The Importance of the Church Fathers

The theological insights of the early Greek and Latin Church Fathers have shaped the course of Christian history. From the Trinity and original sin to the scriptural canon and just war, looking to the early Church Fathers helps us better understand the development of Christian doctrine throughout the millennia.

The Church Fathers’ explorations of Scripture have grounded biblical commentary up to the modern era. To ignore the writings of great theologians like Augustine, Basil, Ambrose, and Chrysostom is to ignore the very roots of Christian theology. But these early patristic texts can be either difficult to find, difficult to understand (because of translation issues), or both.

In Logos, The Fathers of the Church Series provides an all-in-one patristic resource that eliminates two primary difficulties in patristic research: scope and translation. It is by far the most exhaustive patristic resource available in Logos, giving you an unparalleled ability to study these formative years in Christian history. With nearly 50,000 pages of primary-source material spanning the first through fifth centuries, easy-to-read translations brand-new to Logos, and an array of titles that can’t be found anywhere else, this series is unlike any other in the world of patristic scholarship.

A few people have had questions regarding what’s in this series compared to our Early Church Fathers Collection. Here’s what you should know:

•    Though there is a little overlap between this series and the Early Church Fathers collection, the vast majority of these texts are brand-new to Logos. 
•    Even with the resources that do overlap (such as some of Augustine’s works), the Fathers of the Church Series provides totally new translations produced by top-tier scholars. In many cases, the texts in the Fathers of the Church Series are easier to read and digest.
•    About 20 of this series’ works are available in the public domain. The rest can only be purchased from publishers, and you’ll find some titles that are exclusive to this series.
•    The series is divided into five main collections, which you can choose to purchase individually:

1. Fathers of the Ante-Nicene Era (23 vols.)
2. Greek Fathers of the Nicene Era (35 vols.)
3. Latin Fathers of the Nicene Era (25 vols.)
4. St. Augustine (30 vols.)
5. Fathers of the Post-Nicene Era (14 vols.)

With Logos’ tools and functionality, this series is hands-down the most powerful patristic study tool available anywhere.

Explore the roots of Christian history and theology with the best patristic library on the market: Get the Church Fathers Series today!