Paul of Tarsus, “Apostle to the Gentiles”, earliest New Testament author 45~65
Four Evangelists, traditionally identified as the authors of the canonical gospels 60~125
Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, apostolic father 68~107
Clement of Rome, bishop of Rome, apostolic father 88~101
Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, apostolic father 110~130
Polycarp of Smyrna, bishop of Smyrna, apostolic father 110~160
Justin Martyr, church father ~165
Melito of Sardis, bishop of Sardis, ~180
Irenaeus, bishop of Lyon, disciple of Polycarp, apologist 180~202
Origen of Alexandria, 185~254, Platonist, controversial during his lifetime, posthumously condemned at the Second Council of Constantinople in 553
Tatian, pupil of Justin Martyr, ascetic theologian ~185
Athenagoras of Athens, philosopher, apologist ~190
Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, excommunicated by Victor I of Rome over the Easter controversy ~196
Montanus, self-proclaimed prophet and founder of Montanism, last quarter of 2nd century CE
Tertullian, church father, apologist, first Christian writer in Latin, later a Montanist 197~230
Hippolytus, church father, sometimes termed the first anti-pope, reconciled with the church and died a martyr 217~236
Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, martyr 218~258
Clement of Alexandria, church father with gnostic sympathies ~220
Novatian, a rigorist and Antipope in 251
Dionysius, patriarch of Alexandria, pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church 248~264
Paul of Samosata, bishop of Antioch, adoptionist, condemned at 269 Council of Antioch for Christological errors
Donatus Magnus, bishop of Carthage, (+355), leader of the Donatists from 313
Lactantius, apologist, “Christian Cicero” ~317
Arnobius, apologist ~330
Eusebius, wrote History of the Church ~325 after the victory of Constantine over paganism and is considered the Christian Herodotus, the first major Church historian
