Apostolic Fathers

American  

plural noun

1. the fathers of the early Christian church whose lives overlapped those of any of the apostles.

2. the collection of works attributed to them.

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Apostolic Fathers British  

plural noun

1. the Fathers of the early Church who immediately followed the Apostles

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Etymology

Origin of Apostolic Fathers

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

High point of The Apostolic Fathers is the "Letter to Diognetus."

From Time Magazine Archive

The first volume of the series,* The Apostolic Fathers, is already out.

From Time Magazine Archive

Apostolic Fathers, Fathers of the Church who lived the same time as the Apostles: Clemens, Barnabas Polycarp, Ignatius, and Hermas.

From The Nuttall Encyclopædia Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge by Nuttall, P. Austin

The degree of historic claim which these various writings have to rank as the works1 of Apostolic Fathers varies greatly on any definition of “apostolic.”

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 3 "Apollodorus" to "Aral" by Various

Clement, one of the Apostolic Fathers and third Bishop of Rome, who flourished in the first century, says: "Brethren, keep diligently feast-days, and truly in the first place the day of012 Christ's birth."

From Christmas: Its Origin and Associations Together with Its Historical Events and Festive Celebrations During Nineteen Centuries by Dawson, William Francis