WordWeb Online

1. (Christianity) any of about 70 theologians in the period from the 2nd to the 7th century whose writing established and confirmed official church doctrine; in the Roman Catholic Church some were later declared saints and became Doctor of the Church; the best known Latin Church Fathers are Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory the Great, and Jerome; those who wrote in Greek include Athanasius, Basil, Gregory Nazianzen, and John Chrysostom
   - Father of the Church, Father

Derived forms: Church Fathers

See also: patristical

Type of: theologian, theologiser [Brit], theologist, theologizer

Encyclopedia: Church Father