Name of Church Fathers |
Birth |
Death |
Repr. Works |
Brief Intro. |
Alexander of Alexandria |
2xx |
328 |
Epistles |
Bishop of Alexandria (312-328);
excommunicated Arius and whose deacon was Athanasius;
played a leading role in the Council of Nicaea |
Alexander of Lycopolis |
2xx |
2xx |
|
a pagan who became a Manichaean and later
a Christian; opposed Manichaeism |
Ambrose of Milan |
339c |
397 |
De
Fide Resurrectionis,
De Sacramentis, De Officiis Ministrorum, On Faith,
On the Holy Spirit, |
Bishop of Milan (374-397); was elected
Bishop while he was still a catechumen; influenced
Augustine to be converted to Christianity; one of the
Four Great Doctors in the Western Church (other three:
Gregory of the Great, Augustine, and Jerome); opposed
Arianism;
the first one who conveyed the ideas of
Transubstantiation in Eucharist and original sin from
Adam |
Amphilochius of Iconium
|
340 |
395c |
Iambi ad Seleucum |
Bishop of Iconium (373-); head of the
Council of Side in 390 which excommunicated Messalians
|
Anastasius Sinaita
|
6xx |
700c |
Hodegos (~Odhgo,j)
|
Abbot of the monastery of St Catherine on
Mount Sinai; opposed monophysitism |
Andrew of Caesarea |
4xx |
4xx |
Commentary on the Book of Revelation
|
Bishop of Caesarea; using threefold
interpretive model: historical, moral, and mystical
|
Andrew of Crete |
660c |
740 |
Great Canon, Homilies |
Bishop of Gortyna in Crete; hymn writer |
Anthony the Great (of Egypt) |
251c |
356 |
|
hermit; ascetic; organized his disciples
into a community of hermits living under rule; support
Athanasius in Arian controversy |
Aphrahat (Aphraates)
|
3xx |
3xx |
Demonstrationes |
ascetic; known as the Persian Sage; the
first of Syriac Church Fathers |
Apollinarius of Laodicea |
315c |
392 |
Commentaries, De Unione Corporis et Divinitatis in
Christo, Hymns, Sermons |
Bishop
of Laodicea; opposed Arianism; a leader of
Apollinarianism; denied the full human nature in Christ
(the presence of human mind or soul in Christ); his idea
that no human subject in Christ; implied that Christ’s
manhood was not complete |
Apollonius of Hierapolis |
1xx |
1xx |
Defense of Faith, Against Pagans
|
Bishop of Hierapolis
|
Aristides the Athenian
|
1xx |
1xx |
Apology |
a Christian apologist and philosopher;
his idea that Christians had a fuller understanding of
God than pagans or Jews |
Aristo of Pella |
1xx |
1xx/2xx |
Dialogue between Jason and Papiscus
|
Apologist; wrote Dialogue between
Jason and Papiscus the first of the literary
dialogues between a Jew and a Christian; provided an
account about the destruction of Jerusalem under Hadrian
in c135 |
Arnobius |
2xx |
327c |
Adversus Nationes
(or Adversus Gentes)
|
converted to Christianity by a dream;
Lactantius’s teacher |
Asterius of Amasea |
3xx |
4xx |
Homilies |
Bishop of Amasea in Pontus
|
Athanasius |
296c |
373 |
Against Arians, Life of Antony, Letters Concerning the
Holy Spirit, On Incarnation
|
the leader of opposing Arianism; support
homoousianism; by his conflict with Arianism he was
oppressed or exiled in the reigned of Constantine and
Constantius. His idea of the true deity of Son of God
and the Holy Spirit, which was in defense of the faith
proclaimed at the Council of Nicaea, triumphed over
Arianism at the Council of Constantinople in 381; Bishop
of Alexandria (328-373); one of the
Four Great Doctors in the Eastern Church
(other
three: Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, and John
Chrysostom) |
Athenagoras of Athens |
1xx |
1xx |
Legatio pro Christianis,
Supplication,
|
the Christian philosopher of Athens; the
first one to use a philosophical defense of the doctrine
of God as Three in One |
Atticus |
3xx |
425 |
Epistles |
Patriarch of Constantinople (406-);
opponent of John Chrysostom |
Augustine of Hippo |
354 |
430 |
Confessiones, Contra Iulianum, De Anima et Eius Origine,
De Civitate Dei,
De Cura pro Mortuis Gerenda, De
Genesi ad Litteram Libri Duodecim, De Quantitate Animae,
De Trinitate, Enarrationes in Psalmos, Sermones Ad
Populum |
Bishop of Hippo (395-430);
one of the
Four Great Doctors in the Western Church
(other
three: Ambrose of Milan, Gregory of the Great, and
Jerome);
gives the Western tradition its mature and final
expression; his idea that faith must precede
understanding (Anselm follows this idea); Trinitarian
Orthodoxy: 1. Divine nature should be express in the
singular, 2. Three Persons in one essence or substance,
3. The distinction of three Persons is grounded in their
mutual relation within in the Godhead, 4. The three
Persons are real and subsistent relation, 5. The Spirit
is the Spirit of Father and son, 6. The Spirit is the
mutual love of Father and Son, the consubstantial bond
which unites Father and Son, 7. Both Son and Spirit are
from Father. It does not mean that God has two sons,
because Son is begotten and Spirit proceeds; Human
Condition and God’s Grace: 1. Human have original sin
transmitted from Adam through their parents, 2. Human,
except Adam and Eve, do not have ability and freedom to
choose good or do good work without God’s grace, 3. God
knows who will accept his grace of salvation in advance;
then God gives him/her the grace that they cannot
reject. It means that God’s grace will not in vain in
salvation, 4. Because of the God’s grace, human can
choose to accept God’s grace. Therefore, human do not
have attribution on the salvation,
5.
