What do you mean when you say “The Church Fathers”?

In the last few years it has been exciting to see Christians from my generation gain an interest in learning Church history. I’ve been on this journey myself for only a little over five years, and I’m still learning so much!

One simple but important detail I’ve learned and need to own up to is that we need to understand how broad and diverse the category “Church Fathers” really is.

Sometimes in theological discussions I have seen the term “Church Fathers” be used in too sweeping of a statement, suggesting that whatever doctrine being discussed has always had the same view by the Church Fathers. While this may be the case in some situations, it is often too simplistic and undermines the different views held by the Fathers over the centuries.

The term “Church Fathers” tends to span roughly from the late 1st-8th century. That’s a lot of time with many shifts in cultures, communities, and theological development. Within this category are several subcategories of Church Fathers. On Tis Mercy All, I most often examine the Apostolic Fathers, who range from the late 1st-mid 2nd century.

The Apostolic Fathers speak for themselves, and while they may influence later Church Fathers, it would be disingenuous to present a 2nd century Father like Polycarp and a 4th century Father like Jerome as side by side “Church Fathers”. While both men had a big impact on the early Church, they lived in their own time, with their own community, having their own theological and personal convictions.

It’s not just the time gap that creates diversity, but also location. Keep in mind, while Christianity had not yet reached many parts of the world yet, there was still a notable diversity of culture and location over those early centuries of the Church.

Even within these subcategories there is still a diversity of opinion to keep in mind. In my case, an honest study of the Apostolic Fathers shows theological, Christological, and cultural diversity. 1st Clement and the Didache have striking similarities and differences. The Shepherd of Hermas especially stands out in several ways. I must admit that I am guilty on this blog of oversimplifying this diversity and this is something I want to do better in.

Even when we say things like “early Church”, what do we mean by that? The 1st century Church and the 6th century Church can both qualify as the early Church, yet both of those eras are very different in numerous ways.

We need more nuance and humility when discussing the Church Fathers.

As we continue to look back and learn, I hope all of us can read the writings of the early Church on each of their terms, not our own.

Thumbnail Image: Saint Ambrose barring Theodosius from Milan Cathedral by Anthony van Dyck, 1619.