Collection: Church Fathers Books: The Early Church Fathers

The Church Fathers are the bishops, monks and teachers of the early Church who handed on the faith of the Apostles: St Athanasius, St Cyril of Alexandria, St John Chrysostom, St Jacob of Serugh, St Severus of Antioch and many more. Egypt gave the Church some of the greatest of them, and the Desert Fathers who taught in its monasteries.

These books bring their lives and writings into plain English: translations, studies and retellings for teenagers. Read them to know what the early Church believed, and how it prayed.

Where to start

• On the Incarnation For Teens: St Athanasius's classic on why God became man, chapter by chapter in plain language.
• Saint Cyril of Alexandria by Rodolph Yanney: free ebook on the life, times and teaching of one of the greatest bishops of Christian antiquity.
• The Conferences of St John Cassian: his conversations with the elder monks of Egypt in the fourth century.
• What the Church Fathers Say about Marriage: the wisdom of St John Chrysostom and other Fathers for couples.
• Origen: His Life and Teachings by Fr Tadros Malaty and Mina Medhat: a careful study of a foundational and debated figure.
• Jonah the Prophet: A Temple at Sea!: free ebook of St Jacob of Serugh's writings on Jonah, presented by Fr Tadros Malaty.

Who are the Church Fathers?

The Church Fathers are the early Christian bishops, monks and teachers whose writings the Church holds as faithful witnesses to the teaching of the Apostles. They include St Athanasius and St Cyril of Alexandria, St John Chrysostom and the Desert Fathers of Egypt.

Where should I start reading the early Church Fathers?

Start with a short classic. On the Incarnation For Teens opens St Athanasius's most famous book. For the monks, read The Sayings of the Desert Fathers or The Conferences. For the lives of the Fathers, see our Lives of the Saints and Desert Fathers books.