God has mercy to those whom He wants to
save by His own will. Beside His mercy, no one can be
saved by oneself or other ways. This is Augustine’s
Predestination and Fatalism. |
Aurelius of Carthage
|
3xx |
430c |
Epistles |
presides over many ecclesiastical
councils; admired by Augustine of Hippo
|
Ausonius |
310c |
395c |
Epistles, Mosella |
Latin poet and rhetorician; tutor to the
future emperor Gratian; |
Avitus of Vienne |
450 |
518 |
Contra Eutychianum, De Spiritalis Historiae Gestis,
|
Bishop of Vienne (c490-518); advocate of the
movement for ecclesiastical union of Gaul with Rome;
|
Barnabas |
0xx |
61c |
Epistle of Barnabas |
a Jewish Levite of Cyprus; one of the
earliest Christian disciple at Jerusalem; called an
Apostle in Acts 14:14; introduced Paul to Apostles;
martyred at Salamis; founder and the first Bishop of the
Church of Milan; Apostolic Father |
Basil the Great (of Caesarea) |
330 |
379 |
Against Eunomius,
Epistulae,
Homiliae in Hexaemeron
, On the Holy Spirit |
Bishop of Caesarea (370-379);
the elder brother of Gregory of Nyssa and St. Macrina;
established hospitals and hostels for the poor;
one of the
Four Great Doctors in the Eastern Church
(other
three: Athanasius, Gregory of Nazianzus, and John
Chrysostom);
the leader of three
Cappadocian Fathers (with Gregory of
Nazianzus and Gregory of Nyssa); support Nicene Creed
and opposed Arians |
Bede
the Venerable |
673c |
735 |
Ecclesiastical History of the English
People,
Explanatio
Apocelypsis, Expositio Actuum Apostolorum et Retractatio,
Vita Metrica Sancti Cuthberti Episcopi
|
the foremost and most influential scholar
from England; Doctor of the Church
|
Benedict of Nursia
|
480c |
540 |
Rule of St Benedict |
Patriarch of Western monasticism; known
for his
Rule for his monks;
|
Boethius, Severinus
|
480c |
524s |
Consolation of Philosophy |
a philosopher and consul; influenced by
Neoplatonists; his definition of person as the
individual substance of a rational nature; his
definition of eternity as the simultaneous and perfect
possession of limitless life; his idea that through
philosophy the soul attains to knowledge of the vision
of God; canonized as St
Severinus |
Caesarius of Arles
|
470c |
542 |
Homilies |
Bishop of
Arles (502-); composed two monastic rules, one for monks and one
for nuns;
|
John Cassian
|
360c |
433c |
Conlationes, De Incarnatione Domini, De Institutis
Coenobiorum |
entered a monastery at Bethlehem; studied
monasticism in Egypt from c385; influenced by Evagrius
Ponticus and John Chrysostom; a deacon in the church of
Constantinople in c404; a close friend of Leo, the
future Pope; opposed Nestorius by his work De
Incarnatione Domini; established two monasteries
near Marseilles in c415; wrote De Institutis as
rules for monastic life which was used by St Benedict;
parts of his work Conlationes expressed
disagreement with Augustine’s doctrine of Grace, and
thus his position was called Semipelagianism; regarded
as a saint in the Eastern Church, but never canonized in
Western Church |
Cassiodorus
|
485c |
580c |
Historia Gothorum
(lost); Historia Ecclesiastica Tripartita
|
Roman senator; established the monastic
community of Vivarium near Naples, built up a library
where collected many important manuscripts and biblical
commentaries |
Chromatius of Aquileia
|
3xx |
407 |
Homilies |
mediated between Jerome and Rufinus
|
Clement of Alexandria |
150c |
215c |
Paedagogus, Protrepticus, Stromata
|
Hellenic Theologian; Origen’s Teacher;
believing in Christianity the fulfillment of Greek
philosophy; his theology is indebted to platonic
philosophy and Gnosticism |
Clement
of Rome |
0xx |
97c |
1
Clement
|
Bishop of Rome (88c-97c); his writings
provides important description of ministry and history
in his time and martyrdom of St. Peter and Paul;
Apostolic Father |
Columba of Iona
|
521 |
597 |
|
trained in Irish monasteries; founded a
monastery at Iona; anointed Gabrain as King of Scots of
Dalriada; established many churches in Ireland and
Scotland; known as “Dove of the Church”
|
Commodianus |
2xx /4xx |
2xx /4xx |
Apologeticum, Carmen, Instructions |
Christian Latin poet |
Cyprian of Carthage |
200c |
258 |
Ad
Quirinum, De Catholicae Ecclesiae Unitate, De Lapsis, De
Opere et Eleemosynis, Epistulae |
two years after his conversion (from a
pagan rhetorician) he was elected Bishop of Carthage
(c248-258); organized charitable works; believing
baptism outside the Church invalid; demanding the
rebaptism of schismatics; wrote on almsgiving as a means
of obtaining grace; martyr |
Cyril of Alexandria |
375c |
444 |
Apology against Julian the Apostate, Commentaries, De
Trinitate, Epistles, Thesaurus de Trinitates
|
Bishop of Alexandria (412-444); Athanasius’s
student;
opposed
Nestorius; outstanding teaching about the person and
saving work of Christ; his idea that Christ is God and
man at once, united without coalescence; Christ is one
subject (hypostasis) out of two natures; God died
humanly on the cross; his Second Letter to Nestorius was
made by the Third General Council (in Ephesus 431 ) as
its authoritative interpretation of Christology; Doctor
of the Church;
|
Cyril of Jerusalem |
317c |
386 |
Catechetical Lectures |
Bishop of Jerusalem (c349-);; three
banishments because of opposing Arianism; Doctor of the
Church
|
Damasus I |
304c |
384 |
(parts of) Decretum
Gelasianum |
Pope (366-384); active in suppressing heresy
including Arianism and Donatism; commissioned his
secretary St Jerome to revise the Latin biblical text;
established monuments of martyrs and adorned their tombs |
Didymus the Blind |
313 |
398 |
Adversus Eunomium, Commentaties,
(the fourth and fifth books of Basil of Caesarea’s)
|
blind from infancy; assigned by
Athanasius to the direction of Catechetical School at
Alexandria;
Jerome and
Rufinus’s teacher; opposed
Arianism
and
Macedonian heresy;
supported Origen’s teachings and thus condemned at the
Fifth
Ecumenical Councils
with Origen in 533 |
Diodore of Tarsus |
3xx |
390c |
Commentaries
|
Bishop of Tarsus;
A founder of Antioch School, which opposed Alexander
School on Christology; teacher of John Chrysostom and
Theodore of Mopsuestia; literal and historical exegesis;
opposed allegorism; opposed Apollinarius; insisting on
the complete humanity of Christ; one of the leading
figure at the Council of Constantinople (381);
|
Dionysius of Corinth |
1xx |
1xx/2xx |
Epistles |
Bishop of Corinth; his letter to the church
of Rhossus forbidding the reading of the Gospel of Peter
is very important information of history of the
canonization of Scripture |
Dionysius of Rome |
1xx /2xx |
268 |
|
Pope (259-268);
opposed
Sabellianism; sent help to the church of
Caesarea when it was invaded |
Dionysius of Alexandria
|
1xx/2xx |
264c |
De
Natura |
Bishop of
Alexandria (247c-264c); Origen’s student;
re-admitted the lapsed to the Church; supported, with
Pope Stephen, not to re-baptize heretics and schismatics;
opposed Sabellianism; accused of tritheism by Dionysius
of Rome; his work De Natura is the earliest
extant Christian opposition of Epicureanism; literal
interpretation to the Book of Revelation
|
(Pseudo-)Dionysius
the Areopagite |
4xx |
5xx |
Celestial Hierarchy, Divine Names, Ecclesiastical
Hierarchy, Mystical Theology, Epistles
|
mystical theologian; combined
Neoplatonism with Christianity; his idea that the union
of the whole created order with God; this union is the
final stage of threefold process of purification,
illumination, and perfection (or union); God is beyond
symbols and concepts; influenced greatly the Christian
mystical tradition |
Ephraem the Syrian |
306c |
373 |
Carmina Nisibena, De Nativitate, Hymns
|
wrote his works in Syriac, but soon
translated into Greek and Latin; established a Bible and
Theology school as well as women’s choirs to sing his
hymns at Edessa; his poetry greatly influenced Greek
hymnography; Doctor of the Church |
Epiphanius of Salamis |
315c |
403 |
Ancoratus
(
vAgkurwto,j),
Panarion |
Bishop of Salamis (367-); supported the
faith of Nicaea; attacked every heresy known from the
beginning of the Church by his work Panarion;
active in Apollinarianism and Melitian controversy;
joined Jerome in his attack on Origenism; opposed the
use of images in Christian worship
|
Eucherius of Lyon
|
3xx |
450c |
De
Contemptu Mundi, De Laude Heremi, Passio Agaunensium
Martyrum |
Bishop of Lyon (434c-), advocate of
asceticism |
Eugippius |
455c |
535c |
Life of St Severinus |
Abbot of Lucullanum; compiled a
collection of extracts from works of Augustine which was
popular in the Middle Ages; wrote rules of monks |
Eusebius of Caesarea |
260c |
340c |
Contra Marcellum, De Ecclesiastica Theologia, Historia
Ecclesiastica, Onomastico, Preparation for the Gospel,
Theophany, Vita Constantini, |
Bishop of Caesarea (315-); Father of Church
History; Pamphilus’s student; defense of Origen’s
teaching; opposed Sabellianism; active in Arian
controversy; supported Arius and thus condemned at the
Council of Antioch (324/5); reinstated by Constantine at
the Council of Nicaea (325); active until died |
Eusebius of Emesa |
2xx/3xx |
359c |
Homilies |
Bishop of Emesa, refused to fill the see of
Alexandria when Athanasius was deposed in 339 |
Eusebius of Vercelli |
3xx |
371 |
Epistles
|
first Bishop of Vercelli (340-); opposed
Arianism; exiled after the Synod of Milan; translated
Eusebius of Caesarea’s commentaries into Latin;
|
Evagrius Ponticus (Pamphilius)
|
345/6 |
399 |
De Diversis Malignis Cogitationibus,
De Octo Spiritibus Malitiae, Rerum Monachalium
Rationes, Monks, Praktikos. |
A student of Gregory of Nazianzus. Play a
central role in the history of Christian spirituality.
