List of early Christian writers

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Various authors wrote the gospels and other books of the New Testament. The apostolic fathers are prominent early Christian writers who are traditionally understood to have met and learned from Jesus' personal disciples. Church fathers are later writers with no direct connection to the disciples. Apologists defended Christianity against its critics, especially pagan philosophers. Dates given, if not otherwise specified, are of their writings or bishopric, not of their lives.

Paul of Tarsus, apostle to the gentiles, earliest New Testament author 45~65 anonymous gospel authors, traditionally identified as the Four Evangelists 60~125 anonymous authors of various books of the New Testament early to mid 100s Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, apostolic father 68~107 Clement, bishop of Rome, apostolic father 88~101 Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, apostolic father 110~130 Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, apostolic father 110~160 Marcion of Sinope, rejected the Old Testament, declared heretical in 144 Valentinus ~150, Gnostic, declared heretical in 175 Justin Martyr church father ~165 Melito, bishop of Sardis, ~180 Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon, disciple of Polycarp, apologist 180~202 Origen 185~254, Platonist, controversial during his life time, 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 second century 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, bishop of Carthage, (+355), 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 Church historian