Various early Christian writers wrote

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

s and other books, some of which were canonized as the New Testament canon developed. The Apostolic Fathers were prominent writers who are traditionally understood to have met and learned from

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

's personal disciples. The

Church Fathers The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical peri ...

are later writers with no direct connection to the disciples (other than the claim to

apostolic succession Apostolic succession is the method whereby the Christian ministry, ministry of the Christian Church is considered by some Christian denominations to be derived from the Twelve Apostles, apostles by a continuous succession, which has usually been ...

). Early Christian apologists tried to defend Christianity against its critics, especially the

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...

and Roman philosophers. Dates given, if not otherwise specified, are of their writings or

bishopric In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

, not of their lives. * Paul of Tarsus, "Apostle to the Gentiles", earliest New Testament author 45~65 *

Four Evangelists In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew the Apostle, Matthew, Mark the Evangelist, Mark, Luke the Evangelist, Luke, and John the Evangelist, John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four canonical Gospel accounts ...

, traditionally identified as the authors of the canonical gospels 60~125 * Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, apostolic father 68~107 * Marcion of Sinope, evangelist and theologian, founder of Marcionism, published the first known canon of the New Testament, 85~160 * Clement of Rome, bishop of Rome, apostolic father 88~101 * Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, apostolic father 110~130 * Polycarp of Smyrna, bishop of Smyrna, apostolic father 110~160 * Aristides of Athens, apologist ~120 * Justin Martyr, church father ~165 * Melito of Sardis, bishop of Sardis, ~180 *

Irenaeus Irenaeus ( or ; ; ) was a Greeks, Greek bishop noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christianity, Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the development of Christian theology by oppos ...

, bishop of Lyon, disciple of Polycarp, apologist 180~202 * Origen of Alexandria, 185~254, Neoplatonist, controversial during his lifetime, posthumously condemned at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 * Tatian, pupil of Justin Martyr, ascetic theologian ~185 * Athenagoras of Athens, philosopher, apologist ~190 * Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, excommunicated by Victor I of Rome over the Easter controversy ~196 * Montanus, self-proclaimed prophet and founder of Montanism, last quarter of 2nd century CE *

Tertullian Tertullian (; ; 155 – 220 AD) was a prolific Early Christianity, early Christian author from Roman Carthage, Carthage in the Africa (Roman province), Roman province of Africa. He was the first Christian author to produce an extensive co ...

, church father, apologist, first Christian writer in Latin, later a Montanist 197~230 * Hippolytus, church father, sometimes termed the first Antipope, reconciled with the church and died a martyr 217~236 *

Cyprian Cyprian (; ; to 14 September 258 AD''The Liturgy of the Hours according to the Roman Rite: Vol. IV.'' New York: Catholic Book Publishing Company, 1975. p. 1406.) was a bishop of Carthage and an early Christian writer of Berbers, Berber descent, ...

, bishop of Carthage, martyr 218~258 *

Clement of Alexandria Titus Flavius Clemens, also known as Clement of Alexandria (; – ), was a Christian theology, Christian theologian and philosopher who taught at the Catechetical School of Alexandria. Among his pupils were Origen and Alexander of Jerusalem. A ...

, church father, Bishop of Alexandria ~220 * Novatian, a rigorist and Antipope in 251 * Dionysius, patriarch of Alexandria, pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church 248~264 * Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch, adoptionist, condemned at 269 Council of Antioch * Athanasius of Alexandria, c. 297~373, patriarch of Alexandria, defender of the Trinitarian doctrine * Donatus Magnus, bishop of Carthage, (+355), leader of the Donatists from 313 * Lactantius, apologist ~317 * Arnobius, apologist ~330 * Eusebius, wrote ''History of the Church'' ~325 * Augustine of Hippo, 354-430, Latin church father, wrote ''Confessions'' and ''City of God''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Early Christian Writers Ancient Christian texts Writers Writers, early Early Christian

See also

References