Athanasius of Alexandria
296
296, 298
373
Great Fathers
Eastern Church
Council of Nicea
325
325
325
Convened by Emperor Constantine
Gregory of Nazianzus
329
329
390
Great Fathers
Eastern Church
Basil of Caesarea
330
330
379
Great Fathers
Eastern Church
340
340
397
Great Fathers
Western Church
Born into a Christian Roman family. Roman Governor of Liguria.
Opposed Arianism, Nicene Christian.
Was not baptised or trained in Theology, went to Milan dioceses to placate the bishop succession. Was promptly made bishop himself.
Became Ascetic, shared with poor, donating all his land.
Heavily invovled in the political battles around Arianism vs Trinitariansim.
Had notable influence on Augustine.
Jerome
347
347
420
Great Fathers
Western Church
Illyrian (Indo-European) ancestry. Studied in Rome, where he was baptised. Translated most of Bible into Latin, later completed as the Vulgate.
Second-most voluminous writer in Ancient Church, after Augustinus.
John Chrysostom
347
347
407
Great Fathers
Eastern Church
Augustine of Hippo
354
354
430
Great Fathers
Western Church
Converted at age 32. After conversion, developed own approach to philosophy and Christianity.
Grace is indispensable, helped formulate doctrine of original sin, contributed to just war theory.
On the Trinity was influential at Council of Constantinople in definition of the Trinity.
Council of Constantinople
381
381
381
Convened by Emperor Theodosius I
Pope Gregory
540
540
604
Great Fathers
Western Church
René Descartes
1596
1596, 31 March
1650, 11 February
Immanuel Kant
1724
1724, 22 April
1804, 12 February
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
1770
1770, 27 August
1831, 14 November
Soren Kierkegaard
1813
1813, 5 May
1855, 11 November
Francis Schaeffer
1912
January 30, 1912
May 15, 1984