Christ did not ask his disciples to commit to writing what he taught them. But the disciples had with them, stored up in their memory, the events connected with the life and teachings of Christ. When Christ was no more with them, some of the disciples and others associated with them began to put down in writing what they remembered of, and had reflected on, the life and teachings of Christ. These writings, of the time of the apostles, form the New Testament part of the Bible.

Father is one who has seniority in age. The writers and theologians coming after apostolic times and whose writings follow those of the New Testament are the most senior in time among Christian writers after those of the New Testament. Hence, they have been traditionally been called 'Fathers of the Church' and their writings 'patristic' writings, and the period when they lived and worked the 'patristic' age. The field of study of the Fathers is known as 'patralogy' or 'patristics'. 'Fathers' are not proclaimed as such by the Church as are 'Doctors'.

The end of the age of Fathers is generally considered to be between the seventh and eighth centuries, the last of the Fathers being Pope Gregory the Great (540-604), Isidore of Seville (560-636), Venerable Beded (673-735) and John Damascene (675-750). The earlier of the Fathers who were closer to the age of the apostles are known by the further name of 'Apostolic Fathers'. They are the Fathers whose writings follow immediately those of the New Testament up to about the middle of the 2nd century.

The writings of the Fathers are of great value since they embody the early tradition of the Church in regard to Christian doctrine and the practice of the faith. Their understanding of apostolic teaching and tradition is of great importance to know the roots of the Christian faith and its practice. The reputation of the Fathers for sanctity gives added weight to their writings.

The writings of the Fathers, precisely because of their importance, have often been quoted in councils, including Vatican II. Their importance is second only to that of Holy Scripture, and therefore Vatican II "rightly encourages the study of the holy Fathers of both East and West." (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, 23). Not only the Catholic Church but also the Orthodox and Protestant Churches have been influenced by the writings of the Fathers.

Though most of the Fathers were bishops, and some of clerical rank, there were also laymen among them, the most outstanding being Clement of Alexandria (c.150-215) and Tertullian (c.160-220). Some of the writings are anonymous, such as The Epistle to Diognetus, written in the early part of the 2nd century, which is a work to explain the beliefs and customs of the Christians to an inquiring non- Christian of high rank, Diognetus, whose identity too is not known. As to the literary form of these writings, there is great variety. We see among them letters, sermons, treatises, chronicles, accounts of martyrdom, biographies, liturgical texts etc.

What is described as "the earliest and most valuable surviving example of Christian literature outside the New Testament is the First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, this Clement being the third among the successors of St. Peter to the See of Rome. He was writing from the Church of Rome to the sister Church of Corinth. It is generally agreed that it was written during A.D 96.

Eight of the Fathers have been traditionally given a special place of honour in recognition of their writings and service to the Church. They are Basil the Great, Gregory Naziansen, John Chrysostom and Athanasius, of the Greek Church, and Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine and Gregory the Great of the Latin Church.