The study of the Church Fathers is central to an understanding of and appreciation for the history and content of Orthodox Christianity. It is in these holy men and women that the Church has found her voice throughout the centuries, in these lives transformed and illumined that she has found her most poignant mouthpeaces. It was these that produced the Scriptures, the formulations of the Councils, and the sacred writings that continue to form the textual tradition of the Church.

Often, the writings of the Fathers can be complex, for much hearkens from an era different from our own. Context can seem distant, and the mire of words difficult sands through which one must sift. Yet the great quality of the writings of the Church Fathers is their transcendence of the human moment: their ability to speak to the very heart of man even centuries, perhaps millennia, after they were first written. It is the voice of the Holy Spirit of God that speaks through their words, and thus their message is eternal and ever applicable to the contemporary state of humanity.

It is the Fathers of the Church who have produced her great textual treasures: her Scripture, her hymnody, her theological apologetics, her histories. Thus a proper understanding of any of these elements of Orthodox life can only be obtained when approached with a Patristic sense of mind. (more...)

Patristic Source Texts - The Master List

A centralised index of patristic source documents in English on the internet — a thorough catalogue of the writings of the fathers and mothers of the Church on-line. Includes Monachos Library documents with thorough study tools, as well as links to other web sites.

Studies, Essays, Commentary and Papers

Studies on the writings of the fathers, including commentaries and exegetical works. Academic papers on the fathers and specific texts for review and study, with additional study resources in patristics.

Christological Controversy Study Area

Resources on the 'Christological Controversy' of the 4th-6th centuries, with further resources on contemporary issues stemming from the ancient controversy. Collections of source texts assembled with articles and essays on Monophysitism, Nestorianism, etc., and the position of the Church.