Fathers of the Church
Preserved but no longer current.
All those writers of the first twelve centuries whose works on Christian doctrine are considered of weight and worthy of respect. But the term is more strictly applied to those teachers of the first twelve, and especially of the first six centuries who added notable holiness and complete orthodoxy to their learning.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Fathers of the Church” mean?
All those writers of the first twelve centuries whose works on Christian doctrine are considered of weight and worthy of respect. But the term is more strictly applied to those teachers of the first twelve, and especially of the first six centuries who added notable holiness and complete orthodoxy to their learning.
Is “Fathers of the Church” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.