U ovome radu donijeti ćemo presjek simbolike životinja u djelima i spisima crkvenih otaca koje smo obradili. Crkveni oci u prva četiri stoljeća kršćanstva govore o simbolici životinja. Simbolika životinja vrlo je važna za crkvene oce. Njome se služe u svakodnevnome životu i propovijedanju. Ovaj rad je podijeljen u nekoliko cjelina. U prvome redu donosimo simboliku životinja u poganskim religijama. Životinje, a potom i njihova simbolika, u poganskim religijama su zapravo personifikacija ljudi i ljudskih osobina. Zbog toga u poganskim religijama imamo zastupljeno mnoštvo bogova i božanstava koji predstavljaju svaku pojedinu ljudsku osobinu ili vremensku pojavu. U drugome dijelu ovoga rada donosimo simboliku životinja u židovstvu i kršćanstvu. Ovdje je simbolika životinja ponešto drukčija nego je to bila u poganskim religijama. U židovstvu i kršćanstvu životinje, a potom i njihova simbolika, predstavljaju i simboliziraju, prije svega jednoga i pravoga Boga. Zatim, to je simbolika koja simbolizira odnos čovjeka prema Bogu, te čovjeka prema čovjeku u svakodnevnim međuljudskim odnosima. Simbolika životinja je podijeljena u židovstvu i kršćanstvu na nekoliko cjelina. Najprije donosimo simboliku „nebeskih“ životinja, potom kopnenih životinja, te na posljetku i vodenih životinja. Simbolika životinja koja se nalazi u ovome radu obuhvaća samo neke od životinja koje su donijeli crkveni oci u svojim djelima i spisima. Mi smo ih odabrali samo neke i obradili u ovome radu njihovu simboliku. Neke od tih životinja su: pčela, gavran, golub i golubica, feniks, zmija, lav, jelen, žaba i riba.

In this paper we will present the cross section of symbolism of animals in the works and writings of church fathers that we processed. During the first four centuries of Christianity, church fathers talk about the symbolic meaning of animals, which is crucial for them. They use it in everyday life and preaching. This paper is divided into several parts. In the first part we write about the symbolism of animals in paganism. Animals, and afterwards their symbolic meaning, are in fact personification of human beings and their personalities. Because of that, there are a lot of gods and deities represented in paganism and they symbolize each and every human trait or weather phenomena. The second part of the paper deals with the symbolism of animals in Judaism and Christianity, which is rather different than it was in paganism. Animals in Judaism and Christianity, and later their symbolism, particularly represent and symbolize one and only God. Furthermore, it symbolizes human's relation to God and human's relation towards another human in everyday interpersonal relationships. The symbolism of animals in Judaism and Christianity is divided into several parts. First of all, we deal with symbolism of „heavenly“ animals, then terrestrial animals, and at the end aqua animals. The symbolic meaning of animals presented in this paper deals with only some of the animals that church fathers mentioned in their works and writings. We chose some of them as subjects of this research. Some of the mentioned animals are: bee, raven, pigeon and dove, phoenix, snake, lion, deer, frog and fish.