List of early Christian writers

• Athanasius of Alexandria, c. 297~373, Patriarch of Alexandria, defender of doctrine of Trinity
• Paul of Tarsus, "Apostle to the Gentiles", earliest New Testament author 45~65
• Four Evangelists, traditionally identified as the authors of the canonical gospels 60~125
• Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, apostolic father 68~107
• Clement of Rome, bishop of Rome, apostolic father 88~101
• Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, apostolic father 110~130
• Polycarp of Smyrna, bishop of Smyrna, apostolic father 110~160
• Justin Martyr, church father ~165
• Melito of Sardis, bishop of Sardis, ~180
• Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon, disciple of Polycarp, apologist 180~202
• Origen of Alexandria, 185~254, Platonist, controversial during his lifetime, posthumously condemned at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553
• Tatian, pupil of Justin Martyr, ascetic theologian ~185
• Athenagoras of Athens, philosopher, apologist ~190
• Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, excommunicated by Victor I of Rome over the Easter controversy ~196
• Montanus, self-proclaimed prophet and founder of Montanism, last quarter of 2nd century CE
• Tertullian, church father, apologist, first Christian writer in Latin, later a Montanist 197~230
• Hippolytus, church father, sometimes termed the first anti-pope, reconciled with the church and died a martyr 217~236
• Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, martyr 218~258
• Clement of Alexandria, church father with gnostic sympathies ~220
• Novatian, a rigorist and Antipope in 251
• Dionysius, patriarch of Alexandria, pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church 248~264
• Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch, adoptionist, condemned at 269 Council of Antioch for Christological errors
• Donatus Magnus, bishop of Carthage,, leader of the Donatists from 313
• Lactantius, apologist, "Christian Cicero" ~317
• Arnobius, apologist ~330
• Eusebius, wrote History of the Church ~325 after the victory of Constantine over paganism and is considered the Christian Herodotus, the first major Church historian
• Augustine of Hippo, 354-430, Latin church father, wrote "Confessions" and "City of God," laid the foundation for most medieval Christian thought