TERMS & Resources

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The journeys of St. Paul and Christian Communities in 100

(The Oxford illustrated History of Christianity, by John McManners, ISBN-0-19-285259-0, 1990)

The Third-Century Church Fathers

Irenaeus: late 2nd century. Ministered in Smyrna and Gaul. Wrote against heresies and on the unity of God and the Origin of Evil. Studied under Polycarp.

Clement: c.150-c.215. Ministered in Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem. Wrote an exhortation to the Greeks, the Pedagogue and Stromata. Was trained in philosophy. Was converted as an adult. Emphasized Logos. Approached Scripture allegorically. Wrote oldest extant Christian hymn, "Shepherd of Tender Youth."

Julius Africanus: C.160-c.240. Ministered in Palestine. Wrote Chronography. Studied under Origen. His historical research covered period from Creation to AD 221.

Origen: c.185-c.254. Ministered in Alexandria and Caesarea. Wrote Hexapla, against Celsus and De Principiis. His father Leonidas was martyred in 202. Studied under Clement. Succeeded Clement as catechist in 203. Was a notable advocate of allegorical interpretation of Scripture. Was extremely ascetic. Was exiled by his enemies in the church. Died after torture at hands of Romans.

Major Ancient Church Doctrinal Controversies

Trinitarian Controversy. Relevant Councils: Nicea (325) and Constantinople (381). Accepted that Christ is "of same substance with the Father." Accepted that Father, Son, and Spirit are "coeternal, consubstantial, and coequal."

Christological Controversy. Relevant Councils: Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), Ephesus ("Robber Synod") (449), Chalcedon (451), Accepted that Christ is "one person in two natures, unmixed, unchanged, undivided, inseparable." Accepted Mary as "the Mother of God."

Donatist Controversy. Relevant Councils: Arles (314). Accepted "Outside the church there is no salvation."

Pelagian Controversy. Relevant Councils: Ephesus (431) and Orange (529). Accepted Semi-Augustinianism; sacramental grace enables people to overcome their innate sinfulness.

Doctrines about Church, Ministry and Sacraments
Church:
Faith
Preaching
Sacraments
Reformed tradition
Discipline

Polity:
Episcopal
Presbyterian
Congregational

Baptism:
Baptismal Regeneration: Baptism if means of regeneration and justification
Reformed: Baptism is linked to justification and regeneration, but not tied to moment of application of water.
Symbolic: Baptism symbolizes commitment
Believer's Baptist (Anabaptist): Only appropriate for believers

Eucharist:
Transubstantiation
Corporeal Presence
Virtualism/Receptionism
Memorialism

Ancient Church Trinitarian Heresies
Monarchianism (Adoptionism): Jesus became Chris at His baptism, was adopted by the Father after His death.

Sabellianism (Modalism, Patripassionism): One God reveals Himself in three ways.

Arianism: Christ is the first created being.

Semi-Arianism (Eusebianism): Christ is of similar essence with the Father but is subordinate to Him.

Macedonianism (Pneumatomachism): The Holy Spirit is a created being.

Ancient Church Christological Heresies:
Apollonarianism: Christ had no human spirit. The Logos replaced it.

Nestorianism: The Logos indwelt the person of Jesus, making Christ a God-bearing man rather than the God-Man. Affirmed merely mechanical rather than organic union of the person of Christ.

Eutychianism: The human nature of Christ was absorbed by the Logos.

Monophysitism: Christ had one nature (unwilling to accept impersonal human nature of Christ )

Monothelitism: Christ had no human will, just the one divine will.

The Pelagian Controversy
Pelagianism: Man is born essentially good and capable of doing what is necessary for salvation/

Augustinianism: Man ids dead in sin; salvation is totally by the grace of God, which is given only to the elect.

Semi-Pelagianism: The grace of God and the will of man work together in salvation, in which man must take the initiative.

Semi-Augustinianism: The grace of God comes to all, enabling a person to choose and perform what is necessary for salvation.

The Ecumenical Councils of the Early Church
Nicea: 325. Constantine was the Emperor. Declared Son homoousios (coequal, consubstantial, and coeternal) with Father.

Constantinople: 381. Theodosius was the Emperor. Confirmed results of Councils of Nicea. Produced revised Nicene Creed. Ended Trinitarian Controversy. Affirmed deity of the Holy Spirit. Condemned Apollonarianism.

