"Stand beside the earliest roads. Ask them the way to good, and follow it." -- Jeremiah 6:16

Scripture & The Fathers

Benedict calls his Rule "a rule for beginners." "For the one who would hasten on to perfection," the Patriarch writes, "there are the teachings of the Fathers... (and) the Old and New Testaments. The Eunuch's words to Philip the deacon (Acts8:31) apply here: "But how shall I know (how to understand Scripture), unless someone show me?" The Fathers of the Church show us how to read the Bible, they prepare for us "food for the journey." Honored in their day almost as much as the Apostles, the Fathers of the Church leave us an impressive legacy of letters, essays and sermons, most of which is commentary on Holy Scripture. Because of the varied and imaginative ways they approach God's word, they can greatly enrich our own studies. They fall into 1 of 4 categories: the Apostolic Fathers, the desert or monastic Fathers, the Fathers of the East, and the Fathers of the West. Following a simple list of them, we offer the life story of one of them, along with a sample of their work.

The Apostolic Fathers are: Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Tertulian, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus and Cyprian of Carthage.

Of all the Desert Fathers, perhaps St. Anthony is best know; an excellent biography of Anthony (also written Antony) written by St. Athanasius. Many desert fathers are known only by their first name. Their wisdom and sayings, which often relate to the ascetical life, are often published in a single small volume.

The principal Fathers of the East are: Clement of Alexandria, Origin, Athanasius, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory Nazianzen, John Chrysostom, Dionysius the Areopagite, John Damascene and Gregory Palamas.

Some of the renowned Fathers of the West are: Tertullian, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Benedict, Gregory the Great, Bernard, Francis and Thomas Aquinas.

Continue to read about this month's featured Father of the Church.