Ante-Nicene Fathers

This article is about the collection of early Christian writings. For the Ante-Nicene historical period, see Ante-Nicene Period.

The Ante-Nicene Fathers, subtitled "The Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325", is a collection of books in 10 volumes (one volume is indexes) containing English translations of the majority of Early Christian writings. The period covers the beginning of Christianity until before the promulgation of the Nicene Creed at the First Council of Nicaea. The translations are very faithful, but sometimes rather old-fashioned.

Publication

The series was originally published between 1867 and 1873 by the Presbyterian publishing house T. & T. Clark in Edinburgh under the title Ante-Nicene Christian Library (ANCL), as a response to the Oxford movement's Library of the Fathers which was perceived as too Roman Catholic. The volumes were edited by Rev. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. This series was available by subscription, but the editors were unable to interest enough subscribers to commission a translation of the homilies of Origen.

In 1885 the Christian Literature Company, first of Buffalo, then New York, began to issue the volumes in a reorganised form, edited by the Episcopalian bishop of New York, A. Cleveland Coxe. Coxe gave his series the title The Ante-Nicene Fathers. By 1896, this American edition/revision was complete. In 1897, a volume 9, which contained new translations, was published by T. & T. Clark as an additional volume, to complete the original ANCL. Apart from volume 9, the contents entirely derived from the ANCL, but in a more chronological order. Coxe added his own introductions and notes, which were criticised by academic authorities and Roman Catholic reviewers.

T. & T. Clark then associated with the Christian Literature Company and with other American publisher for the publication of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers.

Contents

The volumes include the following:

Volume I. Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

• Apostolic Fathers: Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, Barnabas, Hermas, Epistle to Diognetus, Papias
• Justin Martyr, Irenaeus

Volume II. Fathers of the Second Century

• Tatian, Theophilus of Antioch, Athenagoras of Athens, Clement of Alexandria

Volume III. Latin Christianity: Its Founder, Tertullian

• I. Apologetic
• II. Anti-Marcion
• III. Ethical

Volume IV. The Fathers of the Third Century

• Tertullian IV. More Ethical writings; Minucius Felix; Commodian; Origen

Volume V. The Fathers of the Third Century

• Hippolytus; Cyprian; Caius; Novatian; Appendix

Volume VI. The Fathers of the Third Century

• Gregory Thaumaturgus; Dionysius the Great; Sextus Julius Africanus; Anatolius and Minor Writers; Methodius of Olympus; Arnobius

Volume VII. Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries

• Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus of Pettau, Dionysius of Corinth, Apostolic Constitutions, Homily, Liturgies, Liturgy of St James,

Volume VIII. Fathers of the Third and Fourth Centuries

• Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, The Clementia, Memoirs of Edessa and
• Syriac Documents
  • Mara bar Serapion on Jesus
  • Ambrose
  • History of Armenia
  • Bardesan's The Book of the Laws of Divers Countries
  • The Teaching of the Apostles
  • The Teaching of Simon Cephas in Rome
  • The Teaching of Addaeus the Apostle
  • Acts of Sharbil
  • Jacob of Nisibis
  • Homilies by Jacob of Nisibis
  • Martyrdom of Habib the Deacon
  • Martyrdom of the Holy Confessors Shamuna, Guria, and Habib

, Remains of the First Ages, Decretals,

• Apocrypha
  • Gospel of Thomas,
• Pseudo-Clementine Literature
  • Recognitions of Clement
  • Clementine Homilies
  • Epistle of Peter to James

Volume IX. Recently Discovered Additions to Early Christian Literature; Commentaries of Origen

• The Gospel of Peter, The Diatessaron of Tatian, The Apocalypse of Peter, The Visio Pauli, The Apocalypses of the Virgin and Sedrach, The Testament of Abraham, The Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena, The Narrative of Zosimus, The Apology of Aristides, The Epistles of Clement (Complete Text), Origen's Commentary on John, Books I-X, Origen's Commentary on Mathew, Books I, II, and X-XIV

See also

• Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers
• Jacques Paul Migne

External links

• Works related to Ante-Nicene Fathers at Wikisource