Influence Palladius, Cassian abd Maximus the Confessor.
Condemned for his Origenistic views. |
Firmilian |
1xx |
268 |
Epistles |
Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia
(230c-268); admired Origen; oppose Pope Stephen’s idea
that baptism outside the Church is still valid;
supported Cyprian’s idea that baptism valid only
performed in the Church and thus that heretics and
schismatics must be re-baptized; presided the first of
the Synod of Antioch |
Fulgentius of Ruspe |
468c |
533 |
Epistles, Homilies |
Bishop of Ruspe in North Africa (507c-);
resigned the Roman civil service for monastic life;
opposed Arianism and Pelagianism; follower of
Augustine’s teaching; banished to Sardinia with 60 other
Bishops by Arian king Thrasamund |
Gaius (Caius) |
1xx |
2xx |
Dialogue against Proclus |
Roman presbyter; orthodox Churchman;
opposed Montanist; rejected the Gospel of John and the
Book of Revelation as canon of Scripture and thus was
opposed by Hippolytus |
Gennadius of Massilia |
4xx |
4xx |
De
Viris Illustribus |
presbyter at Massilia; historian and
Semipelagian; his work
De Viris Illustribus
(continuation of Jerome’s book of the same name)
contains 101 notices of ecclesiastical writers in the
East and West, most in his times
|
Gregory of Nazianzus |
329c |
389c |
De
Rebus Suis, De Seipso et De Episcopis, De Vita Sua,
Epistulae, Five Theological Orations, Orationes |
After studied at university of Athens,
adopted the monastic life; Bishop of Constantinople
(379-381); made a great influence in restoring the faith
of Nicaea at the Council of Constantinople (381); one of
the
Four Great Doctors in the Eastern Church
(other
three: Athanasius, Basil the Great, and John Chrysostom);
the second of three
Cappadocian Fathers (with Basil the Great and Gregory of
Nyssa);
one of three
Orthodox
saints honored with the title The Theologian
|
Gregory of Nyssa |
331s |
395c |
Against Eunomius, Catechetical Oration, De Anima et
Resurrectione, De Hominis Opificis, De Virginitate,
Encomium in XL Martyres,
Vita Sanctae Marcrine
|
Bishop of Nyssa (371c-);
the younger brother of Basil the Great;
exegetical works and eschatology (believing both the
souls in hell and the devils will return to God) were
influenced by Origen;
supported
the faith of Nicaea; opposed Arianism and thus was
deposed from 376-378; played an important role at the
Council of Constantinople (381); supported that Christ
is one Person in two natures; the third of three
Cappadocian Fathers (with Basil the Great
and Gregory of Nazianzus) |
Gregory of Tours |
538 |
594 |
De
Virtutibus Sancti Martini, Historia Francorum,
Miraculorum Libri |
Bishop of Tours (573-); born in Gaul; wrote
early history of France (from the Creation to 591); his
writing about France history was honest but untidy |
Gregory Thaumaturgus |
213c |
270c |
Epistles |
Bishop of Neocaesarea; Origen, his teacher,
influence him to be converted to Christianity; after
returned to Neocaesarea, converted its pagan population;
because of rich legends of miracles attributed to him,
his was called “Thaumaturgus (the wonder worker)”;
opposed Paul of Samosata and Sabellianism at the first
Synod of Antioch |
Gregory the Great |
540c |
604 |
Dialogues, Homilies, Moralia in Job, Regula Pastoralis
|
Bishop of Rome (590-604); promoter of
monasticism; founded seven monasteries (6 in Sicily and
1 in Rome); powerful civil administration and military
defense of Italy during the invasion of the Lambards;
conducted a great amount of charity works; upheld the
supremacy of the Roman see; great success in his mission
to England (which began due to a encounter with a Saxon
slave in the market); his theology shows the ideal of
contemplative life; supported the veneration of relics;
influenced the doctrine of purgatory and the development
of liturgical music (“Gregorian Chant” was linked to his
name although it was formed long after his pontificate);
made important change in liturgy; one of the
Four Great Doctors in the Western Church
(other
three: Ambrose of Milan, Augustine, and Jerome) |
Hegesippus of Palestine |
110c |
180c |
Hypomnemata
(~upomnh,mata) |
a
Jewish
convert; opposed Gnostics; wrote succession list of
early Bishops of Rome (down to Anicetus, died c168)
which probably was the earliest list of Roman Bishops
|
Hermias |
1xx/2xx |
2xx |
The Satire of Hermias
(or Mockery of the Heathen Philosophers)
|
Christian philosopher who satirized pagan
philosophers and their opinions on the nature of God,
the soul and the world |
Hesychius of Jerusalem |
4xx |
4xx |
Homilies,
Church History
(lost) |
a monk, then a presbyter at Jerusalem;
supported Cyril of Alexandria’s view in Nestorian
controversy; opposed Theodore of Mopsuestia, Manichees,
Arians and Apollinarians |
Hilary of Poitiers |
315c |
367c |
De
Synodis, De Trinitate Libri Duodecim, Opus Historicum, |
Bishop of Poitiers, French (353-); opposed
Arianism and thus was condemned at the Synod of Biterrae
(356) and exiled by emperor Constantius; “Athanasius of
the West”; the most respected Latin theologian in his
age; the earliest known hymn writer in the West; Doctor
of the Church |
Hippolytus of Rome
|
170c |
236c |
Refutatio Omnium Haeresium, Commentarius in Danielem, The Apostolic Tradition |
Bishop of Rome; wrote The commentary
of Daniel, the first orthodox Bible commentary book
in Christianity history, and
The Apostolic Tradition,
recorded various rituals, including baptism and
Eucharist |
Ignatius of Antioch |
035c |
107c |
Epistolae Supposititiae |
the second (or third) Bishop of Antioch,
the successor of St Peter; opposed Docetism and claiming
the reality of both Christ’s divinity and humanity;
wrote seven letters while was taken to Roman for trial;
his letters provided important information regarding the
office of Bishop and promoted the significance of the
Bishop see (e.g. Eucharist and baptism cannot function
without Bishop who has been appointed by Christ);
nothing is known of the office of Bishop prior to
Ignatius; his words in letters were quoted by church
fathers; his letters were widely circulated in Christian
community; desire for martyrdom; on the way to martyrdom
from Antioch to Rome he wrote letters to the Church of
Rome, bagging them not to deprive him of impending
martyrdom by intervention; greatly honored by Polycarp;
Apostolic Father |
Irenaeus |
130s |
200c |
Adversus Haereses,
Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching |
Bishop of Lyons (c178); the Father of
Catholic dogmatics; Tertullian’s teacher; in his age,
Gnosticism was a serious threat to Christianity; his
