The term Apostolic Fathers refers both to a group of early Christian writers (the first among the Church Fathers) and to a particular collection of their writings.
The most common lists of these writings usually include most or all of the following:
- The Epistle to Diognetus
- The First Epistle of Clement
- The Second Epistle of Clement
- The Didache
- The Epistle of Barnabas
- Seven short Epistles of Ignatius of Antioch (the longer forms of these Epistles, and those beyond the seven, are widely considered later emendations and forgeries)
- The Epistle of Polycarp
- The Martyrdom of Polycarp
- The Shepherd of Hermas