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Q&A Home > E > Early Church Fathers Do we accept all the teachings of the early church Fathers? I think the term "Father" in Patrology should be fully understood first. In the Coptic Orthodox Church certain qualifications must be met in order to be called a "Church Father."
These qualifications include:
- Participation in the enrichment of the Christian Literature.(discourses, dialogues, letters, sermons, commentaries on Holy Books).
- Adherence to the doctrines and traditions of the church, while bringing the church teachings and doctrines under scrutiny. Although Tertullian and Origen, have contributed a lot of valuable literature to the Patristics, their somewhat unorthodox attitudes have robbed them of the title "Father" in the Coptic Church.
- Holiness of Life
- Antiquity
Please understand that the Coptic Church does not canonize the Fathers. This is not a Coptic practice.
I would like to encourage you to read "The Apostolic Fathers" written by Father Tadros Malaty. This subject needs an in-depth study in order to understand it.
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