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christian-ecclesiology-sacramentsfeatured in 40 works

Apostolic Succession

An unbroken chain of bishops reaching back to the apostles

Apostolic succession is the continuity of the Church's ministry through bishops in unbroken line from the apostles, witnessed early by Clement of Rome, Irenaeus, and Hegesippus. Traditions differ on its weight: it is central to the order of the Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican churches, while many Protestant traditions understand it differently or de-emphasize it in favor of continuity in apostolic teaching.

How it traveled

  1. Acts
    Rome · 84
    explains
  2. The Prescription Against Heretics.
    — · 220
    explains
  3. The Epistles of Cyprian.
    Carthage · 258
    explains
  4. The First Ecumenical Council: The First Council of Nice
    Nicaea · 325
    explains
  5. The Church History of Eusebius
    Caesarea · 339
    explains
  6. The Canons of the Councils of Ancyra, Gangra, Neocæsarea, Antioch and Laodicea, which Canons were Accepted and Received by the Ecumenical Synods
    — · 360
    explains
  7. Defence Against the Arians. (Apologia Contra Arianos.)
    Alexandria · 373
    explains
  8. The Letters
    Caesarea (Cappadocia) · 379
    explains
  9. Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen
    Nazianzus · 390
    explains
  10. Selections from the Letters of St. Ambrose
    Milan · 397
    explains
  11. A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  12. Homilies on First Corinthians
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  13. Homilies on Second Corinthians
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  14. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Timothy, Titus, and Philemon
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  15. The Commentary and Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Galatians and Ephesians
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  16. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  17. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  18. The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 407
    explains
  19. The Letters of St. Jerome
    Bethlehem · 420
    explains
  20. Jerome and Gennadius. Lives of Illustrious Men
    Bethlehem · 420
    explains
  21. Letters of St. Augustin
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  22. On Baptism, Against the Donatists
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  23. Answer to the Letters of Petilian, the Donatist
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  24. Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  25. Expositions on the Book of Psalms
    Hippo Regius · 430
    explains
  26. The Third Ecumenical Council: The Council of Ephesus
    Ephesus · 431
    explains
  27. The Ecclesiastical History of Socrates Scholasticus
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 439
    explains
  28. The Ecclesiastical History of Sozomen
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 450
    explains
  29. The Fourth Ecumenical Council. The Council of Chalcedon
    Chalcedon · 451
    explains
  30. The Ecclesiastical History, Dialogues, and Letters of Theodoret
    Cyrrhus · 458
    explains
  31. The Letters and Sermons of Leo the Great
    Rome · 461
    explains
  32. The Book of Pastoral Rule, and Selected Epistles, of Gregory the Great
    Rome · 604
    explains
  33. Selected Epistles of Gregory the Great
    Rome · 604
    explains
  34. The Canons of the Synods of Sardica, Carthage, Constantinople, and Carthage Under St. Cyprian, Which Canons Were Received by the Council in Trullo and Ratified by II. Nice
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 692
    explains
  35. The Canons of the Council in Trullo; Often Called The Quinisext Council
    Constantinople (Istanbul) · 692
    explains
  36. The Seventh Ecumenical Council. The Second Council of Nice
    Nicaea · 787
    explains
  37. Treatise on the Sacraments (qq[60]-90)
    Paris · 1274
    explains
  38. Commentary on Galatians
    Wittenberg · 1546
    explains
  39. Book Fourth. of the Holy Catholic Church
    Geneva · 1564
    explains
  40. A History of the Work of Redemption
    Northampton, Massachusetts · 1758
    explains

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Modern and living teachers whose books take up Apostolic Succession. These works are still in copyright, so we can’t show the text here — each links out to the book.