21][22]
Athanasius of Alexandria
St. Athanasius, depicted with a gospel book, an iconographic symbol
used mostly for priests and bishops as preachers of the gospel.
Main article: Athanasius of Alexandria
Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 293 – 373) was a theologian, Pope of
Alexandria, and a noted Egyptian leader of the 4th century. He is
remembered for his role in the conflict with Arianism and for his
affirmation of the Trinity. At the First Council of Nicaea (325),
Athanasius argued against the Arian doctrine that Christ is of a distinct
substance from the Father.[6]
Cappadocian Fathers
Main article: Cappadocian Fathers
The Cappadocian Fathers are Basil the Great (330–379), who was
bishop of Caesarea; Basil's younger brother Gregory of Nyssa (c. 332 –
395), who was bishop of Nyssa; and a close friend, Gregory of
Nazianzus (329–389), who became Patriarch of Constantinople.[23] The
Cappadocians promoted early Christian theology and are highly
respected in both Western and Eastern churches as saints. They were a
4th-century monastic family, led by Macrina the Younger (324–379) to
provide a central place for her brothers to study and meditate, and also to
provide a peaceful shelter for their mother. Abbess Macrina fostered the
education and development of her three brothers Basil the Great,
Gregory of Nyssa and Peter of Sebaste (c. 340 – 391) who became
bishop of Sebaste.
These scholars set out to demonstrate that Christians could hold their
own in conversations with learned Greek-speaking intellectuals. They
argued that Christian faith, while it was against many of the ideas of
Plato and Aristotle (and other Greek philosophers), was an almost
scientific and distinctive movement with the healing of the soul of man
and his union with God at its center. They made major contributions to
the definition of the Trinity finalized at the First Council of
Constantinople in 381 and the final version of the Nicene Creed.
Subsequent to the First Council of Nicea, Arianism did not simply
disappear. The semi-Arians taught that the Son is of like substance with
the Father (homoiousios), as against the outright Arians who taught that
the Son was unlike the Father (heterousian). So the Son was held to be
like the Father but not of the same essence as the Father. The
Cappadocians worked to bring these semi-Arians back to the Orthodox
cause. In their writings they made extensive use of the formula "three
substances (hypostases) in one essence (homoousia)", and thus explicitly
acknowledged a distinction between the Father and the Son (a
distinction that Nicea had been accused of blurring) but at the same time
insisting on their essential unity.
John Chrysostom
Main article: John Chrysostom
John Chrysostom (c. 347 – c. 407), archbishop of Constantinople, is
known for his eloquence in preaching and public speaking; his
denunciation of abuse of authority by both ecclesiastical and political
leaders, recorded sermons and writings making him the most prolific of
the eastern fathers, and his ascetic sensibilities. After his death (or
according to some sources, during his life) he was given the Greek
epithet chrysostomos, meaning "golden mouthed", rendered in English
as Chrysostom.[24][25]

Chrysostom is known within Christianity chiefly as a preacher and

theologian, particularly in the Eastern Orthodox Church; he is the patron
saint of orators in the Roman Catholic Church. Chrysostom is also noted
for eight of his sermons that played a considerable part in the history of
Christian antisemitism, diatribes against Judaizers composed while a
presbyter in Antioch, which were extensively exploited and misused by
the Nazis in their ideological campaign against the Jews.[26][27]
Patristic scholars such as Robert L Wilken point out that applying
modern understandings of antisemitism back to Chrysostom is
anachronistic due to his use of the Psogos. The Psogos, along with the
encomium, were both rhetorical techniques used in the ancient world in
a polemical context. With the encomium "one passes over a man's faults
in order to praise him, and in a psogos, one passed over his virtues to
defame him. Such principles are explicit in the handbooks of the rhetors,
but an interesting passage from the church historian Socrates, writing in
the mid-fifth century, shows that the rules for invective were simply
taken for granted by men and women of the late Roman world"[28]

Chrysostom's sermons along with Basil the Great's have greatly

influenced the Christian Church's understanding of economic and
distributive justice for the poor, being cited extensively by the
Catechism of the Catholic Church[29] as well as Pope Francis in his
own sermons critiquing modern-day forms of capitalism[30][31]
Cyril of Alexandria
Main article: Cyril of Alexandria
Cyril of Alexandria (c. 378 – 444) was the Bishop of Alexandria when
the city was at its height of influence and power within the Roman
Empire. Cyril wrote extensively and was a leading protagonist in the
Christological controversies of the late 4th and early 5th centuries. He
was a central figure in the First Council of Ephesus in 431, which led to
the deposition of Nestorius as Archbishop of Constantinople. Cyril's
reputation within the Christian world has resulted in his titles "Pillar of
Faith" and "Seal of all the Fathers".

