Father of the Church
1
9.9
- noun
- Formal
:
Padre de la Iglesia
- St. Augustine is considered one of the most significant Fathers of the Church for his writings on grace.
Examples
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6. St. John Chrysostom, Commentary on Saint John... Homilies 48-88, vol. 41 of TFC (New York: Fathers of the Church, Inc., 1960) 171.
Fiction book (1996) -
And in your ambition, Señor Colón, you are presuming to defy the judgment of the Holy Father of the Church.
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There I discovered readings from the early Fathers of the Church.
Blog text (7) -
We pray to God to give the fathers of the Church the strength to seize this moment as an opportunity to heal the division in our Church.
Blog text (1) -
The Bible and the Fathers of the Church tell us that some of the spiritual gifts that the wealthy are lacking exist in abundance among the poor.
Blog text (1) -
In referring to the set of books entitled The Fathers of the Church, I will hereafter use the abbreviation TFC.
Fiction book (1996) -
There is absolutely no doubt that the Fathers of the Church (and even our most recent popes) would be very impressed with all your emotional words and your unbelievable overall logic.
Blog text (4) -
But the great Saint, Martyr, and Father of the Church approaches this matter markedly differently from many Catholics of the 21st century (clergy and laity).
Blog text (11) -
Due to their influence, it is safe to assume that the teachings of these venerable Fathers of the Church were followed by other bishops in the East, and it is evident that their example provided encouragement for the evolution of the present practice in the East where an innocent spouse is free to divorce and remarry after abandonment or adultery.
Academic text (2004) -
3. St. Augustine, Sermons on the Liturgical Seasons, trans. Mary Sarah Muldowney, vol. 38 of TFC (New York: Fathers of the Church, Inc., 1959) 350.
Fiction book (1996)
Synonyms
64
8.8
An early Christian bishop and writer who taught about God and the need for grace
29
9.3
An early Christian writer whose ideas shaped church teaching
3
9.9
A Christian writer from the early centuries whose writings help shape church teaching
2
9.9
A Christian leader in Alexandria who defends the church against the Arians
A 4th-century bishop and teacher who defends main Christian beliefs and is honored as a saint
An important Christian writer from the 4th century who defends church beliefs
A bishop of Milan in the 300s who helped shape the early Christian church and wrote hymns
A fourth-century Christian church leader famous for powerful sermons
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'father' + 'church' give a partial clue — learners can guess it refers to an important or founding figure associated with the church. However, the phrase is a conventional historical title (the Church Fathers) referring specifically to early influential theologians, a meaning that goes beyond the literal words and requires cultural/historical knowledge, so it is not fully predictable.
Etymology
Father of the Church comes from early Christians calling respected teachers fathers of the Church who guided the community like the head of a family. So, it means an early religious writer and leader whose ideas helped shape the church's beliefs.