Discover
Church Father
Christianity
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
External Websites
- McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia - Fathers of the Church
- Catholic Online - Fathers of the Church
- University of Michigan Library Digital Collections - The Encyclopedia of Diderot & d'Alembert Collaborative Translation Project - Church Father
- Jewish Virtual Library - Church Father
- JewishEncyclopedia.com - Fathers of the Church
Also known as: Father of the Church
Church Father, any of the great bishops and other eminent Christian teachers of the early centuries whose writings remained as a court of appeal for their successors, especially in reference to controverted points of faith or practice. See patristic literature.