The Influence of the African Fathers on the Early Church

The African church fathers – early African biblical interpreters, theologians, pastors, and bishops – had a profound effect on every phase of the expanding church’s theology, biblical interpretation, and cultural interaction. Yet these influential African church leaders – with names such as Augustine, Clement, Athanasius, Origen, Cyprian, and Tertullian – are often thought of as European rather than African. This session explores these church fathers’ contribution as African leaders and thinkers to the broader church across the centuries.