Maximus the Confessor

Main article: Maximus the Confessor
Maximus the Confessor (also known as Maximus the Theologian and
Maximus of Constantinople) (c. 580 – 662) was a Christian monk,
theologian, and scholar. In his early life, he was a civil servant and an
aide to the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius. However, he gave up this life
in the political sphere to enter into the monastic life.

After moving to Carthage, Maximus studied several Neo-Platonist

writers and became a prominent author. When one of his friends began
espousing the Christological position known as Monothelitism,
Maximus was drawn into the controversy, in which he supported the
Chalcedonian position that Jesus had both a human and a divine will.
Maximus is venerated in both Eastern Christianity and Western
Christianity. His Christological positions eventually resulted in his
torture and exile, soon after which he died. However, his theology was
vindicated by the Third Council of Constantinople, and he was
venerated as a saint soon after his death. His feast day is celebrated
twice during the year: on 21 January and on 13 August. His title of
Confessor means that he suffered for the faith, but not to the point of
death, and thus is distinguished from a martyr. His Life of the Virgin is
thought to be the earliest complete biography of Mary, the mother of
Jesus.

John of Damascus
Main article: John of Damascus
John of Damascus (c. 676 – 749) was a Syrian Christian monk and
priest. Born and raised in Damascus, he died at his monastery, Mar
Saba, near Jerusalem.
A polymath whose fields of interest and contribution included law,
theology, philosophy, and music, before being ordained, he served as a
chief administrator to the Muslim caliph of Damascus, wrote works
expounding the Christian faith, and composed hymns which are still in
use in Eastern Christian monasteries. The Catholic Church regards him
as a Doctor of the Church, often referred to as the Doctor of the
Assumption because of his writings on the Assumption of Mary.
Latin Fathers
Those fathers who wrote in Latin are called the Latin (Church) Fathers.