work Adversus Haereses was mainly an attack of
Gnostics, particularly Valentinus; valued theological
tradition in the Church; emphasizing Christian
Monotheism (e.g. the unity of Father and Son in the work
of redemption); developed the doctrine of
“recapitulation” of human evolution in Incarnate Christ;
claiming the co-ordinate authority of four Gospels
|
Isaac of Nineveh |
6xx |
700c |
Homilies
|
Bishop of Nineveh (from c 676); after five
months as Bishop, he retired from the see to live a life
of solitude; his ascetic writings were translated into
Greek, Arabic, and Ethiopic, and selected homilies into
Latin; |
Isidore of Pelusium |
360c |
440c |
Epistles |
during the Third Council of Ephesus,
corresponded with Cyril of Alexandria; admired
Cappadocian Fathers and John Chrysostom; adopted
Christology of Alexandria but practiced literally and
historically biblical interpretations of Antioch;
honored as teacher of spiritual life
|
Isidore of Seville
|
560c |
636 |
Chronica Moiora; De Ecclesiastics Officiis, De Naura
Rerum, De Viris Illustribus, Etymologiarum,
Historia Gothorum, Vandalorum et Suevorum,
Sententiae, Synonyma, |
Bishop of Seville (c600-); presided the
second Council of Seville (619) and the fourth Council
of Toledo (633), which dealt with monastic discipline,
clerical education, and liturgical uniformity as well as
promoted a close relation between church and state; made
a great influence on the clerical scholars and the
churches in Spain as well as on culture and education of
west medieval Europe; his encyclopedic work
Etymologiarum
(in 20 books) was extremely popular in the Middle Age
and provided valuable source for learning; his work
Historia Gothorum, Vandalorum et Suevorum was
primary source for Spanish history; Doctor of the
Church; the last of the Fathers of the Western Church
|
Jacob of Sarug (Serugh)
|
451c |
521 |
Epistles, Homilies, Hymns |
Bishop of Batnae,
Sarug (519-521); called “the Flute of the
Holy Spirit” because of his homiletical writings
|
Jerome (/Eusebius Hieronymus) |
345c |
420 |
Apologia contra Rufinum,
Commentariorum in Danielem,
Epistolae,
Vita Sancti Hilarionis, Vita Sancti Pauli Eremitae, Vulgate
|
after having a dream, then fully devoted
himself to Christ faith and became a hermit in the
Syrian desert where he studied Hebrew; Pope Damascus’s
secretary from 382; requested by Pope Damascus, he
revised the Old Latin version of the Bible; he then
translated most of Scripture into vulgar Latin; his
translation thus named Vulgate, which became most
widely used in the West and the Bible of the Latin
church from the early Middle Ages until the Second
Vatican Council (1962-5); a abbot of a men’s monastery
at Bethlehem from 386 to death; advocated extreme
asceticism; one of the
Four Great Doctors in the Western Church
(other
three: Ambrose of Milan, Gregory of the Great, and
Augustine);
painted as a bishop with a red clothes
and a lion under his feet on Christian art works after
13th century. |
John Chrysostom |
347c |
407 |
Ad
Theodorum Lapsum, Homiliae de Statuis, Homiliae in Acta
Apostolorum,
Homiliae in Epistulam I & II ad
Corinthios, Homiliae in Epistolam ad Romanos, Homiliae
in Genesim, Homiliae in Johnnem, Homiliae in Matthaeum |
Bishop of Constantinople (398-); a
student of Diodore of Tarsus, the leader of School of
Antioch; a hermit (c373-c381) practicing austerity;
named “Chrysostom (golden-mouthed)” because of his
outstanding work of preaching which mainly concerned
with the moral reformation of the nominal Christians;
After becoming a Bishop of Constantinople in 398,
started reforming the city, especially the corruption of
court and clergy; accused of sheltering Tall Brothers
who fled from Egypt after the condemnation of Origenism,
and thus condemned and removed from the see at Synod of
Oak (403); despite the support of Pope Innocent I,
people of Constantinople, and the entire Western Church,
he was still exiled by his enemies, particularly Empress
Eudoxia; died in forced travelling on foot in exile in
severe weather with feeble health; the greatest of
Christian Bible commentator; one of the
Four Great Doctors in the Eastern Church
(other
three: Athanasius, Basil the Great, and Gregory of
Nazianzus) |
John Climacus |
570c |
649c |
Ladder of Divine Ascent |
Abbot at Sinai; his ascetic work
Ladder of Divine Ascent was an influential in the
eastern church |
John of Damascus |
660c |
750c |
Apostolic Discourses, Fountain Head of Knowledge,
Hiera (Sacra Parallela), Homilies
|
resigned his office in c706 and became a
monk near Jerusalem and then a priest; a strong
supporter of images and resister of the Iconoclastic
policy issued by emperor Leo the Isaurian; then
anathematized at the Iconoclastic council (754); against
Nestorians, monophysites, monothelites and Muslim
fatalism; offered the first account by a Christian
theologian concerning Islam as a heresy; drawing the
works of early Church Fathers, he wrote the fundamentals
of Christian faith, including on God, Trinity,
Christology, creation, human nature, providence, prayer,
Sacraments, Scriptures, and Last Things; his works were
a primary resource later theology and the Greek dogmatic
tradition; his greatest was probably his liturgy poetry;
Doctor of the Church;
the last of the Fathers of the Eastern
Church |
Julianus Pomerius |
4xx |
5xx |
The Contemplative Life |
a ascetical priest at Gaul; Caesarius of
Arles’s teacher; his work The Contemplative Life
presents the ideal of Christian life and was popular in
the Middle Ages |
Julius Africanus, Sextus |
180c |
250c |
Chronicles, Epistles |
played an important role in establishing
the new public library at the Pantheon, Rome;
corresponded with Origen and Aristides; his
Chronicles (a history of the world to 217)
affinities to chiliasm and expresses that Christ was
born in year 5500 (counted from the creation) and would
returned in the year 6000; his Chronicles partly
preserved in Eusebius’s Chronicles
|
Justin Martyr |
100c |
165c |
First Apology, Second Apology, Dialogus cum Tryphone
Judaeo |
converted from pagan philosopher to
Christianity in c130; a philosophical teacher teaching
Christian faith from c135 at Ephesus; opened a Christian
school at Rome in which Tatian was one of students; his
apologetical works mainly argued that Christianity was a
true philosophy showing the whole truth; his
First Apology
addressed to Emperor Antoninus Pius and his adopted
sons, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus; his
Second Apology,
addressed to Roman senate; created a formula of Trinity
