Fathers of Our Faith: Who Are the Early Church Fathers?

One of the qualifications of an Early Church Father is that he needs to be "ancient." Exactly how do we define "ancient"? Why is this an important qualification? What does this have to do with our spirituality?

Another qualification is that the Early Church Father needs to be "orthodox" - that he needs to have taught truth. How was it determined who taught truth and who didn't? What do we do with some of the Early Church Fathers who were actually branded as heretics or schismatic (and there are a couple)?

The final qualification is that an Early Church Father had to be approved by the Church. But this didn't necessarily mean a formal hierarchical declaration. In fact, the way "ecclesiastical approval" was given falls right in line with what' we've been learning about the Early Church Fathers so far!

And finally, what do we mean when we call them Fathers? Modern society first wonders - and rightfully so - where are the Church Mothers? Why do we focus only on the men? We’ll talk about that. But more importantly, what is the role of a father in the Church? What does this title tell us about how we should relate to these people who would also be considered our brothers in the Lord?

Not only did an Early Church Father need to teach the truth, he also needed to live goodness. We can understand why holiness is necessary for someone to be declared a saint. But why is it necessary for an Early Church Father? Also, not every Early Church Father has been declared a saint. What do we do with that?

The major hallmark of the Early Church Fathers was their desire to faithfully and truthfully pass on a relationship with Jesus. Their teachings served not only to clarify what we believe as disciples of Jesus, but to show the beauty and power of religious truths. Knowing about the Early Church Fathers and being familiar with their teachings helps us to know where we came from, who we are now, and where we are going as a Church.

The Early Church Fathers connect us to the Twelve Apostles, and therefore connect us to Jesus. If you're ever tempted to think that Christianity is just a mand-made institution, the unbroken link to the Apostles will give you a better vision of your faith. When you learn from the Early Church Fathers, picture yourself receiving what has been handed from Jesus to the Twelve, from the Twelve to the Early Church Fathers, right down the generations to you.

So much of what we take for granted as Catholics was just being discovered by the Early Church Fathers. Learn why our traditions (and our Tradition) came to be, and how they connect us more strongly to Jesus.

Pope John Paul II described one of the goals of the Second Vatican Council, and the theme of one of its major documents, Lumen Gentium, as answering the question, "Church, what do you say of yourself?" The Second Vatican Council looked to the Early Church Fathers to answer that question. Studying the Early Church Fathers can also give us a greater understanding of who Jesus founded the Church to be.

The future of the Church will not lie in a rupture from what she was. Rather, the Church is anchored in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition while at the same time she navigates modern culture. 

What does the "modern" Church look like from the viewpoint of the Early Church Fathers?