My icon of St. Athanasius of Alexandria
People who know me personally often ask what theologians to read. Obviously there are many good Christian theologians throughout the 2,000 years of the Christian faith. I’ve always said that 1,000 to 1,300 AD was the golden age of Christianity. While I still stand by that, there have been great thinkers throughout the history of the Church.
I will list my favorite Christian thinkers and theologians so everyone can see my recommendations. I will split them up into four categories. The first is from the close of the NT to 500 AD. The second is from 501 AD to 1,000 AD. The third is from 1,001 AD to 1,500 AD. The last is from 1,501 AD to present. I will pick three from each period as to not favor a certain period.
Close of the NT to 500 AD
St. Ignatius of Antioch(d. 107 AD)
In many ways, this man was extremely ahead of his time. Liberals try to point out how theology develops slowly and decisions in later centuries weren’t necessarily reflected in earlier writings. St. Ignatius is one of the best arguments against that as his theology is so advanced at such an early period.
St. Athanasius of Alexandria(d. 373 AD)
A true hero of the faith. It’s a mistake to think that he only wrote on the Trinity. Yes, he is the hero that defended the Trinity against Arius, but there is so much more to his writings. The man knew the Scriptures very well. His knowledge of the Old Testament is quite impressive.
St. Augustine of Hippo(d. 430 AD)
The greatest Latin theologian in the first millennium of the Church. He dealt with many heresies in his day. He wrote polemics against Donatism, Arianism, Pelagianism, Semi-Pelagianism and Manichaeanism. Also, his writings on grace are second to none.
From 501 to 1,000 AD
Pope St. Gregory the Great(d. 604 AD)
Not only did this Pope do wonders for the Papacy but his theology was really good as well. His writings on ministry should be read by anyone aspiring the Priesthood. He wrote a commentary on Job and has written some good letters as well.
St. Bede the Venerable(d. 732 AD)
Probably the greatest Biblical commentator in the first millennium of the Church. He wrote the first Latin commentary on the book of Acts. He also had a great background of the Roman world in the time of Jesus Christ.
St. John of Damascus(d. 750 AD)
Not only did St. John write the first Christian polemic against Islam, but he also wrote against many false heretical groups present in his day. Islam was by no means alone at that time. His writings on the Blessed Virgin Mary are wonderful as well as his defense of iconography in Christian worship.
From 1,001 to 1,500 AD
Pope St. Gregory VII(d. 1085 AD)
There is quite a bit to be learned from this man. Not only did he reform a dilapidated Church to a great thriving Church, but his strong theology really comes out in his writings. His letters remind me of the letters of St. Ignatius.
St. Bernard of Clairveaux(d. 1153 AD)
St. Bernard lived in the golden age of monasticism. He had a strong grasp of Scripture and the Church Fathers. It may be easy to look down on monasticism these days but in the age of St. Bernard they were the intellectual giants of Europe.
St. Thomas Aquinas(d. 1274 AD)
If one hasn’t read his writings, know that they aren’t light. From about 1,300 to 1,970 AD his books were the main source for forming Christian clergy. He played a huge role in the philosophical battles of his day.
From 1,501 AD to the Present
St. Robert Bellarmine(d. 1,621 AD)
If Aquinas it the greatest theologian of all time, this man comes in at number two. Everything he writes is so systematic. It’s so precise and to the point. Also, for the first time since they were written, many of his works are now available in English thanks to the work of Ryan Grant.
St. Francis de Sales(d. 1,622 AD)
The interesting things about St. Francis is that he could do everything. He could do spiritual writing, apologetics, and very advanced theological writings. On top of all that, he was a great preacher with great homilies.
St. Alphonsus Liguori(d. 1,787 AD)
I know that a lot of people aren’t interested in moral theology. It sounds like the such a boring area to study, but it actually puts a lot in perspective. Just like St. Robert Bellarmine, Ryan Grant is translating and making available many of his works that were only available in Latin.
So there is my list of theologians I would recommend. Obviously scripture should take a front and centre focus but it’s also important to learn from the greatest thinkers that Christianity has produced. These 12 are certainly the place to start. Now, to be fair, this wouldn’t be my top 12 list as I’ve spread this out over specific time periods of the Church. They’re the place to start though.
I’m also aware that there are many good ones besides these. It’s hard to believe that in every 500 years of the Christian faith, there were only three good theologians. There were certainly many more than that. These are only my favourites.
I always like hearing from my readers as well. What great Christian thinkers do you read?
1. “I’ve always said that 1,000 to 1,300 AD was the golden age of Christianity”- hmm, kind of debatable. The “Great” Schism, the defilement of Sepulchure by the Seljuk Turks, the ransack of Hagia Sophia all happened during the said period. Sure, there were also bright peaks, but the turmoils were among the bleakest the Church has ever faced. Worse still, a good deal of them were caused by people from within the Church.
2. “What great Christian thinkers do you read?”- in my humble opinion St.Basil of Caesarea, St.John Chrysostom and St.Gregory of Naziansus are an excellent read. Chrysostom is hailed by many Orthodox thinkers as (arguably) the greatest Church father after the ones who were disciples of the Apostles. His brilliance is almost disturbing at times.
Hi Orangehunter,
You bring up good points. From an Orthodox perspective I understand that those weren’t great times. In 1,000 AD the Byzantine Empire had regained most of the power it had lost in the 7th century and was on the brink of retaking the land it had lost then. The Turks put an end to that. It’s hard to tell if the crusades ultimately helped. I suppose it’s impossible to know. And yes, the Schism can’t be excluded.
I guess that’s my Catholic bias kicking in. This is the time period where most of Spain was retaken from the Moors. It was the age of the great religious orders such as the Dominicans and the Franciscans. It also had some of the greatest Popes and was the golden age of Scholasticism. So from a Catholic understanding, it was pretty good but I can understand why you’d have problems with that thesis.
I agree with you on St. Basil of Caesarea, St. Gregory and St. John Chrysostom. I make use of their works all the time. In fact, at my desk where I’m typing this response as we speak, I have four icons on my shelf. St. Gregory of Nazianzus and St. John Chrysostom are two of the icons. The other two are St. Vladimir of Kiev and Pope St. Clement I. I think you and I can agree that picking 3 people in the first 500 years of the Church is pretty tough.
Happy Sunday and God bless.
Allan