Key Works of the Ante-Nicene Fathers
While all of the writings in the Ante-Nicene Fathers are worthwhile (except for the gnostic and spurious works), many persons do not have the time to be able to read them all. For that reason, we are setting forth below our recommendation of some of the key works of this period—particularly works of the second century and early third century. A person who has read these works will have a fairly good grasp of the ethos, lifestyle, and beliefs of the pre-Nicene Christians—and yet will have had to read only about a 1/10th of the ten volume set.
How to Use This List
The first item in each line of the list is the name of the author. The second item is the name of the work. The third item gives the volume and page where the work can be found in the Ante-Nicene Fathers. For example, 1.23 means: volume 1, page 23.
General Overviews of Early Christianity
Anonymous Epistle to Diognetus 1.23
Justin Martyr First Apology 1.159
Theophilus To Autolycus (Books I & II) 2.89
Athenagoras A Plea for the Christians 2.129
Tertullian Apology 3.17
Tertullian To the Nations (Bk. 1 3.109
Mark Felix Octavius 4.167
Cyprian Letter To Donatus 5.275
Anonymous Didache (Teaching of the 12 Apostles) 7.377
Worship, Church Leadership, Discipline, and Other Church Matters
Clement of Rome Epistle to the Corinthians 1.1
Ignatius Letter to the Ephesians (short version) 1.49
Ignatius Letter to the Philadelphians (short version) 1.81
Clement of Alexandria The Miscellanies (Bk. 7, Ch. 17) 2.554
Origen Correspondence re Deuterocanonical books 4.385
Cyprian Letter 5 5.282
Cyprian Letter 2 5.280
Cyprian Letter 32 5.311
Cyprian Letter 59 5.355
Cyprian Letter 60 5.356
Cyprian Letter 61 5.356
Cyprian Letter 65 5.366
Cyprian Letter 67 5.369
Cyprian Letters 69-73 5.375
Cyprian On the Unity of the Church 5.421
Cyprian On the Lord’s Prayer 5.447
Victorinus Commentary on Revelation 7.344
The Lifestyle of the Early Christians
Clement of Alexandria The Instructor (Bk. 1, Chaps. 5-8) 2.212
Clement of Alexandria The Instructor (Bk. 2, Chaps. 2-4) 2.242
Clement of Alexandria The Instructor (Bk. 3) 2.271
Clement of Alexandria The Miscellanies (Bk. 7, Chaps. 7-8) 2.532
Clement of Alexandria The Miscellanies (Bk. 7, Chaps. 11-16) 2.540
Clement of Alexandria Salvation of the Rich Man 2.591
Tertullian The Shows 3.79
Tertullian De Corona 3.93
Tertullian On the Veiling of Virgins 4.27
Origen Against Celsus (Bk. 8, Chaps. 65-76) 4 .664
Cyprian On the Dress of Virgins 5.430
Lactantius The Divine Institutes (Bk. 6, Chaps. 4-6) 5.165
Doctrinal Writings
Irenaeus Against Heresies (Bk 2, Ch. 28) 1.399
Irenaeus Against Heresies (Bk. 3, Ch. 25) 1.459
Irenaeus Against Heresies (Bk 4, Chaps. 1-6) 1.463
Irenaeus Against Heresies (Bk. 4, Chaps. 13-18) 1.477
Irenaeus Against Heresies (Bk 5, Chaps. 29-33) 1.558
Clement of Alexandria The Miscellanies (Bk. 5, Chap 1) 2.444
Tertullian Against Praxeas 3.597
Tertullian On Baptism 3.669
Origen On First Principles (Bk. 2, Chaps. 9-11) 4.289
Origen On First Principles (Bk. 3, Chap. 1, Greek) 4.301
Hippolytus Against Plato 5.221
Hippolytus Against the Heresy of Noetus 5.223
Cyprian Letter 62 5.358
Novatian On the Trinity 5.611
Anonymous Treatise on Re-Baptism 5.667
Lactantius The Divine Institutes (Bk. 4, Chaps. 22-30) 7.124
Lactantius The Divine Institutes (Bk. 6, Chap. 3) 7.164
Lactantius The Divine Institutes (Bk. 7, Chaps. 12-27) 7.208
Martyrdom
Anonymous Martyrdom of Justin Martyr 1.303
Tertullian To the Martyrs 3.693
Miscellaneous
Polycarp Letter to the Philippians 1.31
Papias Fragments 1.151
Irenaeus Fragments II and III 1.568
Irenaeus Fragment XXXVII 1.574