(God is sun and Christ is sunshine but Christ is not
equal to God, is under God); according to an official
court report, he was scourged and beheaded due to being
denounced as a Christian and refusing to offer sacrifice
to Roman gods |
Juvencus |
2xx/3xx |
3xx |
Evangeliorum |
a Spanish priest; a Christian Latin poet;
his poetic work Evangeliorum writing Life of
Christ; this work was probably the first Christ epic
which was popular throughout the Middle Ages
|
Lactantius |
250c |
325c |
De
Ave Phoenice, De Opificio Dei, Divinae Institutiones, De
Ira Dei, De Mortibus Persecutorum
|
Arnobius’s student; appointed as
Diocletian’s teacher of Latin rhetoric, but lost the
post during Diocletian’s persecution of Christians in
c303; emperor Constantine made him tutor to his eldest
son Crispus in Gaul; his work Divinae Institutiones
offered a philosophy of religion and was the
systematic account of the Christian attitude to life in
Latin; his work De Mortibus Persecutorum
describes the horrible deaths of all persecutors and
also gives the earliest (survived) report about
Constantine’s famous dream by which he received
God’s instruction to mark a Christian
symbol on his soldiers’ shields for the decisive battle
of the Milvian Bridge in 312; was called “the Christian
Cicero” by the humanists of the Renaissance who showed a
special favor on Lactantius’s works |
Leo I (Leo the Great) |
400c |
461 |
Epistles, Homilies |
Pope (440-); opposed Pelagianism while as
a Roman deacon; promoted the power of central government
of the Church by claiming the supremacy of Pope was from
Divine and Scripture authority; a rescript by
Valentinian III recognized his jurisdiction over all the
Western province; the Council of Chalcedon (451)
accepted his Tome (Epistola Dogmatica) as a
standard of orthodox Christology; his political prestige
was enhanced by persuading the Hunds to withdraw (452)
and securing concessions from Vandals who took Rome
(455);
Doctor of the Church |
Leontius of Byzantium |
4xx |
543c |
Contra Nestorian et Eutychianos |
a monk of Palestine supported
Chalcedonian Christology; a dyophysite and opposed
monophysites; |
Lucian of Antioch |
2xx |
312 |
|
a presbyter and an influential teacher of
Antioch whose students included Arius and Eusebius of
Nicomedia; his Subordinationist teaching was probably
the primary source of Arian doctrine; a editor of a
revised text of Septuagint which became the standard Old
Testament text in Syria, Asia Minor, and
Constantinople;
was martyred at Nicomedia in 312 |
Lucifer |
3xx |
370c |
Epistles,
|
Bishop of Cagliari in Sardinia; fiercely
opposed
Arianism and defended
Athanasius
at the Council of Milan in 354; was banished to
Palestine and then Egypt by emperor Constantius II, a
supporter of Arians |
Macarius of Alexandria
|
3xx |
394c |
|
a Egyptian hermit lived near St Anthony;
a ordained priest; was persecuted by Arians
|
Macarius the Great (of Egypt) |
300c |
390c |
Spiritual Homilies |
established a monastery in the Desert of
Secete which became an important center of monasticism;
influenced by St Anthony |
Malchion |
2xx |
2xx/3xx |
Epistles |
A presbyter in Antioch; head of a
Hellenic rhetorical school at Antioch; wrote the letter
denouncing Paul of Samosata as a heretic
|
Marius Mercator |
3xx/4xx |
4xx |
|
Augustine’s disciple; opposed Pelagianism,
Theodore of Mopsuestia, and Nestorian;
|
Martin of Braga |
520c |
579 |
Capitula Martini, De Ira, Epistles,
Formula Vitae Honestae, Sententiae Patrum Aegyptiorum
|
a founder and abbot of a monastery at
Dumio, Spain; Bishop of Braga (c570-); presided at the
second Council of Braga (572); promoted the cult of St
Martin of Tours in Spain; translated saying of Desert
Fathers from Greek into Latin for his monks; was
influenced by John Cassian |
Martin of Tours |
316c |
397 |
|
as still a catechumen,
gave half of his only garment (a cloak) to the poor man;
that night in his dream Martin saw the appearance of the
Lord Christ who dressed in Martin’s garment
and honored Martin’s behavior; a hermit established a
monastery at Liguge; practiced and promoted monasticism;
evangelized the countryside; a well-known holy man and
healer and thus elected as
Bishop of Tours (317c-); Gregory of Tours
wrote Martin’s miracle works at his shrine by his
relics; a patron saint of France |
Martyios (Sahdona) |
5xx |
6xx |
Book of Perfection |
a monk; became Bishop of Mahoze; was
twice expelled because of his heretic teaching on
Christology; his work Book of Perfection expresses
asceticism and monastic ideal |
Maximus of Turin |
3xx |
408-23 |
Homilies |
Bishop of Turin; a preacher who made use of
allegory; his sermons were circulated in medieval
homiliaries |
Maximus the Confessor
|
580 |
662 |
Ambigua, Capita de Caritate, Mystagogia, Questiones ad
Thalassium, |
a Byzantine theologian; resigned the post
of Imperial Secretary under the emperor Heraclius and
became a monk in c614; opposed monothelites and
monophysites; was exiled in c635 due to violation of the
emperor’s decree of silence in the matter of Christ’s
will; his tongue and right hand were cut off in c662 and
then was exiled because of his refusal to compromise his
dyothelite position; made a great influence on
subsequent Byzantine theology and monastic practice
|
Melitius of Antioch |
3xx |
381 |
|
appointed Bishop of Antioch in 360 but was
exiled by emperor Constantius II (a supporter of
Arianism) immediately after gave his inaugural sermon
which clearly showed his anti-Arianism position;
restored to the see in 362 during Julia tenure; was
banished twice under the Arian emperor Valens; restored
in 378 and presided at the Council of Constantinople
(381), during which he died; the Melitian schism in
Antioch was a dispute between Melitius and his rival
orthodox party, Paulinus (consecrated by Lucifer of
Cagliari and supported by Athanasius) and his followers
who questioned Melitius’s theology; both groups had
their own Bishops after the schism for many until the
death of Melitius |
Melito of Sardis |
1xx |
190c |
Apology, On the Pasch
(Peti,
Pa,sca)
|
Bishop of Sardis in Asia Minor;
anti-Judaism; an supporter of Quartodeciman practice and
orthodox Christology; described Christ as by nature God
and Man; wrote apology addressed to emperor Marcus
Aurelius; influenced Irenaeus and Tertullian
|
Methodius of Olympus
|
2xx |
311c |
Symposium
(Sumpo,sion),
On Free Will, on the Resurrection,
|
Bishop of
Olympus in Lycia; an opponent of Origen; death in the
Diocletianic persecution; |
(Marcus) Minucius Felix
|
1xx/2xx |
2xx/3xx |
Octauius |