Tertullian
Main article: Tertullian
Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus (c. 155 – c. 222), who was
converted to Christianity before 197, was a prolific writer of apologetic,
theological, controversial and ascetic works.[32] He was born in
Carthage, the son of a Roman centurion.
Tertullian denounced Christian doctrines he considered heretical, but
later in life adopted Montanism, regarded as heretical by the mainstream
Church, which prevented his canonization. He wrote three books in
Greek and was the first great writer of Latin Christianity, thus
sometimes known as the "Father of the Latin Church".[33] He was
evidently a lawyer in Rome.[34] He is said to have introduced the Latin
term trinitas with regard to the Divine (Trinity) to the Christian
vocabulary[35] (but Theophilus of Antioch already wrote of "the Trinity,
of God, and His Word, and His wisdom", which is similar but not
identical to the Trinitarian wording),[36] and also probably the formula
"three Persons, one Substance" as the Latin "tres Personae, una
Substantia" (itself from the Koine Greek "τρεῖς ὑποστάσεις, ὁμοούσιος;
treis Hypostases, Homoousios"), and also the terms vetus testamentum
(Old Testament) and novum testamentum (New Testament).
In his Apologeticus, he was the first Latin author who qualified
Christianity as the vera religio, and systematically relegated the classical
Roman imperial religion and other accepted cults to the position of mere
"superstitions".
Later in life, Tertullian joined the Montanists, a heretical sect that
appealed to his rigorism.[32] He used the early church's symbol for
fish—the Greek word for "fish" being ΙΧΘΥΣ which is an acronym for
Ἰησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ (Jesus Christ, God's Son,
Saviour)—to explain the meaning of baptism since fish are born in
water. He wrote that human beings are like little fish.
Cyprian of Carthage
Main article: Cyprian of Carthage
Cyprian (c. 200 – 258) was bishop of Carthage and an important early
Christian writer. He was born in North Africa, probably at the beginning
of the 3rd century, perhaps at Carthage, where he received an excellent
classical (pagan) education. After converting to Christianity, he became
a bishop and eventually died a martyr at Carthage. He emphasized the
necessity of the unity of Christians with their bishops, and also the
authority of the Roman See, which he claimed was the source of
"priestly unity"'.
Hilary of Poitiers
Main article: Hilary of Poitiers
Hilary of Poitiers (c. 300 – c. 368) was Bishop of Poitiers and is a
Doctor of the Church. He was sometimes referred to as the "Hammer of
the Arians" (Latin: Malleus Arianorum) and the "Athanasius of the
West"/ His name comes from the Latin word for happy or cheerful. His
optional memorial in the Roman Catholic calendar of saints is 13
January. In the past, when this date was occupied by the Octave Day of
the Epiphany, his feast day was moved to 14 January.
Ambrose of Milan
Main article: Ambrose of Milan
Ambrose[37] was an archbishop of Milan who became one of the most
influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. He was a governor
before becoming bishop. He is counted as one of the four original
doctors of the Church. He offered a new perspective on the theory of
atonement.[which?]
Pope Damasus I
Pope Damasus I (305–384) was active in defending the Catholic Church
against the threat of schisms. In two Roman synods (368 and 369) he
condemned the heresies of Apollinarianism and Macedonianism, and
sent legates (papal representatives) to the First Council of
Constantinople that was convoked in 381 to address these heresies. He
also wrote in defense of the Roman See's authority, and inaugurated use
of Latin in the Mass, instead of the Koine Greek that was still being used
throughout the Church in the west in the liturgy.
Jerome of Stridonium
Main article: Jerome
Print of Jerome in his study. Preserved in the Ghent University
Library.[38]
Jerome (c. 347 – 420) is best known as the translator of the Bible from
Greek and Hebrew into Latin. He also was a Christian apologist.
Jerome's edition of the Bible, the Vulgate, is still an important text of
Catholicism. He is recognised by the Roman Catholic Church as a
Doctor of the Church.
Augustine of Hippo
Main article: Augustine of Hippo
Augustine (354–430), Bishop of Hippo, was a philosopher and
theologian. Augustine, a Latin Father and Doctor of the Church, is one
of the most important figures in the development of Western
Christianity. In his early life, Augustine read widely in Greco-Roman
rhetoric and philosophy, including the works of Platonists such as
Plotinus.[39] He framed the concepts of original sin and just war as they
are understood in the West. When Rome fell and the faith of many
Christians was shaken, Augustine wrote The City of God, in which he
defended Christianity from pagan critics and developed the concept of
the Church as a spiritual City of God, distinct from the material City of
Man.[6] Augustine's work defined the start of the medieval worldview,
an outlook that would later be firmly established by Pope Gregory the
Great.[6]
Augustine was born in present-day Algeria to a Christian mother,
Monica of Hippo. He was educated in North Africa and resisted his
mother's pleas to become Christian. He took a concubine and became a
Manichean. He later converted to Christianity, became a bishop, and
opposed heresies, such as Pelagianism. His many works—including The
Confessions, which is often called the first Western autobiography—
have been read continuously since his lifetime. The Roman Catholic
religious order, the Order of Saint Augustine, adopted his name and way
of life. Augustine is also the patron saint of many institutions and a
number have been named after him.
Pope Gregory the Great
Main article: Gregory the Great
Gregory I the Great (c. 540 – 604) was pope from 3 September 590 until
his death. He is also known as Gregorius Dialogus (Gregory the
Dialogist) in Eastern Orthodoxy because of the Dialogues he wrote. He
was the first of the popes from a monastic background. Gregory is a
Doctor of the Church and one of the four great Latin Fathers of the
Church (the others being Ambrose, Augustine, and Jerome). Of all
popes, Gregory I had the most influence on the early medieval
church.[40]
Isidore of Seville
Main article: Isidore of Seville
Isidore of Seville (c. 560 – 636) was Archbishop of Seville for more than
three decades and is considered, as the historian Montalembert put it in
an oft-quoted phrase, "le dernier savant du monde ancien" ("the last
scholar of the ancient world"). Indeed, all the later medieval history-
writing of Hispania (the Iberian Peninsula, comprising modern Spain
and Portugal) was based on his histories.
At a time of disintegration of classical culture and aristocratic violence
and illiteracy, he was involved in the conversion of the royal Visigothic
