Prayer to Our Guardian Angel Angel of God, My Guardian Dear to whom God's love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side to light and guard and rule and guide. Amen.
Announcements Exam on Monday!! PPT notes on websites Antonian vs. CC: Thursday 6/8pm Sunday Clean up (9am -1pm)
Exam: Chapter 4 10 MULTIPLE-CHOICE 10 MATCHING (2 points each) 10/ 15 SHORT ANSWER (5 points each) 1 ESSAY QUESTION (10 points)
Study: Your notes! Review worksheets (#28-33, 39-44 will be covered on the next exam) Review readings! Study Graphic Organizers! Study, Study, Study!
Church Fathers and Heresies Chapter 4 Church Fathers and Heresies
Athanasian Creed Profession of Faith The author is unknown. Three Divine Persons of the Blessed Trinity Incarnation of God the Son Emphasizes the equality of the three different persons of the Trinity A direct response to those who attacked the faith and introduced heresies into the Church
Early Heresies Part I
Heresy: “A species of unbelief, belonging to those who profess the Christian faith, but corrupt its dogmas”. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Heresies… Deny or alter some part or parts of the Deposit of Faith
Material Heresy A heresy that results from a mistake. Comes from a misjudgment, ignorance of the truth, etc. Although, this heresy comes from a mistake, it is a GRAVE mistake that needs immediate correction.
Formal Heresy Willingly choosing to keep doctrines that are contradictorily to those of the Church Keeping doctrines that have been condemned as being false
Material Heresy Examples: Jesus was a sinner Mary was not a Virgin God created Christ
Formal Heresy Examples: Rejection of the Eucharist Teaching that Jesus didn’t overcome death by way of the Resurrection Rejecting the Church’s teaching on Sunday Obligation
Gnosticism Secret knowledge Exists a Demiurge (creator god) Rejected MOST of the NT (Hebrews 1:4-14) “The Kingdom of God is within you.” (Gospel of Thomas)
Gnosticism: View of Jesus Jesus was merely a “messenger” Jesus entrusted one disciple with secret teachings Denied or limited the real humanity of Christ Jesus not born: “appeared”
Gnosticism’s Ethics Rejected ethical teachings of the Church Body = nature of evil: 1. self mutilation of the body 2. No possible way good soul can be damaged by actions of the body
Gnosticism: the Appeal?? Promised “salvation”: escape of the soul from the material world
Ridiculed by Church Fathers: “My God made heaven and earth, and you cannot point to a measly vegetable yours has produced over all these centuries!” Tertullian
Gnosticism: The Final Overview What: Gnosticism Who: ? (unknown) Where: Judea/ Roman Empire When: Birth of Christianity – Present day Central Belief: Salvation may be achieved through knowledge View of Christ: Christ was NOT human
Marcionism (144-400s) Founded by Marcion Demiurge (god of the OT/Jealous god) Jesus sent to destroy the OT god/Demiurge
Marcion: Founder of Marcionism Father was a Bishop Was a wealthy shipbuilder Survived Empire’s “put down” of Jewish uprising Excommunicated as a heretic
Marcionism: Jesus did not have a true human body/was not from God Rejected the OT Christian life must be freed from material reality
Marcionism Differed from Gnosticism: Did not claim possession of secret knowledge No unique scripture No divine beings (pleroma)
Church’s Rejection of Marcionism: Rejected Monotheism Rejected creation was good Rejected the true humanity of Jesus (death on Cross was payment to the creator god)
Marcionism: the Final Overview What: Marcionism Who: Marcion When : 144-400s AD Where: Rome Central Belief: God of Jesus Christ sent to destroy the Demiurge View of Christ: Jesus was NOT truly human
Manichaeism (250s –1000s): Elaborate brand of Gnosticism Founded by Mani Goal was to share a secret knowledge that led to liberation
Mani: Persian Condemned to death Viewed self as a spiritual leader (Buddha, Jesus) Provided path to true freedom
Manichaeists Believed … Satan had stolen light particles from the brains of men/women Goal was to liberate humanity from Satan In living an ascetic life Jesus was/is NOT Divine
Manichaeism: The Final Overview What: Manichaeism Who: Mani When: 250s-1000s Where: Persia/India (Roman Empire) Central Belief: Man can be liberated from Satan through a secret knowledge View of Christ: Jesus was NOT Divine (only a human spiritual leader)
Montanism (156-200) Were they an early women’s rights group? A form of monasticism? A strange group waiting for the end of the world? … a little bit of all of these.
