Reference · Teaching 21
The Church Fathers — Cheat Sheet
Two groups, not one
| Group | Who and when |
|---|---|
| Church Fathers | Early Christian teachers and writers, roughly 2nd to 7th centuries, East and West |
| Apostolic Fathers | The earliest subset, near the apostles' time (Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp) |
Reliable connections
| Claim | Source |
|---|---|
| Polycarp was taught by John | Irenaeus, quoted in Eusebius, Church History 5.20 |
| Clement was third bishop of Rome | Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.3.3 |
| Who personally trained Ignatius | Later tradition, not established |
The one-line argument to remember
Start from agreement: "I know the Fathers disagreed about some things. I'm asking what they agreed on, like bishops in succession, baptism as new birth and the Eucharist as Christ's body."
Nuance to hold onto
- No single Father is infallible. The value is in witness and agreement.
- Cite the work and section, and say which readings are disputed.
- Leave out quotations you can't trace (such as the "Chrysostom on faith alone" line).