What is Church Father?

  • (noun): (Christianity) any of about 70 theologians in the period from the 2nd to the 7th century whose writing established and confirmed official church doctrine; in the Roman Catholic Church some were later declared saints and became Doctor of the Church; the best known Lation Church Fathers are Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory the Great, and Jerome; those who wrote in Greek include Athanasius, Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, and John Chrysostom.
    Synonyms: Father of the Church, Father

Some articles on fathers, church fathers, father:

List Of Early Christian Writers
... The Apostolic Fathers were prominent writers who are traditionally understood to have met and learned from Jesus' personal disciples ... The Church Fathers are later writers with no direct connection to the disciples (other than the claim to Apostolic Succession). 60~125 Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, apostolic father 68~107 Clement of Rome, bishop of Rome, apostolic father 88~101 Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, apostolic father 110~130 Polycarp of ...

Famous quotes containing the words father and/or church:

    “But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.”
    —Bible: New Testament, Luke 15:20.

    “In my dreams is a country where the State is the Church and the Church the people: three in one and one in three. It is a commonwealth in which work is play and play is life: three in one and one in three. It is a temple in which the priest is the worshiper and the worshiper the worshipped: three in one and one in three. It is a godhead in which all life is human and all humanity divine: three in one and one in three.”
    —George Bernard Shaw (1856–1950)