The Patristic Era of Church History (33 to 590 AD)

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The Patristic era of church history ran from 33 to 590 AD. It had three subunits: Apostles; Martyrs; and Emperors.

 


CONTENTS

Apostles. From 33 to 100 AD

Martyrs. From 100 to 311 AD

Emperors. From 311 to 590 AD


APOSTLES
33 to 100 AD

 

Clement I of Rome (died 97 AD)

Disciple of the apostles, saint, Apostolic Father, pope.

WROTE:

The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthi­ans

 

MARTYRS
100 to 311 AD

 

Ignatius of Antioch (died 107 AD)

Martyr, saint, Apostolic Father, bishop of Antioch.

The Shepherd of Hermas

WROTE:

The Didache

Diognetus Justin

WROTE:

Epistle to Diognetus

Polycarp (died 155 AD)

Saint, Apostolic Father, bishop of Smyrna

Justin the Martyr (died 165 AD)

Saint, martyr, layman, Apolo­gist

Irenaeus of Lyons (died 202 AD)

Saint, bishop, opposed gnosti­cism

WROTE:

Adversus Haereses

Clement of Alexandria (died 215 AD)

Catechist

Tertullian (died 225 AD)

Disciple of Justin the Martyr, apologist, opposed gnosticism

Hippolytus (died 236 AD)

Saint, opposed gnosti­cism

WROTE:

Apostolic Tradition of Hippolytus

Origen (died 251 AD)

Tortured for the faith

WROTE:

Bible Commentaries

Cyprian of Carthage (died 258 AD)

Martyr, saint, bishop, opposed No­vatianism

WROTE:

On the Unity of the Church

Letters

Dionesius of Alexandria (died 265 AD)

Anastasius of Antioch (died 302 AD)

Martyr

 

EMPERORS
311 to 590 AD

 

First Council of Nicaea (325 AD)

Ecumenical Council. Attended by more than 300 bishops. Condemned the Arian heresy. Declared that God the Father and God the Son were of the same substance.

Hilary of Poitiers (died 368 AD)

Doctor of the Catholic Church

WROTE:

De Trinitate

Athanasius of Alexandria (died 370 AD)

Doctor of the Catholic Church

WROTE:

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers

On the Incarnation

Ephraem the Syrian (died 373 AD)

Doctor of the Catholic Church

Deacon

WROTE:

On the Diatessaron

Basil the Great (died 379 AD)

Doctor of the Catholic Church

Cappadocian theolo­gian,  Father of Monasticism in the East

WROTE:

Contra Eunomium

On the Holy Spirit

First Council of Constantinople (381 AD)

Ecumenical Council. Attended by 150 bishops. Completed the Nicene Creed.

Cyril of Jerusalem (died 386)

Doctor of the Catholic Church

WROTE:

Catechesis

Gregory Nazianzen (died 390 AD)

Doctor of the Catholic Church

Bishop of Constan­tinople

Gregory of Nyssa (died 395 AD)

Cappadocian Father

WROTE:

Life of Moses

Ambrose of Milan (died 397 AD)

Doctor of the Catholic Church

Opposed Arianism

WROTE:

On Virginity

John Chrysostom (died 407 AD)

Doctor of the Catholic Church

Renown preacher, Bishop of Constantinople, greatest of the Greek Fathers

WROTE:

Bible Commentary (multi-volume series)

Jerome (died 419 AD)

Doctor of the Catholic Church

Father of Biblical Science, controversialist

Sulpitius Severus (died 420 AD)

Augustine of Hippo (died 430 AD)

Doctor of the Catholic Church

WROTE:

Confessions

City of God

Bible Commentary (multi-volume set)

Sermons (multi-volume set)

Council of Ephesus (431 AD)

Ecumenical Council. Attended by 200 bishops. Condemned Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople, for teaching heresy. Defined Theotokos (Bearer of God) as the title of Mary, mother of the Son of God made Man.

John Cassian (died 433 AD)

Preserved the teachings of the Desert Fathers

WROTE:

Institutiones

Confer­ences

Cyril of Alexandria (died 444 AD)

Doctor of the Catholic Church

WROTE:

On the Gospel of John

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (died in the 400s)

Mystic

WROTE:

Di­vine Names

Mystical Theology

The Celestial Hierarchy

Peter Chrysologus (died 450 AD)

Doctor of the Catholic Church

WROTE:

Sermons

Council of Chalcedon (451 AD)

Ecumenical Council. Attended by about 600 bishops. Declared that Christ is one divine Person with two distinct natures, divine and human.

Leo I the Great (died 474 AD)

Doctor of the Catholic Church

WROTE:

The Tome of Leo

Letters

Sermons

Severinus Boethius (died 524 AD)

WROTE:

The Con­sola­tion of Philosophy

Benedict of Nursia (died 543 AD)

Father of Monasticism in the West

WROTE:

The Rule of Benedict

Second Council of Constantinople (553 AD)

Ecumenical Council. Attended by 165 bishops. Condemned the Nestonian heresy.

 


CHURCH HISTORY

The Patristic Era (33 to 590 AD)

The Medieval Era (590 to 1417 AD)

The Reformation Era (1417 to 1648 AD)

The Modern Era (1648 to 1962 AD)

The Postmodern Era (1962 AD to present)

The Ecumenical Councils

The Doctors of the Catholic Church


Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.