Who are the "Fathers" of your church?

[Claire_from_DE]

I was at dinner with a number of acquaintances one of which was a retired minister who had been asked to give a Fathers’ Day sermon at a local church. He mentioned he was thinking of doing it on some of the church fathers. I asked which ones, like Polycarp or some others I had recently heard of. Another person briskly interrupted with the names of some of the protestant reformers and the subject was dropped. It made me wonder. When I think of the church fathers, I think of those came soon after the apostles.

So to you non-Catholic Christians, what does the phrase “Fathers of the Church” or “Church Fathers” make you think of when you hear it. Just curious.

(Please don’t tell me we only have one Father in heaven or ‘call no man father’, that isn’t the focus of my question.)

 

[ABostonCatholic]

I was at dinner with a number of acquaintances one of which was a retired minister who had been asked to give a Fathers’ Day sermon at a local church. He mentioned he was thinking of doing it on some of the church fathers. I asked which ones, like Polycarp or some others I had recently heard of. Another person briskly interrupted with the names of some of the protestant reformers and the subject was dropped. It made me wonder. When I think of the church fathers, I think of those came soon after the apostles.

So to you non-Catholic Christians, what does the phrase “Fathers of the Church” or “Church Fathers” make you think of when you hear it. Just curious.

(Please don’t tell me we only have one Father in heaven or ‘call no man father’, that isn’t the focus of my question.)

It really depends on the Protestant. Luther and the reformers regularly referenced the ECFs. For others, they will stubbornly refuse to call anyone father in a religious setting. For yet others, they’ll insist that the Fathers as we know them are not the true Fathers, because their church has true apostolic succession (this used to be standard teaching among Baptists, some still teach it; the “Church of Christ” -a la Fred Thompson not Barack Obama-teaches it, too)

 

[Claire_from_DE]

So do you mean that followers of the Church of Christ and some Baptists would say that what Catholics would call the early church fathers, those church leaders who wrote just after the time of the apostles (whom Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox would accept as being successors to the apostles and their beliefs), were actually on the wrong track even then?

For other Protestants, when they hear the phrase “Church Fathers” what would first come to their minds?

 

[SIA]

I was at dinner with a number of acquaintances one of which was a retired minister who had been asked to give a Fathers’ Day sermon at a local church. He mentioned he was thinking of doing it on some of the church fathers. I asked which ones, like Polycarp or some others I had recently heard of. Another person briskly interrupted with the names of some of the protestant reformers and the subject was dropped. It made me wonder. When I think of the church fathers, I think of those came soon after the apostles.

So to you non-Catholic Christians, what does the phrase “Fathers of the Church” or “Church Fathers” make you think of when you hear it. Just curious.

(Please don’t tell me we only have one Father in heaven or ‘call no man father’, that isn’t the focus of my question.)

The early church father like Ambrose, Bernard and Aquinas. And our priest Fr. Andrew Gross.

 

[Chancellare]

I was at dinner with a number of acquaintances one of which was a retired minister who had been asked to give a Fathers’ Day sermon at a local church. He mentioned he was thinking of doing it on some of the church fathers. I asked which ones, like Polycarp or some others I had recently heard of. Another person briskly interrupted with the names of some of the protestant reformers and the subject was dropped. It made me wonder. When I think of the church fathers, I think of those came soon after the apostles.

So to you non-Catholic Christians, what does the phrase “Fathers of the Church” or “Church Fathers” make you think of when you hear it. Just curious.

(Please don’t tell me we only have one Father in heaven or ‘call no man father’, that isn’t the focus of my question.)

Catholics trace their church leaders from current Pope to an unbroken line of succession that goes back to Early Church Fathers like Linus, Ireneaus, Polycarp, etc and who in turn received the authority from the first Apostles who received their authority directly from Jesus Christ.
It is unbroken and unbreakable for the last 2000 years.

 

[Tim_Kirchoff]

The early church father like Ambrose, Bernard and Aquinas. And our priest Fr. Andrew Gross.

If you mean what I think you mean, then

 

[Preacher_Vern]

There is only one father in my church and that is God the father.

 

[Chancellare]

There is only one father in my church and that is God the father.

OP said:

(Please don’t tell me we only have one Father in heaven or ‘call no man father’, that isn’t the focus of my question.)
Reply With Quote

 

[cascherman]

There is only one father in my church and that is God the father.