Arians to Catholicism, both assisting his brother Leander of Seville and
continuing after his brother's death. He was influential in the inner circle
of Sisebut, Visigothic king of Hispania. Like Leander, he played a
prominent role in the Councils of Toledo and Seville. The Visigothic
legislation which resulted from these councils is regarded by modern
historians as exercising an important influence on the beginnings of
representative government.
Syriac Fathers
A few Church Fathers wrote in Syriac; many of their works were also
widely translated into Latin and Greek.
Aphrahat
Main article: Aphrahat
Aphrahat (c. 270–c. 345) was a Syriac-Christian author of the 3rd
century from the Adiabene region of Northern Mesopotamia, which was
within the Persian Empire, who composed a series of twenty-three
expositions or homilies on points of Christian doctrine and practice. He
was born in Persia around 270, but all his known works, the
Demonstrations, come from later on in his life. He was an ascetic and
celibate, and was almost definitely a son of the covenant (an early Syriac
form of communal monasticism). He may have been a bishop, and later
Syriac tradition places him at the head of Mar Matti monastery near
Mosul, in what is now northern Iraq. He was a near contemporary to the
slightly younger Ephrem the Syrian, but the latter lived within the sphere
of the Roman Empire. Called the Persian Sage (Syriac: ‫ܚܟܝܡܐ ܦܪܣܝܐ‬,
ḥakkîmâ ̄pārsāyā), Aphrahat witnesses to the concerns of the early
church beyond the eastern boundaries of the Roman Empire.
Ephrem the Syrian
Main article: Ephrem the Syrian
Ephrem the Syrian (ca. 306 – 373) was a Syriac deacon and a prolific
Syriac-language hymnographer and theologian of the 4th century from
the region of Syria.[41][42][43][44] His works are hailed by Christians
throughout the world, and many denominations venerate him as a saint.
He has been declared a Doctor of the Church in the Catholic Church. He
is especially beloved in the Syriac Orthodox Church and in the Church
of the East.
Ephrem wrote a wide variety of hymns, poems, and sermons in verse, as
well as prose biblical exegesis. These were works of practical theology
for the edification of the church in troubled times. So popular were his
works, that, for centuries after his death, Christian authors wrote
hundreds of pseudepigraphal works in his name. He has been called the
most significant of all of the fathers of the Syriac-speaking church
tradition.[45]
Isaac of Antioch
Main article: Isaac of Antioch
Isaac of Antioch (451–452), one of the stars of Syriac literature, is the
reputed author of a large number of metrical homilies (The fullest list,
by Gustav Bickell, contains 191 which are extant in MSS), many of
which are distinguished by an originality and acumen rare among Syriac
writers.
Isaac of Nineveh
Main article: Isaac of Nineveh
Isaac of Nineveh was a 7th-century Syriac bishop and theologian best
remembered for his written work. He is also regarded as a saint in the
Church of the East, the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church
and among the Oriental Orthodox Churches, making him the last saint
chronologically to be recognised by every apostolic Church. His feast
day falls on January 28 and in the Syriac Orthodox calendar on March
14. Isaac is remembered for his spiritual homilies on the inner life,
which have a human breadth and theological depth that transcends the
Nestorian Christianity of the Church to which he belonged. They survive
in Syriac manuscripts and in Greek and Arabic translations.
Desert Fathers
The Desert Fathers were early monastics living in the Egyptian desert.
Although they did not write as much as other Church Fathers, their
influence was also great, and they are credited with beginning the
practice of monasticism, and codifying many of its features. Among
them are Paul of Thebes, Anthony the Great and Pachomius. Many of
their, usually short, sayings are collected in the Apophthegmata Patrum
("Sayings of the Desert Fathers").
Modern positions
In the Catholic Church, the patristic era is believed to have passed, and
Bernard of Clairvaux is considered to be the last of the Fathers.[46]
However, the Church does grant the similar title of Doctor of the Church
to notable post-patristic saints.
The Eastern Orthodox Church does not consider the age of Church
Fathers to be over and includes later influential writers up to the present
day. The Orthodox view is that men do not have to agree on every detail,
much less be infallible, to be considered Church Fathers. Rather,
Orthodox doctrine is determined by the consensus of the Holy Fathers—
those points on which they do agree. This consensus guides the church
in questions of dogma, the correct interpretation of scripture, and to
distinguish the authentic sacred tradition of the Church from false
teachings.[47]
The original Lutheran Augsburg Confession of 1530, for example, and
the later Formula of Concord of 1576–1584, each begin with the
mention of the doctrine professed by the Fathers of the First Council of
Nicaea.
Though much Protestant religious thought is based on sola scriptura (the
principle that the Bible itself is the ultimate authority in doctrinal
matters),[citation needed] the first Protestant reformers, like the Catholic
and Orthodox churches, used the theological interpretations of scripture
set forth by the early Church Fathers. John Calvin's French Confession
of Faith of 1559 states, "And we confess that which has been established
by the ancient councils, and we detest all sects and heresies which were
rejected by the holy doctors, such as St. Hilary, St. Athanasius, St.
Ambrose and St. Cyril."[48] The Scots Confession of 1560 deals with
general councils in its 20th chapter. The Thirty-nine Articles of the
Church of England, both the original of 1562-1571 and the American
version of 1801, explicitly accept the Nicene Creed in Article VII. Even
when a particular Protestant confessional formula does not mention the
Nicene Council or its creed, its doctrine is nonetheless always asserted,
as, for example, in the Presbyterian Westminster Confession of 1647.
Many Protestant seminaries provide courses on patristics as part of their
curriculum, and many historic Protestant churches emphasize the
importance of tradition and of the fathers in scriptural interpretation.
Such an emphasis is even more pronounced in certain streams of
Protestant thought, such as Paleo-Orthodoxy.
Patristics
Main article: Patristics
The study of the Church Fathers is known as patristics.
Works of fathers in early Christianity, prior to Nicene Christianity, were
translated into English in a 19th-century collection Ante-Nicene Fathers.
Those of the First Council of Nicaea and continuing through the Second
Council of Nicea (787) are collected in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Fathers#Great_Fathers