What does fathers of the church mean?

Definitions for fathers of the church
fa·thers of the church

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word fathers of the church.

Wikipedia

  1. fathers of the church

    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 period in which they worked became known as the Patristic Era and spans approximately from the late 1st to mid-8th centuries, flourishing in particular during the 4th and 5th centuries, when Christianity was in the process of establishing itself as the state church of the Roman Empire. In traditional dogmatic theology, authors considered Church Fathers are treated as authoritative, and a somewhat restrictive definition is used. The academic field of patristics, the study of the Church Fathers, has extended the scope of the term, and there is no definitive list. Some, such as Origen and Tertullian, made major contributions to the development of later Christian theology, but certain elements of their teaching were later condemned.

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

  1. Fathers of the Church

    the early teachers of Christianity and founders of the Christian Church, consisting of live Apostolic Fathers—Clement of Home, Barnabas, Hermes, Ignatius, and Polycarp, and of nine in addition called Primitive Fathers—Justin, Theophilus of Antioch, Irenæus, Clemens of Alexandria, Cyprian of Carthage, Origen, Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius of Alexandria, and Tertullian. The distinctive title of Apostolic Fathers was bestowed upon the immediate friends and disciples of the Apostles, while the patristic period proper may be said to commence with the 2nd century, but no definite date can be assigned as marking its termination, some closing it with the deaths of Gregory the Great (601) and John of Damascus (756), while Catholic writers bring it down as far as the Council of Trent (1542); discarded among Protestants, the Fathers are regarded by Catholics as decisive in authority on points of faith, but only when they exhibit a unanimity of opinion.

Etymology and Origins

  1. Fathers of the Church

    The great doctors or theological writers of the period from the first to the seventh centuries of Christianity. See “Apostolic Fathers.”

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of fathers of the church in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of fathers of the church in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3

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"fathers of the church." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/fathers+of+the+church>.

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