Church Father
Ancient Christian authority
A Church Father is an early Christian theologian whose writings helped establish orthodox doctrine and practice.
The term typically refers to influential thinkers from roughly the first through eighth centuries—figures like Augustine, Jerome, and Origen.
Their interpretations of scripture and theology remain foundational for Catholic, Orthodox, and many Protestant traditions: Augustine is perhaps the most influential of the Church Fathers.
- AugustineFourth-century church father
- theologyStudy of the divine
- orthodoxyAdherence to accepted beliefs
- JeromeName meaning sacred
- doctrineEstablished body of teachings
Athanasius · Council of Nicaea · Christology · dogma · original sin · sacred tradition · Christian doctrine · early Christianity · episcopacy · holy orders · hagiography · veneration · Cappadocia · Nicene Creed · Eastern Orthodoxy · Nicene Creed · Eastern Orthodoxy · Cappadocia
church, father, churches, fathers, fatherly, fatherhood, churched, churchly, churchman