✣The Patristic
Library

The inheritance of the early church

Ancient words.
Living wisdom.

Read the theologians, pastors, martyrs, and witnesses who helped the church learn to speak faithfully about God.

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AD 70AD 750

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Every work is paired with edition and rights information. The first reading texts use public-domain translations; catalogued works await careful ingestion.

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01

Apostolic Fathers

The Didache

Anonymous · c. AD 70–12002

Apostolic Fathers

First Clement

Clement of Rome · c. AD 96

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56 works
Completec. AD 70–120

Apostolic Fathers

The Didache

Anonymous

A compact manual of Christian ethics, worship, hospitality, and church order—one of the earliest witnesses to life after the apostles.

  • Christian life
  • Baptism
  • Eucharist
ANF-022nd–3rd century

Ante-Nicene

Second-Century Fathers

Tatian, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria, and others

Tatian’s Address, Theophilus to Autolycus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria’s major works, and related texts.

  • Apologetics
  • Alexandrian theology
  • Christian life
ANF-053rd century

Ante-Nicene

Hippolytus, Cyprian, and Novatian

Hippolytus, Cyprian, Novatian, and others

Refutation of Heresies, Cyprian’s treatises and letters, Novatian On the Trinity, and related works.

  • Church unity
  • Trinity
  • Heresy
ANF-063rd–4th century

Ante-Nicene

Third-Century Fathers and Arnobius

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius, Methodius, Arnobius, and others

Public-domain works of the third-century minor Fathers, Methodius, and Arnobius.

  • Apologetics
  • Resurrection
  • Martyrdom
ANF-073rd–4th century

Ante-Nicene

Lactantius and Early Church Orders

Lactantius and anonymous early Christian writers

Lactantius, the Apostolic Constitutions, early liturgies, and related writings.

  • Church order
  • Liturgy
  • Apologetics
ANF-08Early Christian centuries

Early Christian Literature

Apocrypha and Syriac Documents

Various and disputed authors

Testaments, pseudo-Clementine writings, apocrypha, Edessene documents, and remains of the earliest centuries.

  • Apocrypha
  • Syriac Christianity
  • Disputed attribution
NPNF2-025th century

Church Historians

Socrates and Sozomen: Church Histories

Socrates Scholasticus and Sozomen

Two major continuations of Eusebius’s ecclesiastical history.

  • Church history
  • Councils
  • Late antiquity
NPNF2-034th–5th century

Church Historians

Theodoret, Jerome, and Gennadius

Theodoret of Cyrus, Jerome, and Gennadius

Theodoret’s history and dialogues with Jerome and Gennadius on illustrious Christian writers.

  • Church history
  • Christology
  • Biography
NPNF2-064th–5th century

Latin Fathers

Jerome: Letters and Select Works

Jerome

Jerome’s letters, polemical works, biblical prefaces, and ascetical writings.

  • Letters
  • Scripture
  • Asceticism
NPNF2-104th century

Latin Fathers

Ambrose: Select Works and Letters

Ambrose of Milan

On the Duties of the Clergy, On the Holy Spirit, mysteries, letters, and funeral orations.

  • Holy Spirit
  • Sacraments
  • Ethics
NPNF2-114th–5th century

Latin Fathers

Sulpitius Severus, Vincent, and John Cassian

Sulpitius Severus, Vincent of Lérins, and John Cassian

Sacred History, Life of Martin, the Commonitory, Cassian’s Institutes, and Conferences.

  • Monasticism
  • Tradition
  • History
NPNF1-074th–5th century

Latin Fathers

Augustine: Homilies on John

Augustine of Hippo

Homilies on John’s Gospel and First Epistle.

  • John
  • Preaching
  • Exegesis
NPNF1-084th–5th century

Latin Fathers

Augustine: Expositions on the Psalms

Augustine of Hippo

The public-domain English collection of Augustine’s expositions on the Psalter.

  • Psalms
  • Prayer
  • Exegesis
Completec. AD 96

Apostolic Fathers

First Clement

Clement of Rome

Rome’s appeal to a divided Corinthian church, urging humility, concord, and ordered ministry.

  • Unity
  • Ministry
  • Resurrection
Completec. AD 100–160

Apostolic Fathers

Second Clement

Anonymous

The oldest surviving Christian sermon outside the New Testament.

  • Repentance
  • Church
  • Judgment
Completec. AD 110–140

Apostolic Fathers

Letter to the Philippians

Polycarp of Smyrna

Pastoral exhortation rooted deeply in apostolic teaching.

  • Perseverance
  • Ministry
  • Righteousness
Completec. AD 155–160

Martyrdom

The Martyrdom of Polycarp

Church of Smyrna

The earliest surviving Christian martyr act outside the New Testament.

  • Martyrdom
  • Witness
  • Prayer
Completec. AD 70–135

Apostolic Fathers

The Epistle of Barnabas

Anonymous

An early Christian reading of covenant, Scripture, and the two ways.

  • Covenant
  • Exegesis
  • Christian life
Completec. AD 107

Apostolic Fathers

The Letters of Ignatius

Ignatius of Antioch

Seven letters on unity, martyrdom, and the reality of Christ’s incarnation.