Yes you are right, in your church there is only one Father. But, in our church we have many spiritual fathers with our One heavenly Father. Including Paul, who said we are his children and he is our father.

But, back on topic, as the OP said.

 

[cradlecathlic26]

One is ignorant if he does not acknowledge the early church fathers.

 

[Claire_from_DE]

There is only one father in my church and that is God the father.

Wow, I envision a whole congregation of women, children, and celibate men.

Of course, the fatherhood of God is the one from which all other fatherhood takes its name, whether they are our own fathers or our fathers in faith.

I really just wanted to know when you hear the expression ‘the church fathers’ what idea or image comes immediately to mind?

 

[homewardbound]

So do you mean that followers of the Church of Christ and some Baptists would say that what Catholics would call the early church fathers, those church leaders who wrote just after the time of the apostles (whom Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox would accept as being successors to the apostles and their beliefs), were actually on the wrong track even then?

For other Protestants, when they hear the phrase “Church Fathers” what would first come to their minds?

My family is Baptist and they believe the Church Fathers Catholics claim are just liars and were never taught by the apostles. My mom told me Catholics are just the modern day pharisees. Pretty much, any person Jesus mentioned as doing wrong was probably Catholic

As for who their Church Fathers are, don’t know! I guess the true men and women taught by the apostles never wrote about it!

 

[Chancellare]

My family is Baptist and they believe the Church Fathers Catholics claim are just liars and were never taught by the apostles. My mom told me Catholics are just the modern day pharisees. Pretty much, any person Jesus mentioned as doing wrong was probably Catholic

As for who their Church Fathers are, don’t know! I guess the true men and women taught by the apostles never wrote about it!

Wow!
Much like saying all Presidents after Lincoln were nuts, huh!

 

[Preacher_Vern]

John Wycliffe, John Huss, Saronarola, Zwingli, John Knox, John Calvin, Martin Luther, The combined effort of these man, along with many others brought about reformation many years ago. I hope that this will help.

 

[Roman_Catholic_1]

John Wycliffe, John Huss, Saronarola, Zwingli, John Knox, John Calvin, Martin Luther, The combined effort of these man, along with many others brought about reformation many years ago. I hope that this will help.

So you are a, Real Presence/symbolic communion believing Protestant; an infant baptizing/age of reason baptizing believing Protestant, a predestination/free will believing Protestant, and a sacramental/ordinance/neither of the two protestant? Interesting…

God bless

 

[SIA]

John Wycliffe, John Huss, Saronarola, Zwingli, John Knox, John Calvin, Martin Luther, The combined effort of these man, along with many others brought about reformation many years ago. I hope that this will help.

us too

 

[Rbt_Southwell]

So you are a, Real Presence/symbolic communion

believing Protestant; an infant baptizing/age of reason baptizing believing Protestant, a predestination/free will believing Protestant, and a sacramental/ordinance/neither of the two protestant? Interesting…

God bless

Goes to show you why so many people are leaving the local **‘church of the rock redeemer Christ of the holy word baptist reformed pentecostal 8 square worship center’ **for a Church where the clergy actually READ the historical works (many in the original languages) of the early Church and continue to preach and teach what the Magisterium has preached and taught for lo! these (almost) two millennia.

Robert

 

[Claire_from_DE]

John Wycliffe, John Huss, Saronarola, Zwingli, John Knox, John Calvin, Martin Luther, The combined effort of these man, along with many others brought about reformation many years ago. I hope that this will help.

These men didn’t agree on what they taught. Perhaps you respect them all as reformers, but which of them in particular would you say are the spiritual fathers of your denomination? Or if you are non-denominational, which most influenced your pastor or founder of your church? And, if you know, in what way did they influence it or him?

 

[Rbt_Southwell]

Preacher Vern???

Hello???

Come back, please, and let us know WHAT it is EXACTLY that you believe as a Christian.

Your ‘fathers’ can’t seem to agree on much that is in the Bible.

So, let us know what you believe.

Thanks and God bless,

Robert

 

[Claire_from_DE]

Is there such a thing as a ‘cafeteria protestant’? This kind of sounds like a snide remark but to say all these people are your church fathers makes me think of ‘cafeteria Catholics’ who just pick and choose what suits them to accept. If all these reformers were guided by God to reform the church and they have different views on what they would consider essential matters, how do you determine which of their views to accept and which to reject. Can each person interpret the Bible his own way and, if my truth is different from your truth, that’s OK? But God is The Truth. He is not the author of confusion (we all know who is!)