Collection · 30 books · 155 to 1420 AD
Early Church
Writings from the early centuries of Christianity, including Church Fathers and foundational documents — arranged by century, from the martyrdom of Polycarp to Bede's England.
New to the Church Fathers? Start here
The essential answer
On the Incarnation
Why God became man — the place C.S. Lewis said to begin. ~2 hours.
The personal story
Confessions
The first autobiography — Augustine's journey from sin to conversion.
The devotional classic
The Imitation of Christ
The most-read Christian devotional after the Bible itself.
100s
The age of martyrs and first defenses of the faith.
Epistle to the Philippians & the Martyrdom of Polycarp
Polycarp of Smyrna · 155 AD — the arrest, trial, and death of the elderly bishop.
Dialogue with Trypho
Justin Martyr · 160 AD — the earliest surviving Christian apologetic addressing Judaism.
The Shepherd of Hermas
Hermas · 160 AD — the apocalyptic text that was nearly included in the New Testament.
On Apostolic Preaching
Irenaeus of Lyon · 180 AD — one of the earliest explanations of Christianity for new believers.
The Apology
Tertullian · 197 AD — the classic defense of Christians before Roman magistrates.
200s
Theology becomes systematic.
300s
Constantine, Nicaea, and the golden age of the Fathers.
Against the Heathen
Athanasius of Alexandria · 318 AD — the companion piece to On the Incarnation.
On the Incarnation
Athanasius of Alexandria · 318 AD — why God became man. C.S. Lewis called it a masterpiece.
Life of Constantine
Eusebius · 339 AD — a firsthand account of the first Christian emperor.
Life of Anthony
Athanasius of Alexandria · 360 AD — the biography that launched Christian monasticism.
On the Holy Spirit
Basil the Great · 375 AD — the landmark defense of the Spirit's full divinity.
On the Soul and the Resurrection
Gregory of Nyssa · 380 AD — a dialogue with his dying sister Macrina on the hope of resurrection.
Adversus Judaeos
John Chrysostom · 386 AD — eight fourth-century homilies from Antioch, a historical document of the early church.
Homilies on Matthew
John Chrysostom · 390 AD — the whole Gospel of Matthew preached verse by verse, in ninety homilies.
On the Priesthood
John Chrysostom · 390 AD — a full theology of preaching and pastoral care.
Homilies on Ephesians
John Chrysostom · 395 AD — twenty-four homilies on grace, the church, and spiritual warfare.
On Lying
Augustine of Hippo · 395 AD — what constitutes a lie, and whether lying is ever permissible.
On Christian Doctrine
Augustine · 397 AD — the book that taught the church how to interpret Scripture.
Confessions
Augustine of Hippo · 398 AD — the first autobiography, from a life of sin to conversion.
400s
The age of Augustine.
On the Good of Marriage
Augustine of Hippo · 401 AD — a balanced defense of marriage against its detractors.
The City of God
Augustine of Hippo · 413 AD — all 22 books, free to read online; also available as two volumes.
The City of God: Volume 1
Augustine of Hippo · 413 AD — books 1 to 10: the case against the pagan gods.
The City of God: Volume 2
Augustine of Hippo · 413 AD — books 11 to 22: the two cities from creation to judgment.
Handbook on Faith Hope and Love
Augustine of Hippo · 420 AD — the faith distilled to what every believer must know.
Later
The Fathers' inheritance — monastic and medieval.
The Rule of Saint Benedict
Benedict of Nursia · 516 AD — the document that shaped Western monasticism.
Ecclesiastical History of the English People
Bede · 731 AD — the foundational history of Christianity in Britain.
Didascalicon
Hugh of Saint Victor · 1127 AD — a medieval master's guide to what to read, in what order, and how, from the liberal arts to the senses of Scripture.
On the Love of God
Bernard of Clairvaux · 1128 AD — why God should be loved, and how much.
The Imitation of Christ
Thomas à Kempis · 1420 AD — the most-read Christian devotional after the Bible.
Every book in this collection is free to read online
All 30 books, full text, with a free account that saves your place on every device. The PDF and EPUB come with each book, and paperbacks are printed to order.