Montanus: Founder of Montanism Began movement by preaching Originally a pagan priest Excommunicated by the Church (Turkey) Had two female prophets with him Believed that the “end” was at hand
Montanism Age of the Father Age of the Son Age of the Holy Spirit (final age)
Montanism New Heavenly movement would begin in Pepuza Canon of Scripture should NOT be closed “Charismatic” Believed Church was too soft on sinners
Montanism: The Final Overview What: Montanism Who: Montanus Where: Turkey/Rome/ Pepuza When: 156-200s Central Belief: A New heavenly kingdom would be revealed by the power of the Holy Spirit in Pepuza (the end was near) View of Jesus Christ: Jesus was Divine and human
Docetism (30s-100s) Branch of Gnosticism “to appear” Jesus’ humanity was merely an appearance
Docetism: Jesus was did not suffer the pain of the Crucifixion and death Preached that someone else switched places with Christ before the Crucifixion Christ escaped from it.
Docetism: The final overview What: Docetism Who: ? (unknown) When: 305 -1000s Where: Roman Empire Central Belief: Christ did NOT suffer the Crucifixion; Gnostic View of Jesus Christ: Christ was not fully human
The Ecumenical Councils Part II
Ecumenical Councils There has been 21 ecumenical councils All the Bishops of the world (under the Pope) meet to discuss issues facing the Church.
Types of Councils Synod Diocesan Provincial Plenary
Synod: Meeting between the Bishops and the Pope (their leader)
Diocesan Council Meeting of the Bishops, laymen/laywomen, and representatives of the Clergy meet and discuss matters of the diocese.
Provincial Council Meeting of the Archbishop with his suffragan bishops
Plenary Council Meeting of all Bishops within a single nation
Church Fathers Part III
Characteristics of the Church Fathers: Orthodoxy in doctrine Holiness Notoriety Antiquity Two Groups: Latin/ Greek
Patristics The writings of the Church Fathers
Doctor of the Church Title only given by the Pope to those whose development of theology is extraordinary
St. Ambrose of Milan Governor of Milan Anointed Bishop (was only a Catechumen) Defended the independence of the Church from the State Did not get along with Emperor(s) because of high moral standards
St. Jerome Translated the Hebrew Bible into Latin (Vulgate)
Latin Vulgate Most accurate translation of the Bible Translation of Scripture into Latin Uniformed Scripture for the West
St. John Chrysostom the Golden Mouthed Patriarch of Constantinople Combined the Biblical Meaning with practical application/ captured the deep spiritual meaning On the Priesthood: the morality of the priests.
St. John Chrysostom the Golden Mouthed Called for a moral reform among the Emperors and Bishops. He was twice banished by the Empress, but quickly returned from exile. In 407, he was forced into a Death March.
Heresies of the Fourth and Fifth Centuries Part IV
The “Golden Age” Lack of persecution Christians experienced a renewed freedom
Alexandrian School Gave special status to the Divinity of Christ
Antiochene Jesus’ followers were first called Christian. Focused more on literal and historical meanings of Scriptures.
Arianism Result of the manner that Christians had come to think about the Nature of Christ
Arianism … Direct result of the Christians turning to Philosophy to explain their Faith
Pagan Philosophers … One Supreme Being Supreme Being created pagan Gods Could not conceive of how One God = One God
Christians … Taught pagans the god the pagans worshipped is the same God that they worshiped
Arianism Jesus is neither God nor equal to the Father
Arianism Reduced the status of Jesus to being a creature of the Father Jesus, however, was above every other creature in dignity and perfection.
