Between the first and fifth century A.D. many people influenced Christian theology. Some brought clarification of doctrines through using the Scriptures, while others developed heresies by not using the Scriptures as their foundational source. The church fathers were leaders of the faith from after the founding of the Church at Pentecost until the late fifth to early sixth century A.D. who made significant impacts on the Christian faith. Important church fathers of this time include: Ignatius (died c. 107), Justin Martyr (c. 100-165), Irenaeus (c. middle second century), Tertullian (c. 160-225), Augustine of Hippo (354-430), and Gregory I (The Great) (c. 540-604).
Ignatius was the Bishop of Antioch in Syria who lived during the time close to the New Testament writers. Holding views similar to the writers of the New Testament, Ignatius carried a commitment to Christ and his physical birth, death, and resurrection. Though the New Testament writes of local churches governed by elders of equal standing, Ignatius' letters recorded the growth of episcopal structure where a single bishop would rule over a city. (1)
In Ignatius' letters one discovers most of Ignatius' teachings. Ignatius wrote against two leading heresies of his day: the Ebionite heresy and Docetism. The Ebionite heresy declared the Jewish regulations of the Old Testament as the way of salvation. To combat this view, Ignatius said that one should actually reject the Jewish practices totally. Docetism taught that Jesus was fully God, but only appeared to be man. In his defense against Docetism, Ignatius affirmed the virgin birth of Jesus. Ignatius also stated that the disciples touched the actual physical body of Christ after his resurrection. (2)
Justin Martyr was born in Palestine to Greek parents. Throughout his life, stories of Christian martyrs strongly affected Justin Martyr, but he became a Christian by the influence of an older humble Christian. To Justin Martyr, "Christianity was Platonism and Stoicism corrected and completed by the Bible and by the Logos that enlightens everyone." (3) Standing for the historical truth of Christ, Justin Martyr opposed Gnostic heresies. Justin Martyr also stood against Marcionism, which held that Christianity should separate itself from Old Testament precedents. Both Ignatius and Justin Martyr held the view that the Church is the true Israel. Reformed Theology of today holds a similar view.
Irenaeus studied under the apostolic father Polycarp while living in Asia Minor. In Who's Who in Christian History, Irenaeus is noted as "one of the most important Christian writers of the second century." (4) Succeeding Polycarp as bishop of Lyons, Irenaeus rebuked Gnostic heresies. He was the first to compile four Gospels, some of the apostolic writings, and the Old Testament as canon. Irenaeus believed in the authority of faith stemming from the apostles directly through the elders. Irenaeus founded his theology more heavily in the Scriptures than the later Greek church fathers. (5)
Tertullian spent his whole life in Carthage. Growing up, he received the best possible education and became a very well educated man. In his thirties, Tertullian converted to Christianity and taught at his local church. Tertullian made an incredible impact on Christian theology. His works played major roles in the ecumenical councils and in the development of Augustine of Hippo's theology.
Some of Tertullian's theology include: God as trinitas (three persons in one substance), the hypostatic union of Christ (both His human and divine natures), man's subjection to original sin, and Christ's virgin birth and resurrection. (6) Though Tertullian viewed some Apocryphal books as revelation, Tertullian viewed all of the books which make up the present canon of Scripture as authoritative texts. Tertullian promoted a lot of the views which are considered orthodoxy today.
