Early Fathers

Father Hardon’s writings on the Early Fathers explore the lives, teachings, and theological contributions of the early Church Fathers. These articles examine the foundations of Catholic doctrine, early Christian history, and the witness of the saints and theologians who helped shape the Church.

The Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan – Part 1

By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. The Age of Persecution The Catholic Church has been persecuted in every period of her history. However, the first three centuries of the Christian era are commonly known as the Age of Persecution because they show how promptly and aggressively the Church’s enemies came to fulfill Christ’s prediction to […]

The Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan – an excerpt from: The Patristic Age

By Father John A. Hardon, S.J. The Patristic Age The Fathers of the Church were those saintly writers of the early centuries whom the Church recognizes as her special defenders of orthodoxy. And the Patristic Age is the period during which they lived. It is generally held that the last of the Western Fathers (Latin) […]