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Who

Date

Comments

Clement

(Rome)

 d110

w81/101

Presbyter at Rome 80-98

Wrote: letter to the Corinthians

Polycarp

(Symrna)

b69/70-d150/155

w130

Taught Irenaeus
Was a disciple of John

Didache

w70-110

Didache means "Teaching"

A reference book on moral precepts, instructions on organization of church communities, how to worship and contains the oldest prayer for communion, instructs on Baptism, fasting

Athenagoras

 w177

Wrote: "Embassy for the Christians" and "Treatise on the Resurrection".

Theophilus

(Antioch)

b120-d190

One of the bishops at Antioch

Tatian

 w150-172

Born in Assyria.

Became a Christian in Rome in 150 AD and was faithful till in 172 AD he became a Gnostic of the Encratite sect

Barnabas

w130

Not the Barnabas of the Bible

Allegorical interpretation of the Old Testament

Papias

(Hierapolis)

w115/140

Contemporary of Polycarp

One of the bishops at Hierapolis

Wrote: Fragments of Papias

Mathetes

130-200

Wrote: The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus

Hermas

(Rome)

w140/150

Wrote the Shepherd of Hermas

Justin Martyr

(Rome)

b100/105-d165

Born in Shechem, Samaria

Philosopher, theologian, early apologist, martyr
Convert to Christianity

Irenaeus

(Lyons France)

b120/140-d200/202

w180

Born in Asia Minor

Heard the preaching of Polycarp the disciple of John the Evangelist
Appointed the bishop of Lyon (177)

Clement of Alexandria

Athens

150-215/216

wrote: 180-200

Born in Athens
Greek theologian
Converted from paganism
Ordained a presbyter
A teacher of Origen

Tertullian

Rome

b155/160-d220

w200

Born in Carthage

Converted to Christianity between 190 and 195
Became a presbyter of the Church (197)
Zealous champion of Christianity
Profoundly influences later Church fathers
Embraced and became a leader of the Montanists (207?) a sect later declared heretical

Eusebius

(Caesarea)

b260-d340

Born in Caesarea

Origen

Alexandria

b185-d253/254

Born in Egypt

A student of Clement

presbyter

allegorical method of scripture interpretation

developed the idea of Christ as Logos or Incarnate Word

Hippolytus

Rome

b170-d236

w200

 Presbyter at Rome

Cyprian

Carthage

b200-d253/258

w250

Convert to Christianity c. 245
Bishop of Carthage, 248
One of the most authoritative Fathers of the Church
Involved in controversy over treatment of those who had left the Church, and those who were baptized by heretics: accepted the teaching of Rome.

Ignatius

(Antioch)

w250-550

All scholars reject 1/2 of Ignatius' alleged writings a forgeries and say the 7 genuine letters were written in 110AD. Some scholars reject them all as forgeries that were written about 250AD

More on the Ignatian forgeries.

Athanasius

Alexandria

b293/296-d373

w325

Born in Alexandria

Played a prominent role in the theological struggle in the Council of Nicea (325)
Opposed Arius (256-336) who maintained that the Son was of a different substance from that of the Father, and was merely a creature
Formulated the "homousian doctrine" that the Son of God is the same essence of substance of the Father
Became bishop of Alexandria (328)

Hilary

Poitiers, France

b300-d367/368

w350

Born in Poitiers

Bishop of Poitiers

Cyril of Jerusalem

315-387

w360

Bishop of Jerusalem in 351

Basil

Caesarea Mazaca

W370

b329/330-d379

Brother of Gregory of Nyssa and a friend of Gregory of Nazianzus
Patriarch of Eastern monasticism
Wrote a rule of the monastic way of life
Founded the Basilian monks (360)
Bishop of Caesarea (370).

Didymus the Blind

b313-d398

Born in Alexandria

blinded at the age of 4

head of the Catechetical school at Alexandria

Gregory of Nazianzus

330-389

w375

Bishop of Sasima (371)
Took charge of the Nicene congregation of Constantinople where he delivered five discourses on the Trinity that earned him fame as "The Theologian"

Gregory of Nyssa

Neocaesarea

335-394

w375

Bishop of Milan (374)
Fame is chiefly as a theologian

Ephraim or Ephraem

b306-d373

 Born at Nisibis

Ambrose

Tier, West Germany

340?-397

w375

Bishop of Milan (374)
Defended the churches of Milan against Arianism
Friend of Monica, mother of Augustine, and finally brought Augustine into the Church

Jerome

Stridon, Yugoslavia

345?-419

w400

Biblical scholar
Ordained a priest in 386
Secretary to Pope Damasus I in 382
Confronted many heresies, especially Pelagianism

The Vulgate: translated the Bible from Hebrew and Greek into Latin, 383-384, in Rome

John Chrysostom

Antioch, Syria

349-407

w405

Ordained a priest in 386
Greatest orator of the early Church
Patriarch of Constantinople in 398

Augustine

Numidia, Algeria

354-430

w425

Son of Monica (332?-387)
Born a pagan
Converted in 387 and baptized by Ambrose
Ordained a priest in 391
Bishop of Hippo (395)

Ambrose

b340-d397
w390

Bishop Of Milan 374 to 397

born either at Trier, Arles, or Lyons

Cyril of Alexandria

376-444

Patriarch of Alexandria in 412
Leader of the Council of Ephesus, 431
Instrumental in condemning Nestorianism

Theodoret

b393-d457

w450

Bishop of Cyrus

John Cassian

Southern Gaul

b360-d435

w425

A monk and ascetic writer who was first to introduce the rules of Eastern monasticism into the West

Gregory I

540?-604

Prefect of Rome in 570
Became a monk in 575
Elected pope (r. 590-604)
Enhanced prestige of the papacy
Upheld Rome's traditional claims of church primacy over the patriarch of Constantinople
Introduced liturgical reforms and Gregorian chant
Extensive pastoral activity.

John Damascene

Damascus, Syria

675-749

Financial officer to Saracen caliph
Resigned in 700
Entered a monastery and ordained a priest
Opposed the Iconoclasts