After the Apostles

Guide

Who were the church fathers?

The church fathers are the Christian writers of the first centuries whose books and letters have been widely read and respected ever since. The term has no single agreed list or end date, and the dates below are approximate.

Different traditions use them in different ways. Catholic and Orthodox Christians give the fathers special weight in understanding the faith, while many Protestants read them as valuable witnesses but not as final authorities. This site does not argue for any of these positions; it aims to put the texts in front of you with a plain introduction.

The study of the fathers is called patristics. The standard English collections are the Ante-Nicene Fathers (writers before the Council of Nicaea in AD 325) and the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (after it), both published in the nineteenth century and now in the public domain.

The Apostolic Fathers: the generation after the apostles (about AD 90 to 150)

Second and third centuries, before the Council of Nicaea (about AD 150 to 325)

After Nicaea: the fourth and fifth centuries

Where to start reading

The easiest way in is the earliest group. Try the guided path Meet the first Christians, or read the writings in date order with Read it in order. You can also search every text for a word or name.

Only the earliest writers are on the site so far. The others will arrive as more shelves open. See also The Apostolic Fathers.