an Latin apologist; wrote Octauius
in elegant Latin to attack pagan mythology and
defend Christianity; |
Moses Khorenac’i |
4xx |
4xx |
History of Armenia |
an historian of Armenia and the Armenian
church; known as the father of Armenian national history
|
Nectarius of Constantinople |
3xx |
397 |
Homily |
Bishop of
Constantinople (381-397); was selected by
Theodosius I in 381 to succeed Gregory of Nazianzus in
the imperial see while unbaptized; became Bishop after
baptism and presided over the final stage of the second
Oecumenical Council |
Niceta (Nicetas) of Remesiana |
3xx |
414c |
Diversis Appellationibus, De Ratione Fidei, De Spiritu
Sancto, De Vigiliis, Explanatio Symboli,
|
Bishop of Remesiana (370-414c); opposed
Arianism and the Pneumatomachi; his work was a primary
source for the history of the Apostles’ Creed
|
Nilus of Ancyra |
3xx |
430c |
De
Monachorum, De Voluntaria Paupertate, Epistles
|
Bishop of Ancyra; a disciple of John
Chrysostom and founder of a monastery near Ancyra; his
letters provide information about the survival
paganism |
Nonnus of Panopolis
|
400c |
4xx |
Paraphrasis in Iohannem |
a Christian poet from Panopolis |
Novatian |
2xx |
258c |
De
Trinitate, Epistles, On Jewish Meats, On Public Shows,
On the Advantage of Christianity
|
a Roman presbyter and a counter Bishop in
Rome; his work De Trinitate was a theologically
unequaled work in the west before 350; Novatianism came
from his view that the holiness of the Church would be
stained by permitting those who had compromised or
apostatized to return; his view was supported by Antioch
but rejected by Dionysius of Alexandria; a martyr under
Valerian persecution (257-8) |
Oecumenius |
5xx |
5xx |
Apocalypse |
author of the earliest extant
Greek
commentary on the
Book of Revelation which does not mentions earlier
commentaries and which earned him the names “Rhetor“ and
“Philosopher”; this
commentary views the
Book of Revelation as a divinely inspired
canonical Book |
Optatus of Milevis
|
3xx |
3xx |
Against the Donatists |
Bishop of Milevis in North Africa; wrote
Against the Donatists,
from which Augustine took many
ideas when he opposed Donatists;
|
Origen |
185c |
254c |
Contra Celsum, De Principiis, Epistula ad Africanum,
Hexapla, Homiliae in Exodum, Homiliae in Genesim, In
Canticum Canticorum, In Ieremiam,
On Prayer,
Exhortation to Martyrdom |
practiced a strictly ascetical life of
fasting, vigils, and voluntary poverty; mutilated
genital by himself (interpreting Mt. 19:12 literally);
recognized three-fold understandings of the Scripture,
literal, moral and allegorical; well-known
by his allegorical interpretation of the Bible;
advocated
Subordinationism, Christ and Holy Spirit is subordinate
to God; was opposed by his Bishop in Alexandria but was
supported by Bishops of Caesarea and Aelia;
was imprisoned and suffered prolonged torture during the
persecution of Decius;
posthumously anathematized at
Fifth Ecumenical Council
in 533 for his teachings, including origin of the soul
and universalism; greatly admired by Cappadocian
Fathers; probably the most
prolific Christian writer among Church Fathers (about
2000 works, including commentaries on almost every book
of the Scripture, hundreds of homilies and production by
dictation);
probably no one, except the apostle Paul,
have more influential than Origen on Christian thought
|
Orosius |
3xx/4xx |
4xx |
Commonitorium,
Historia adversus Paganos |
a historian from Spain; his view of
history in his Historia adversus Paganos followed
Augustine’s view in De Civitate Dei
|
Pachomius |
290c |
346 |
Rules
(for the monks)
|
founder of coenobitic monasticism;
established a monastery at Tabennisi near Nile in c320;
as abbot-general over nine monasteries before death |
Pacian of Barcelona |
310c |
391c |
Epistles, Paraenesis ad Poenitentiam
|
Bishop of Barcelona; opposed Novatianism;
his famous epigram, “My name is Christian; my family
name is Catholic” |
Palladius of Helenopolis
|
364c |
425 |
Dialogue, Historia Lausiaca |
Bishop of Helenopolis in Bithynia; Evagrius
Ponticus’s student; supported John Chysostom and thus
was exiled in 406; was accused by Jerome of Origenism;
his work
Historia Lausiaca (dedicated to Lausus) provides important
information of early monasticism;
|
Pamphilus of Caesarea |
240c |
309c |
Apology for Origen |
Origen’s disciple and Pierius’s student;
a leader of a theological school at Caesarea; a martyr
under the persecution of Maximinus Daza |
Pantaenus |
1xx |
190c |
|
converted to Christianity from Stoicism;
a leader of a Catechetical school at Alexandria;
Clement of Alexandria’s teacher; a pioneer of spiritual
interpretation of the Scripture
|
Papias |
060c |
130 |
Expositions of the Oracles of the Lord
(Aogi,wn
Kuriakw/n VExhgh,seij) |
Bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor; his
work
Expositions of the Oracles of the Lord
describes the Gospel of Matthew written
in Hebrew and the Gospel of Mark faithfully recording
the preaching of St Peter but not in good order; upheld
materialistic view of Millennium |
Patrick |
3xx/4xx |
460c |
Confession, Epistles |
Apostle of the Irish; born in Britain;
captured by Irish pirates at the age of 16 and became a
slave (a herdsman) in Ireland for 6 years; escaped from
captivity by Divine help; became a Bishop around 432 and
then went to Ireland and spent the rest of life
evangelizing and educating the Irish
|
Paulinus of Nola |
355 |
431 |
Epistles,
Poems |
Bishop of Nola; served as governor of
Campania while still a young man; converted to
Christianity and went to North Spain; began giving their
fortune to the poor after the death of his only son and
lived a life of continence; was acquainted with Martin
of Tours, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine; his poetic works,
like Prudentius’s, as the foremost Christian Latin poet
|
Peter Chrysologus |
400c |
454 |
Epistles, Homilies |
Bishop of Ravenna (433-454); wrote a letter
to Eutyches in 499 to ask him to submit to the Roman see
and to its orthodoxy; was named “Chrysologus
(golden-worded)” as a counterpart of “Chrysostom
(golden-mouthed)”; Doctor of the Church |
Peter of Alexandria |
2xx |
311 |
|
Bishop of
Alexandria (300-311); survived the persecution of
Diocletian and then declared a moderate policy regarding
the readmission to the Church of those who had lapsed in
persecution; this policy provoked Melitius’s schism; his
work shows opposing Origenism; was beheaded in the
persecution of Maximin; Eusebius name him “a model
Bishop” |
Philip of Side |
3xx |
4xx |
Christian History
(Cristianikh.
