“Those who have come to be known as the ‘Church Fathers’ led Christianity during the first centuries of its existence after the apostles… One only qualified as a ‘Church Father’ if he met four tests: antiquity, holiness of life, orthodox teaching, and ecclesiastical approval…Being accorded the designation ‘Church Father’ was a stamp of approval; it assured that the author’s works could be read with confidence and profit…the works of the Church Fathers give us access to the Christianity that emerged fresh from the apostles’ lives and labors. Patristic literature thus offers us a window on what the early Church had learned from the apostles. For the many today who naively believe that their particular denomination practices New Testament Christianity, pure and simple, patristic literature can be at once humbling and enlightening.”
– James R. Payton Jr. : “A Patristic Treasury: Early Church Wisdom for Today”