✣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.

Explore the library ↓
AD 70AD 750

Browse the collection

The library

56 works
Apostolic Fathersc. AD 70–120

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
Ante-Nicene2nd–3rd century

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
Ante-Nicene3rd century

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
Ante-Nicene3rd–4th century

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
Ante-Nicene3rd–4th century

Lactantius and Early Church Orders

Lactantius and anonymous early Christian writers

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

  • Church order
  • Liturgy
  • Apologetics
Early Christian LiteratureEarly Christian centuries

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
Church Historians5th century

Socrates and Sozomen: Church Histories

Socrates Scholasticus and Sozomen

Two major continuations of Eusebius’s ecclesiastical history.

  • Church history
  • Councils
  • Late antiquity
Church Historians4th–5th century

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
Latin Fathers4th–5th century

Jerome: Letters and Select Works

Jerome

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

  • Letters
  • Scripture
  • Asceticism
Latin Fathers4th century

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
Latin Fathers4th–5th century

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
Latin Fathers4th–5th century

Augustine: Homilies on John

Augustine of Hippo

Homilies on John’s Gospel and First Epistle.

  • John
  • Preaching
  • Exegesis
Latin Fathers4th–5th century

Augustine: Expositions on the Psalms

Augustine of Hippo

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

  • Psalms
  • Prayer
  • Exegesis
Apostolic Fathersc. AD 96

First Clement

Clement of Rome

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

  • Unity
  • Ministry
  • Resurrection
Apostolic Fathersc. AD 100–160

Second Clement

Anonymous

The oldest surviving Christian sermon outside the New Testament.

  • Repentance
  • Church
  • Judgment
Apostolic Fathersc. AD 110–140

Letter to the Philippians

Polycarp of Smyrna

Pastoral exhortation rooted deeply in apostolic teaching.

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

The Martyrdom of Polycarp

Church of Smyrna

The earliest surviving Christian martyr act outside the New Testament.

  • Martyrdom
  • Witness
  • Prayer
Apostolic Fathersc. AD 70–135

The Epistle of Barnabas

Anonymous

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

  • Covenant
  • Exegesis
  • Christian life
Apostolic Fathersc. AD 107

The Letters of Ignatius

Ignatius of Antioch

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

  • Martyrdom
  • Church order
  • Christology
Martyrdomlate antique

The Martyrdom of Ignatius

Anonymous

The traditional account of Ignatius’s journey and death.

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

The Epistle to Diognetus

Anonymous

An elegant account of Christian identity and divine philanthropy.

  • Apologetics
  • Christian identity
  • Incarnation
Apostolic Fathers2nd century

The Shepherd of Hermas

Hermas

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

  • Repentance
  • Visions
  • Church
Apostolic Fathersc. AD 110–140

Fragments of Papias

Papias of Hierapolis

Surviving fragments of a very early collector of apostolic traditions.

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

On First Principles

Origen of Alexandria

The earliest surviving systematic exploration of Christian doctrine and Scripture.

  • Theology
  • Exegesis
  • Freedom
Alexandrianc. AD 248

Against Celsus

Origen of Alexandria

Origen’s extensive philosophical and biblical defense of Christianity.

  • Apologetics
  • Philosophy
  • Scripture
Apologistsc. AD 155

First Apology

Justin Martyr

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

  • Apologetics
  • Worship
  • Logos
Apologistsc. AD 160

Second Apology

Justin Martyr

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

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

Dialogue with Trypho

Justin Martyr

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

  • Scripture
  • Christology
  • Covenant
Anti-Gnosticc. AD 180

Against Heresies

Irenaeus of Lyons

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

  • Rule of faith
  • Creation
  • Recapitulation
Byzantine8th century

On Holy Images

John of Damascus

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

  • Images
  • Incarnation
  • Worship
Latin Fathers3rd century

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
Nicene4th century

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
Cappadocian4th century

Gregory of Nyssa: Select Writings

Gregory of Nyssa

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

  • Trinity
  • Soul
  • Asceticism
Cappadocian4th century

Basil: Letters and Select Works

Basil of Caesarea

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

  • Holy Spirit
  • Creation
  • Pastoral theology
Latin Fathers5th century

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
Syriac Fathers4th century

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
Latin Fathers4th–5th century

Augustine: Confessions and Letters

Augustine of Hippo

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

  • Conversion
  • Memory
  • Letters
Latin Fathers5th century

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
Greek Fathers4th century

Chrysostom: Homilies on Matthew

John Chrysostom

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

  • Matthew
  • Preaching
  • Exegesis
Additional Fathers2nd–8th century

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