~Istori,a) |
a deacon ordained by Chrysostom and then
became a priest; wrote Christian History
depicting events from the creation to his times; wrote a
defense against Julian the apostate |
Philoxenus of Mabbug |
440c |
523 |
Commentaries, Discourses on the Christian Life, Epistles |
Bishop of Mabbug (Hierapolis) from 485; a
monophysite; like his contemporary Severus of Antioch,
as a leading thinkers in Syrian Orthodox Church;
initiated a new translation of the Bible; was exiled on
the accession of Justin I |
Polycarp |
069c |
155c |
Epistles to Philippians
|
Apostolic Father; Bishop of Smyrna; an
important Christian figure who links the Apostolic Age
with the time of Apostolic Fathers; critically opposed
Marcionites and Valentinians; have conversations with
the Apostle John and those who had seen Jesus; his
letters shows a significant acquaintance with the New
Testament, particularly the Pastoral Epistles; went to
Rome to discuss with the Bishop which resulted in an
agreement that each church could maintain its own custom
and that church in Asia could continue the Qartodeciman
practice; during a public pagan festival, was arrested
around the age of 86 because of refusal to recant his
faith; Martyrium Polycarpi, written by his
church, recorded his trial and martyrdom (first by
burning and then by dragger) as well as the first
Christian account of martyrdom and the earliest witness
to the Christian practice of having meal for the dead,
especially the martyrs
|
Proclus of Constantinople |
3xx |
446 |
Epistles, Homilies
(Tome
of St Proclus)
|
Bishop of Constantinople (434-446); as a
priest, opposed Nestorius by a sermon on the
Theotokos in the presence of Nestorius in c428 which
was eventually placed in the acts of the Council of
Ephesus (431); his
Tome
described one Christ in two natures and
condemned Theodore of Mopsuestia’s view; the traditional
formula that “One of the trinity was crucified according
to the flesh” has been ascribed to him
|
Prosper of Aquitaine |
390c |
463c |
Carmen de Ingratis
(a hexameter poem),
Chronicle, Epistles |
opposed Semipelagianism; his letter to
Augustine shows that his teaching followed Augustine’s
doctrines of grace and predestination but was opposed by
John Cassian’s adherents; by his exposition, Augustinian
doctrines was transmitted into the Council of Orange
(529); made a great influence on the Carolingian
theologians |
Quadratus of Athens |
0xx |
1xx |
Apology |
the earliest Christian apologist who
wrote in Asia Minor an apology addressed to emperor
Hadrian in c124; his apology testified the continuing
testimony of those who were healed and raised from death
by Jesus |
Quodvultdeus |
3xx |
c453 |
De
Tempore Barbarico, Epistles, Homilies |
Bishop of Cartage (c437-); while as a
deacon at Cartage, he wrote two letters regarding
heresies to Augustine who responded with his work De
Haeresibus (but Augustine did not complete this work
before death); was expelled from the Bishop see when the
city was captured by Gaiseric; died in exile |
Rabbula |
3xx |
435 |
Epistles,
Hymns |
Bishop of Edessa (412-435); opposed
Nestorianism and Theodore of Mopsuestia; the leader in
the Syrian Church; ally of
Cyril of Alexandria and translated Cyril’s
Christological work into the Christian community of
Edessa which previously linked to the teachings Theodore
of Mopsuestia (the teaching against
Cyril’s Christology);
wrote rules for the life of monks and
clergy |
Romanus (Romanos) Melodus
|
485c |
560c |
Kontakia |
the most important composer of
Kontakia (metric sermons chanted to music); his
Kontakia works, such as On the Nativity and
On the Resurrection, are regarded as a
masterpiece of world literature |
Rufinus, Tyrannius (of Aquileia) |
345c |
410c |
Apologies
(on Origenism), Commentary
on Apostles’ Creed,
Translation Works |
Jerome’s friend; a monk; a student of Didymus the
Blind at Alexandria who taught him Origenism;
established with Melania the Elder a monastery on the
Mount of Olivers; was significant in translating Greek
theological works into Latin, including the works of
Basil, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Eusebius; his
translation of Origen’s De Principiis is the only
complete text among survived texts; supported Origenism
|
Salvian of Marseilles |
400c |
480c |
Ad
Ecclesiam, De Gubernatione Dei, Epistles |
a priest; wrote treatise Ad Ecclesiam
to the Church for a plea of almsgiving; under the
circumstance of the barbarian invasions, wrote De
Gubernatione Dei as a justification of divine
providence |
Sedulius |
3xx/4xx |
4xx |
Hymns, Paschale Carmen,
Paschale Opus |
a priest; a Christian Latin poet; his
poems were popular in the Middle Ages;
|
Severian of Gabala |
3xx |
408c |
Homilies,
|
Bishop of Gabala; strongly opposed John
Chrysostom; played a leading role in the Synod of Oak
(403) for deposing John Chrysostom; his sermons were
wide circulated |
Severus of Antioch
|
465c |
538 |
Homilies,
Epistles |
a monk; became Bishop of Antioch in 512 when
Flavian was deposed; a leader of the moderate
monophysites; was deposed on the accession of the
orthodox emperor Justin I (518) because of his
monophysite position; was excommunicated by a
Constantinopolitan synod in 528
|
Sidonius Apollinaris |
430c |
486c |
Epistles,
Poems |
a statesman in Rome; still a layman, was
elected as Bishop of Clermont and then distributed his
wealth in charities; was exiled when Goths occupied the
city in 475, but was reinstated in c476; his poems and
epistles are an important source for the history of
Gaul |
Socrates Scholasticus
|
380c |
450 |
Church History |
a lawyer and a Greek Church historian;
wrote Church History which was designed to
continue Eusebius’s work and covers the year 306-349 and
which was highly regarded by modern historians; his work
also shows a sympathy with the Novatianists
|
Sophronius |
560c |
638 |
Homilies,
Poems |
Bishop of Jerusalem (634-639); a monk;
the chief opponent of monothelitism, which was supported
by Cyrus of Alexandria and emperor Heraclius
|
Sozomen |
3xx |
4xx |
Historia Ecclesiastica |
wrote Historia Ecclesiastica,
which covers the year 325-425; though his work has
better literary style than Socrates
Scholasticus, his failure to cite his
sources made him less regard by modern historians
|
Sulpicius Severus |
360c |
420c |
Chronicorum, Dialogues, Epistles, Uita sancti Martini
Turonensis |
disciple and biographer of
Martin of Tours; Paulinus of Nola’s friend and Martin if
Tours’s disciple; lived in an ascetic life; a priest;
his
Uita sancti Martini Turonensis
made great influence on later hagiography;
wrote
Chronicorum in classical style which cover the period from
creation to 400 and which gives an important information