The search for truth from philosophy dominated Augustine of Hippo's life until the age of thirty-three when he converted to Christianity and sought baptism. After conversion, Augustine became the bishop of Hippo Regius, a coastal town in the Roman province of Numidia. One of Augustine's great works is his book titled: Confessions. In this journal, Augustine examined his Christian walk. Confessions also portrays a theologically sound and full view of man. Another important text from Augustine is his work titled: On the Trinity. This major work of Augustine's brought the doctrine of the trinity to its completion. (7)
Throughout Augustine's time as bishop, he refuted heresies within the church and attacks from outside the church. In 311 A.D. the Donatist church formed under the idea that sacraments served or performed by an unholy bishop were not valid. Augustine wrote that man does not give the sacraments their effect, but rather it is God who graces them. Though the Donatists believed they were the "pure church," Augustine refuted this by showing that there will always be weeds mixed in the wheat before final separation at harvest. (8)
In the beginning of the fifth century, Rome was attacked by the barbaric King Alaric. Pagans blamed Christians for this suffering and devastation, because they turned away from the gods of Old Rome. Augustine, over a period of twenty years, wrote a book titled The City of God, in a collection of twenty-two books which refuted the attack of the pagans. His book describes a biblical view of history. (9)
Another heresy Augustine attacked was that of Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism. Pelagianism views humans as good by nature and capable of perfection apart from God. Pelagius criticized Augustine's view of the dependence of man on God's grace. In Augustine's attack against Pelagianism and Semi-Pelagianism, Augustine outlined the following doctrines: Adam was not mortal before the Fall of Humanity, all of mankind is born with original sin as transmitted through Adam, even infants need the remission of sins, the will and grace of God is sovereign over man, man can only do good out of the grace of God, and perfection is not attained in this life. (10)
Augustine of Hippo is one of the most important church fathers. Many view Augustine as second only to Paul. His theology impacted not only his time period, but it still impacts western culture and theology today. It is because of Augustine that the grace of God is the central theme of the gospel in western theology.
Gregory I is the last of the great church fathers. Gregory believed in the verbal inspiration of Scripture. For him, it was not important to try to know who the writers of books of the Bible actually were. Along with this belief, Gregory thought that sin might be forgiven on the basis of repentance. This idea led to a "mechanical theory of penance and indulgences," which kept its prevalence throughout the Medieval Church. (11)
Gregory became the Pope when the emperor deserted Rome. After the death of Gregory, people viewed the Pope as the chief bishop of the West. Throughout his time in Rome, Gregory tried to extinguish the remaining strands of Arian heresy in Rome and reunite the Eastern and Western church. On top of this, Gregory wrote many books containing sermons, views of the pastoral life, and expositions on Scripture. (12)
All of these church fathers made great impacts on Christianity and theology. Some of them did not promote the best of doctrines, but each of them was nonetheless important in shaping Christian Theology. The most important of the church fathers were Tertullian and Augustine of Hippo. These two men made an indelible mark on the study of the Scriptures and central doctrines.
*Sources*:
1. J. Newton. eds. J.D. Douglas, P.W. Comfort, and D. Mitchell. Who's Who in Christian History. (Wheaton, Il.: Tyndale House, c1992). Libronix Digital Library System.
2. Ibid
3. A. Cabaniss. eds. J.D. Douglas, P.W. Comfort, and D. Mitchell. Who's Who in Christian History. (Wheaton, Il.: Tyndale House, c1992). Libronix Digital Library System.
4. J. Newton. eds. J.D. Douglas, P.W. Comfort, and D. Mitchell. Who's Who in Christian History. (Wheaton, Il.: Tyndale House, c1992). Libronix Digital Library System.
5. Ibid
6. K.J. Bryer. eds. J.D. Douglas, P.W. Comfort, and D. Mitchell. Who's Who in Christian History. (Wheaton, Il.: Tyndale House, c1992). Libronix Digital Library System.
7. J. Newton. eds. J.D. Douglas, P.W. Comfort, and D. Mitchell. Who's Who in Christian History. (Wheaton, Il.: Tyndale House, c1992). Libronix Digital Library System.
8. Ibid
9. Ibid
10. Ibid
11. D.S. Cushman and J.D. Douglas. eds. J.D. Douglas, P.W. Comfort, and D. Mitchell. Who's Who in Christian History. (Wheaton, Il.: Tyndale House, c1992). Libronix Digital Library System.
12. Ibid.
*Note: All of my written work is from research from Who's Who in Christian History, which is found in the Libronix Digital Library System. I researched these church fathers in other texts, but this source contained the best description found.
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