Arianism … Denied the Church’s teaching that the logos was coeternal with God.
Arians Instead Believed … That there “was when He was not” God created “The Word”
Arianism: The Final Overview What: Arianism Who: Arius When: Fourth Century Where: Roman Empire/ Constantinople Central Belief: Jesus was not Divine, but anointed by God to the position of “Supreme ‘Human’ Being” View of Christ: Jesus was not Divine; was a Supreme “Human” Being
The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) Convened by Constantine the Great Primarily Addressed: Arianism Readmission of the lapsed Election of Bishops Role of the office of the Bishops
The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) Failed to combat Arianism through Scripture alone Developed a Creed to combat Arianism
Constantine/St. Athanasius: homoousios –of the same substance –the Son was just as Divine as the Father.
The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) The development of the Creed did NOT end the controversy!
What Developed: Homoousians : identical (Orthodox) Homoiousians : similar(Arian)
After the Death of Constantine: “The entire world woke from a deep slumber and discovered that it had become Arian.” St. Jerome
The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed: Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople (381).
Differences Between the NC and N Creed: 2nd section = the Son. 3rd section = the Holy Spirit last section = Church, Baptism, forgiveness of sins, and the Resurrection. “from the substance of the Father” is absent in the later Creed.
Apollinarianism (360-381) Apollinaris refused to accept the Church’s Authority
Apollinarianism (360-381) Christ had a human body Denied that Christ had a human mind and will Christ did not live a COMPLETE human life as a man Word of God replaced rational soul
Apollinarianism: The final Overview What: Apollinarianism Who: Apollinaris When: 360-381 Where: Syria (Eastern Roman Empire) Central Belief: Denied existence of human mind and will in Christ View of Christ: Christ did not live a complete human life
Nestorianism (351-451) Christ was the unity of a Divine person and a full human person. Mary = Christotokos “the bearer of Christ”
Nestorianism: the final Overview What: Nestorianism Who: Nestorius When: 351 – 451 Where: Antiochene Central Belief: Christ human and divine, but not fully human/divine View of Christ: Ditto.
Monophysitism (400s-600s) Reaction to Nestorianism Christ = ONE nature (Divine)
Monophysitism: The Final Overview What: Monophysitism When: 400s – 600s Where: Alexandrian School Who: ? Unknown Central Belief: Christ did not have two natures – only Divine nature existed View of Christ: Human nature absorbed by the Divine nature
Monothelitism: Response to Monophysitism Emperor Heraclius/Patriarch Sergius Pope Honorius: “one will”
Monothelitism: The Final Overview What: Monothelitism Who: Emperor Heraclius When: 600s Where: Constantinople/ Eastern Roman Empire Central Belief: Christ had only One will. But two natures View of Christ: Ditto.
Donastism (311-411) Sacramental Heresy Sacraments are invalid: 1. Priest/Bishop formally rejected the Faith 2. Priest/Bishop in state of sin
Donastism Christ is the only true administrator of the Sacraments (Augustine)
Donastism: The Final Overview What: Donastism Who: ? (those who rejected the ordination of Bishop Caecillan ) Where: Carthage (Roman Empire) When: (311-411) Central Belief: Sacraments are invalid if done by a lapsed priest or Bishop View of Christ: Jesus was human and Divine (Orthodox)
Pelagianism (late 300s-431): Dogmatic Heresy Man can be redeemed and sanctified without grace No Original Sin Sacraments are unnecessary
Pelagianism: The final Overview What: Pelagianism Who: Pelagius Where: Roman Empire When: 300s - 431 Central Belief: Sacraments are unnecessary; Graces can be achieved by own human efforts View of Christ: Orthodox