The Fathers of the Church: A New Translation (FOTC or FC) is an ongoing book series of English translations of patristic texts from early Christian writers published by The Catholic University of America Press. Inaugurated by its first volume in 1947, The Apostolic Fathers, and initially planned by its founder and first editorial director Ludwig Schopp to span 72 volumes,[1] the series aimed to supersede the nineteenth-century Ante-Nicene Fathers and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers collections, making use of critical editions of the relevant texts that had since become available, as well as better knowledge of patristic Greek and Latin, rendering the texts themselves into "contemporary English."[2]: 373 Furthermore, each volume was to be coupled with useful features such as scholarly introductions, footnotes, bibliographies, and Scripture indices. Privately published by "Christian Heritage, Inc." and "Fathers of the Church, Inc." initially, the series was later transferred to The Catholic University of America Press in 1961.[2]: 379–80
According to Roy J. Deferrari, the principal editor of the series in its early years (1949–1960), the primary rationale behind the series was motivated by the "anti-Catholic bias" of the existing Ante-Nicene Fathers and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers editions, a bias he described as "nothing short of shocking to those who use them," and a desire to "supplant" those editions.[2]: 372 Although originally focused on creating newer translations of previously translated texts, the series would later refocus to prioritize publishing texts never before translated into English.
In 1989, a new series titled The Fathers of the Church: Medieval Continuations was created, inaugurated by the first of six volumes of letters by St. Peter Damian,[3] to expand the scope of translations beyond the first centuries of Christianity.