Ephesus: 431. Theodosius II was the Emperor. Declared Nestorianism heretical. Accepted by implication Alexandrian Christology. Condemned Pelagius.

Chalcedon: 451. Marcian was the Emperor. Declared Christ's two natures unmixed, unchanged, undivided, inseparable. Condemned Eutychianism.

Constantinople: 553. Justinian was the Emperor. Condemned "Three Chapters" to gain support of Monophysites. Affirmed Cyrillian interpretation of Chalcedon.

Constantinople: 680-681. Constantinople IV was the Emperor. Rejected Monothelitism. Condemned Pope Honorius (d. 638) as heretical.

Nicea: 787. Constantinople VI was the Emperor. Declared veneration of icons and statues legitimate.

Church and State, 754-1309
Holy Roman Empire of Charlemagne: 754-962.
Key Events:
754: Donation of Pepin
mid-8th Century: Donation of Constantine (forged)
800: crowning of Charlemagne
mid-9th Century: Pseudo-Isidorian Decretais (forged)
840: division of Empire among Charlemagne's grandsons
Characteristics: Creation of Papal States made pope a temporal ruler. Crowning of Charlemagne set stage for power struggle between church and state. Feudal fragmentation of society occurred. In latter part of period, papacy was hold by unworthy men under domination of Roman barons.

Holy Roman Empire of Otto I: 962-1059.
Key Events:
962: Otto I crowned Holy Roman Emperor by pope.
1044-1046: papal schism
1054: schism of Eastern and Western churches
Characteristics: Period was characterized by constant German interference in Italian and papal affairs. Popes were generally weak, puppets of Italian or German overlords. Growth of Cluny reform developed strong leadership for church.

Increase of Papal Domination: 1059-1216
Key Events:
1059: papal elections entrusted to College of Cardinals
1077: Henry IV humbled at Canossa
1095: Crusades begin
1122: Concordat of Worms
1215: Fourth Lateran Council
Characteristics: Hildebrandine reform greatly enhanced power of papacy. Lay investiture controversy reached its peak. Excommunication and interdict became potent weapons in papal arsenal. Papal power reached its zenith as Innocent III claims absolute spiritual and temporal authority.

Decline of Papal Domination: 1216-1309
Key Events:
1291: Fall of Acre, end of Crusades
1302: papal bull Unam Sanctum
1309: beginning of Babylonian Captivity; papacy moved to Avignon, France
Characteristics: Popes continued to make grandiose claims of temporal power but were less and less able to back them up. By the end of the period, the papacy fell completely under French domination.

Religion in the Thirteen Colonies
Virginia: First settled: 1607. Anglican. Established Church was Church of England.
Massachusetts: First settled: 1620. Separatists and Congregationalists. Established Church was Congregational.
New Hampshire: First settled: 1623. Congregationalist. Established Church was Congregational.
New York: First settled: 1624. Dutch Reformed. Established Church was Church of England (1692).
Maryland: First settled: 1634. Roman Catholic and other. Established Church was Church of England (1691).
Connecticut: First settled: 1634. Congregationalist. Established Church was Congregational.
Rhode Island: First settled: 1636. Congregationalist. Established Church was none.
New Jersey: First settled: 1638. Lutheran, Dutch Reformed and Quaker. Established Church was none.
Delaware: First settled: 1638. Lutheran, Dutch Reformed and Anglican. Established Church was none.
North Carolina: First settled: 1653. Anglican. Established Church was Church of England.
South Carolina: First settled: 1670. Anglican and Huguenots. Established Church was Church of England (1704).
Pennsylvania: First settled: 1681. Lutheran, Mennonite, Brethren, Amish, Schwenkfelder and Moravian. Established Church was none.
Georgia: First settled: 1733. Anglican and Moravian. Established Church was Church of England (1758).

Anabaptists: In the 16th Century, a number of closely related group refused to allow their children to be baptized and reinstituted the baptism of believers. Their denial of infant baptism led to the nickname.
Key Leaders: Conrad Grebel, Felix Manz, Georg Blaurock, Ludwig Hätzer and Balthasar Hübmaier. Active in Zurich and other areas of Switzerland and the Holy Roman Empire. Repudiated church-state ties. Considered voluntary association of committed believers.