Classical Christian theology
The early church fathers, whole and free to read
Athanasius, Augustine, Irenaeus, Origen and the other teachers of the first centuries, in public-domain English translations with the source of each stated, set as books you can turn.
The traditions
The Fathers
The teachers of the first centuries, read in every tradition that followed.
Anglican
Scripture, the creeds and common prayer in the Church of England and the wider Communion.
Orthodox
The Eastern churches' reading of the Fathers, the councils and the liturgy.
Catholic
The Church of Rome, its councils, its teachers and its liturgy.
Reformed
Churches shaped by Calvin, Zwingli and the Reformation confessions.
Lutheran
Churches of the Wittenberg Reformation and the Book of Concord.
Church History
The church histories, chronicles, lives of saints and council decrees that tell what happened and when.
From the Fathers
The site is named for the Greek word for the Incarnation, so it begins with the treatise on it: St Athanasius, On the Incarnation of the Word. Choose a Father, from Clement of Rome to Augustine, and read his writings whole, in public-domain translations, set as a book you can turn.
Where to begin
New to the church fathers? This path goes from the shortest writings to the best known.
The Didache
A short handbook of early Christian life and worship: the two ways, baptism, fasting and the Eucharist.
The Epistle to Diognetus
A short, eloquent description of how Christians live in the world.
The Seven Letters of Ignatius of Antioch
Written on the road to martyrdom, on unity, the bishop and the Eucharist.
Athanasius, On the Incarnation of the Word
Why the Word of God became human, and what that means for creation and death.
Augustine, The Confessions
His life and conversion, written as a prayer, in thirteen books.
Augustine, The City of God
A very large work on history and the two cities, in four parts.
Questions
What are the church fathers?
The church fathers are Christian writers of the first centuries, from Clement of Rome in the 90s to Augustine and Leo the Great in the fifth century. Their letters, sermons and treatises shaped how the churches read Scripture and teach about the Trinity and the Incarnation.
Are these texts free to read?
Yes. Every work on Ensarkosi is free to read online, with no account and no advertising. The English translations are in the public domain, mostly from Philip Schaff's Ante-Nicene Fathers and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers series of the 1880s and 1890s, and each page names its translator and edition.
Where should a beginner start?
Begin with something short: the Didache or the Letter to Diognetus. Then read the letters of Ignatius of Antioch, Athanasius on the Incarnation, and Augustine's Confessions.
Which church fathers can I read here?
Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, Athanasius, Cyril of Jerusalem, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, John Cassian, Vincent of Lerins and Leo the Great, along with early anonymous writings such as the Didache.
Which Christian tradition is this?
The early fathers belong to the Anglican, Orthodox, Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed churches alike, so the site is ecumenical, with a particular interest in the Anglican tradition.
Can I keep my place and change the text?
Yes. Each work is set as a book with pages you can turn, or as a scrolling page. You can change the text size, page colour and font, and your place in each work is saved in your own browser only; nothing is sent to us.