  • Martyrdom
  • Church order
  • Christology
Completelate antique

Martyrdom

The Martyrdom of Ignatius

Anonymous

The traditional account of Ignatius’s journey and death.

  • Martyrdom
  • Witness
  • Prayer
Completec. AD 150–225

Apologists

The Epistle to Diognetus

Anonymous

An elegant account of Christian identity and divine philanthropy.

  • Apologetics
  • Christian identity
  • Incarnation
Complete2nd century

Apostolic Fathers

The Shepherd of Hermas

Hermas

Visions, mandates, and parables centered on repentance and the church.

  • Repentance
  • Visions
  • Church
Fragmentsc. AD 110–140

Apostolic Fathers

Fragments of Papias

Papias of Hierapolis

Surviving fragments of a very early collector of apostolic traditions.

  • Tradition
  • Gospels
  • Eschatology
Completec. AD 220–230

Alexandrian

On First Principles

Origen of Alexandria

The earliest surviving systematic exploration of Christian doctrine and Scripture.

  • Theology
  • Exegesis
  • Freedom
Completec. AD 248

Alexandrian

Against Celsus

Origen of Alexandria

Origen’s extensive philosophical and biblical defense of Christianity.

  • Apologetics
  • Philosophy
  • Scripture
Completec. AD 155

Apologists

First Apology

Justin Martyr

A philosopher’s public defense of Christian belief and worship addressed to the Roman emperor.

  • Apologetics
  • Worship
  • Logos
Completec. AD 160

Apologists

Second Apology

Justin Martyr

Justin’s shorter defense occasioned by the condemnation of Christians at Rome.

  • Apologetics
  • Providence
  • Martyrdom
Completec. AD 155–167

Apologists

Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

An extended conversation about Christ, Scripture, covenant, and the people of God.

  • Scripture
  • Christology
  • Covenant
Completec. AD 180

Anti-Gnostic

Against Heresies

Irenaeus of Lyons

A five-book defense of the apostolic rule of faith, creation, incarnation, and recapitulation.

  • Rule of faith
  • Creation
  • Recapitulation
Completec. AD 180

Anti-Gnostic

Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching

Irenaeus of Lyons

A concise presentation of the apostolic proclamation and its scriptural demonstration.

  • Rule of faith
  • Scripture
  • Salvation
Complete8th century

Byzantine

On Holy Images

John of Damascus

The public-domain English translation of John’s defense of holy images.

  • Images
  • Incarnation
  • Worship
Complete3rd century

Latin Fathers

Tertullian and Origen: Third-Century Writings

Tertullian, Minucius Felix, and Origen

ANF IV, including Tertullian’s remaining works and Origen’s On Prayer and other writings.

  • Resurrection
  • Prayer
  • Apologetics
Complete4th century

Nicene

Athanasius: Select Works and Letters

Athanasius of Alexandria

Against the Heathen, On the Incarnation, the Arian discourses, defenses, histories, and letters.

  • Incarnation
  • Trinity
  • Nicene faith
Complete4th century

Cappadocian

Gregory of Nyssa: Select Writings

Gregory of Nyssa

The complete NPNF volume, including Against Eunomius, catechetical, dogmatic, and ascetical works.

  • Trinity
  • Soul
  • Asceticism
Complete4th century

Cappadocian

Basil: Letters and Select Works

Basil of Caesarea

On the Holy Spirit, Hexaemeron, letters, homilies, and shorter works.

  • Holy Spirit
  • Creation
  • Pastoral theology
Complete5th century

Latin Fathers

Leo the Great: Letters and Sermons

Leo the Great

Leo’s letters, Tome to Flavian, and sermons in the complete NPNF volume.

  • Christology
  • Pastoral theology
  • Sermons
Complete4th century

Syriac Fathers

Ephrem and Aphrahat: Select Works

Ephrem the Syrian and Aphrahat

Nisibene hymns, hymns on the Nativity, and the Demonstrations of Aphrahat.

  • Hymns
  • Incarnation
  • Syriac Christianity
Complete4th–5th century

Latin Fathers

Augustine: Confessions and Letters

Augustine of Hippo

The complete Confessions and a large public-domain collection of Augustine’s letters.

  • Conversion
  • Memory
  • Letters
Complete5th century

Latin Fathers

Augustine: Anti-Pelagian Writings

Augustine of Hippo

On Nature and Grace, Spirit and Letter, Predestination of the Saints, Perseverance, and related works.

  • Grace
  • Freedom
  • Predestination
Complete4th century

Greek Fathers

Chrysostom: Homilies on Matthew

John Chrysostom

The complete public-domain homily cycle on the Gospel of Matthew.

  • Matthew
  • Preaching
  • Exegesis
Complete2nd–8th century

Additional Fathers

Additional Fathers: Public-Domain Translations

Various early Christian authors

Out-of-copyright translations omitted from ANF/NPNF, including additional works of Eusebius, Ephrem, Dionysius, Methodius, Aristides, and many others.

  • Additional works
  • Histories
  • Translations