The
Church Fathers,
Early Church Fathers,
Christian Fathers, or
Fathers of the Church are ancient and generally influential
Christian theologians, some of whom were eminent teachers and great
bishops. The term is used of writers or teachers of the
Church not necessarily ordained and not necessarily "
saints"—Origen Adamantius and Tertullian are often considered Church Fathers but are not saints owing to their views later deemed
heretical —although most are honored as saints in the
Roman Catholic,
Orthodox,
Oriental Orthodox,
Anglican,
Lutheran churches, and other churches and groups. By 700 A.D. all of these church fathers had died.