From the Latin word for “father,†the study of the writings of the Fathers of the Church, ancient Christian writers whose explanation of Christian beliefs are often considered authoritative.
In a general sense, the leaders of the Christian congregations (church) in the first five centuries. The term more specifically identifies the leaders who left written material, irrespective of their theological persuasion. The significance today of the patristics is their written documents which give insight into the activities of the early Christian congregation period. Scripture was often quoted in their writings. Therefore, they become a source of verification for the wording of the Christian Greek- and Hebrew Scriptures. These writers are usually identified as the church fathers in general religious writing.
Patristics is the study of early Christian writers, known as the Church Fathers. The name patristics derives from the Latin pater (father). The period is generally considered to run from the end of New Testament times (around 100 AD) until around the 8th century.