about Priscillian |
Synesius of Cyrene
|
370c |
414c |
De
Insomniis, Epistles, Hymns |
Bishop of Ptolemais (410-414); defended
the city against Berber invasion; accepted to become a
Bishop with the condition of keeping his wife and his
philosophical beliefs which he have learned from
Alexandria Neoplatonist Philosopher Pypatia; most his
works appear more philosophical ideas than Christian
ones |
Tatian |
1xx |
1xx |
Diatessaron, On Morals, On Perfection according to the
Savior, Oratio ad Graecos |
had Greek rhetoric and philosophy
education before conversion to Christianity in the
middle of 2nd century; Justin’s student; became a Greek
apologist and rigorist; established the ascetic sect of
the Encratities which opposed marriage and eating meat;
creator of
Diatessaron,
the edition of the four Gospels in a continuous and
harmonious narratives, which was used in Syriac Church
as the standard text of Gospels until the 5th century
and then was replaced by the four separate Gospels or by
the Peshitta version in the area which considered Titian
as a heretic |
Tertullian |
160c |
225c |
Ad
Nationes, Adversus Marcionem, Adversus Praxeam, Adversus
Valentinianos, Apologeticum, De Anima, De Fuga in
Persecutione, De Ieiunio Adversus Psychicos, De
Resurrectione Carnis
(Mortuorum), Scorpiace
|
had a good education in literature and
rhetoric; a layer; was converted to Christianity before
197; joined the Montanist sect; his apologetic works
pleaded for the toleration of Christianity; declared
that Christians were not dangerous to the state but good
and useful citizens who live in a high moral standard of
life; his famous saying that the blood of martyrs is the
seed of the Church; probably the editor of Passio
Sanctarum Perpetuae et Felicitatis; in his early
works, claimed that the one true Church alone has
authority of interpreting Scripture; opposed Marcion;
made a great influence on the formula of the doctrine of
Trinity (Economic
Trinity)
in Christian tradition; his work De Anima
prompted Traducianism which become a dominant belief in
Latin theology through Augustine; opposed philosophy as
a tool of truth or Christian faith; accepted Montanist
ideas of eschatology, immediacy of the Spirit, prophecy,
ecstasy; asceticism, and the holiness of the Church; The
first Latin Father and the Father of Latin theology
|
Theodore of Mopsuestia |
350c |
428 |
Commentaries, Controversy with the Macedonians, Homilies
|
Bishop of Mopsuestia (392-428);
entered the monastic school of Diodore of
Tarsus at Antioch with John Chrysostom; following
Diodore of Tarsus’s teaching, opposed Alexandria
allegorical interpretation of Scripture, and used
historical and literal approaches; opposed Arians and
Apollinarians and supported the orthodoxy of the Council
of Constantinople (381); was condemned at the Council of
Ephesus (431) as well as the Second Council of
Constantinople (553) when Justinian tried to appease the
monophysites |
Theodoret of Cyrus |
393c |
460c |
Commentaries, Compendium of Heretical Fables, Epistles,
Eranistes, Graecarum Affectionum Curatio, Historis
Ecclesiastica, Religious History |
Bishop of Cyrus (423-); distributed his
wealth to the poor and entered a monastery at Nicerte in
c416; wrote
Historis Ecclesiastica
which continues Eusebius’s work down to 428;
supporter of Nestorius and opponent of
Cyril of Alexandria; opposed monophysites; a leading
figure of two-nature Christology (Antioch School’s
Christology); argued a duality in Christ-- the
unconfused co-existence of Divine and human natures in
Christ; was accused of dividing Christ into Two Sons in
488 by Dioscorus, Cyril’s successor; the Council of
Latrocinium (Robber Council) at Ephesus (449) deposed
him; reluctantly anathematized Nestorius in the Council
of Chalcedon (451) and then reinstated his see; his
works against Cyril of Alexandria was anathematized by
the Council of Constantinople (553)
|
Theodotus |
3xx |
445c |
Explanation of the Creed of Necaea,
Sermons, Six Books against Nestorius
(lost), |
Bishop of Ancyra; support Cyril of
Alexandria’s Christology at the Council of Ephesus
(431); was condemned at the Council of Tarsus (432)
|
Theophilus of Antioch |
1xx |
1xx |
Against Marcion, Against the Heresy of Hermogenes,
Apology |
Bishop of Antioch; wrote Apology
addressed to Autolycus; developed the doctrine of Logos
beyond any of his predecessors; the first theologian to
use the term “triad (tria,j)”
for God, His Word, and His Wisdom; opposed Marcion and
Hermogenes |
Tychonius |
3xx |
390s |
Commentaries, Liber Regularum
|
a donatist theologian whom
Augustine of Hippo regarded highly; though affiliated in
African Donatist
Church, opposed his fellow’s views and argued that the
Church composed of both good and bad Christians;
wrote
Liber Regularum
which provides seven rules for
interpreting Scripture and which was included in
Augustine’s De Doctinea Christiana; his exegetic
works were commonly quoted and used by medieval
commentators, such as Primasius and Bede
|
Valerian of Cemele (Cimiez) |
3xx/4xx |
4xx |
Homilies
|
Bishop of Cemele in Gaul; inclined to
Semipelagianism |
Venantius Fortunatus |
535c |
610c |
De
Excidio Theoingiae, Hymns, Pange Lingua Gloriosi, Poems,
Vexilla Regis |
Bishop of Poitier; pilgrimage to St
Martin of Tour’s shrine in gratitude for the cure of his
eye-illness was cured; a priest in Poitier; Gregory of
Tour encouraged him to publish his poetry; wrote lives
of several saints, including Martin of Tour and Hilary
of Poitier; was regarded as the first of the medieval
poets |
Victor of Capua |
4xx |
554 |
Reticulus |
Bishop of Capua (541-); wrote a harmony
of the Gospels which was based the Vulgate text and was
preserved in Codex Fuldensis |
Victorinus of Pettau |
2xx |
304c |
Commentaries, Excerpta |
Bishop of Pettau in Pannonia; the earliest
known exegete to write in Latin; follower of Origen; a
martyr probably under the persecution of Diocletian; his
works were condemned the Decretum Gelasianum because of
his millenarianism tendency |
Vincent of Lérins |
3xx |
450c |
Commonitorium |
a monk on the island of
Lérins; opposed Augustinianism and supported
Semipelagianism; his work
Commonitorium
made great influence, was multiplied through many
translations, and provided a threefold formula to avoid
heretic teaching: authoritative interpretation of
Scripture by the Church, and the complementary authority
of general Councils |
Zeno of Verona |
3xx |
380c |
Homilies |
Bishop of Verona (c362-c380); opposed
Arianism; active in almsgiving and concern for the poor;
his sermons show the influence of Tertullian, Cyprian,
and Lactantius as well as Virgil; was represented with a
fish in art |