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The true history of the development of the beliefs and practices of early Christianity are often shrouded in mystery, taking a back seat to the stories of the Bible and Jesus. The truth is, however, that there were many individuals in the early centuries of the Common Era that made indispensable contributions to the creation of Christianity as a theology, and of the Church as an authority. Collectively, these people are known as the Early Church Fathers, and while they might not all be household names, they are truly the architects of the world's largest religion.

Read on to learn everything you need to know about the Early Church Fathers.

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Despite being the most widely practiced religion in the world, the details surrounding the origins of Christianity remain murky for many people.

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After the life of Jesus, it took a long time for Christianity to be accepted as a mainstream religion, and even longer for the thorough and exhaustive theology we know today to develop.

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Christianity grew from the teachings of Jesus to a fully fledged theology through the process of the canonization of religious laws over hundreds of years.

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This took the work of many scholars, theologians, and others who devoted their lives to developing Christianity as a theology in the centuries following the life of Jesus. These individuals are known today as the Early Church Fathers.

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The Roman Catholic Church holds eight men above all other Early Fathers of the Church: these are known as the Doctors of the Church, and were designated as such for the immensity of their influence on the Church.

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Saint Ambrose, born Aurelius Ambrosius in 339 CE, was the earliest and arguably most influential of the Western Doctors. While serving as the Bishop of Milan, he wrote prolifically on matters of theology and philosophy, and popularized the importance of giving to the poor in Christianity, as well as the idea that the good of one member of society is also the good of another.

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Saint Jerome of Stridon earned his place among the Doctors of the Church after translating the Bible into Latin directly from Hebrew, rather than from Greek, like most Latin translations of the 4th century CE.

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Augustine of Hippo is perhaps the most famous of the Church's early saints, and for good reason. During his lifetime in the early 4th and 5th centuries, he was instrumental in the development of concepts such as predestination and original sin.

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Saint Gregory served as the Pope of Rome from 590 CE until his death in 604 CE. During his papacy, Gregory unified different sects of Christianity across the Roman Empire. He also sent out the Church's first mission program, the Gregorian mission, to the pagan islands of Britain, where he successfully converted many of the island's inhabitants to Christianity.

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The earliest of the Eastern Church Fathers, Athanasius of Alexandria was born at the turn of the 4th century. Not only was Athanasius present at the First Council of Nicaea, which resulted in the first established Christian doctrine, he was also the first Christian theologian to list the canon of books that would later become the modern New Testament.

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Born in 329 CE in modern-day Turkey, Gregory of Nazianzus accomplished many things in his life to make him deserving of his spot in the history of the Church. Most notably, Gregory greatly expanded on the idea of the Holy Trinity.

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Basil of Caesarea, also sometimes referred to as Saint Basil the Great, was an indispensable figure in the creation of the communal monastic practice of the Eastern Church. His views on the importance of charity, manual labor, and community greatly influenced the development of the Eastern Church's monasteries and monastic culture.

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John Chrysostom, born in 347 CE, is remembered as one of the greatest and most prolific speakers and writers of theology in the early Church. His epithet Chrysostom can be translated as "golden-mouthed," and is a reference to his exquisite oratory skills. He has also been deeply respected throughout the centuries for his monastic lifestyle and his vocal opposition to religious and political abuses of power.

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While the eight recognized Doctors of the Church are held in extremely high regard, they aren't the earliest of the Church Fathers. Before them came the Apostolic Fathers, a group of theologians who were almost all directly associated with the original 12 apostles and lived throughout the 1st and 2nd centuries CE.

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The first apostolic father was Pope Clement I, born in 35 CE. It is believed that Clement was consecrated as Bishop of Rome by Peter the Apostle himself.

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A disciple of John the Apostle, Ignatius of Antioch is known not only as an early martyr of Christianity who was fed to the beasts, but also for his extensive and essential writing on the history of the church and the proper duties of Christian bishops, among many other important topics.

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Another alleged student of John the Apostle, Polycarp was a devoted teacher of Christian gospel and tradition until he was martyred in 155 CE. At first, he was burned at the stake, but the fire would not consume him. When his body refused to burn, Polycarp was then stabbed numerous times, but even then, after bleeding so much blood that the surrounding flames were extinguished, Polycarp wasn't dead.

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Very little is known about the last of the Apostolic Fathers, Papias of Hierapolis. Most believe he was born around 60 CE and lived until around 130 CE. His contemporaries described him as a "hearer" of John the Apostle. The work of Papias was instrumental in preserving and spreading the canonical gospels to the generations of Christians to come.

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While the Doctors of the Church are considered the upper echelon of the Church Fathers, there are many other groups and subgroups who left indelible marks on the Christian faith. The best known to the modern Catholic Church are those who wrote in Latin, and are appropriately referred to as the Latin Fathers.

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Tertullian was a Carthaginian theologian born around 155 CE who, despite being barred from sainthood after being labeled a heretic, had a heavy influence on the Western Church. He was a prolific writer and translator in Latin, and is commonly known as the Father of the Latin Church.

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Saint Cyprian of Carthage was born a pagan, but converted to Christianity and became a bishop in 249 CE. Cyprian was an early proponent for water baptisms, and taught that they were the only legitimate start on the path towards salvation.

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Born in the early 4th century CE, Saint Hilary of Poitiers was a staunch defender of mainstream Christianity, and was often referred to as the Hammer of the Arians due to his opposition towards the Arian branch of Christianity, which was at the time considered heretical.

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The papacy of Damasus lasted from 366 CE until his death in 384 CE. He was deeply devoted to the unity of the Church and worked tirelessly to prevent schisms between different regions.

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Over 2,000 pieces of Christian theological thought are attributed to Origen of Alexandria, one of the earliest theologians to treat Christianity as a philosophy. His work was instrumental in the early development of Christian theology.

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Centuries after the days of the first apostles, Isidore of Seville was considered the "last scholar of the ancient world" before the Dark Ages began in earnest. As archbishop of Seville, Isidore was also responsible for the conversion of many Visigoth kings and leaders to Catholicism.

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Far lesser known, but no less important than the Latin Fathers, are a small group of ascetics known as the Desert Fathers. These early and esoteric theologians lived monastic lives in the deserts of Egypt, and are considered one of the greatest influences on modern Christian monasticism.

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The fist theologian to walk into the desert was Paul of Thebes, also known as Paul the First Hermit. Born in 227 CE, it is said he lived a solitary life of strict asceticism in the desert from the time he was 16 until just before his death, at the age of 113. He was found just weeks before his death by Anthony the Great, who learned from him the ways of the desert.

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Anthony the Great, born around 251 CE and commonly considered the Father of all Monks, not only followed in Paul's footsteps but made desert monasticism a popular phenomenon. Many followed him into the desert, where he is said to have faced and conquered many supernatural, unholy temptations.

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In turn, Pachomius chose to follow in the footsteps of Anthony, and led a solitary, ascetic life until God came to him in a dream and told him to build a monastery for the quickly-approaching new devotees to desert monasticism. Pachomius is credited with developing the concept of communal monasticism.

Sources: (Christian Classics Ethereal Library) (Britannica) (New Advent)