1. Church Fathers and Heresies
Chapter 4
Church Fathers and Heresies

2. Early Heresies
Part I

3. Heresy
“A species of unbelief, belonging to those who profess the Christian faith, but corrupt its dogmas”.
(St. Thomas Aquinas)

4. Heresies…
Deny or alter some part or parts of the Deposit of Faith

5. Material Heresy Results from a mistake
Misjudgment, ignorance of the truth, etc.
Needs immediate correction

6. Formal Heresy
Willingly choosing to keep doctrines that are contradictorily to those of the Church
Keeping doctrines that have been condemned as being false

7. Material Heresy Examples
Jesus was a sinner
Mary was not a Virgin
God created Christ

8. 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

9. Gnosticism Secret knowledge Demiurge (creator god)
Rejected MOST of the NT
“The Kingdom of God is within you.” (Gospel of Thomas)

10. 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”

11. 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

12. 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

13. Gnosticism: The Final Overview
What: Gnosticism
Who: Simon Magnus
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

14. Marcionism (144-400s) Founded by Marcion
Demiurge (god of the OT/Jealous god)
Jesus sent to destroy the OT god/Demiurge

15. Marcion: Founder of Marcionism
Father was a Bishop
Was a wealthy shipbuilder
Survived Empire’s “put down” of Jewish uprising
Excommunicated as a heretic

16. Marcionism Jesus did not have a true human body/was not from God
Rejected the OT
Christian life must be freed from material reality

17. Marcionism Differed from Gnosticism
Did not claim possession of secret knowledge
No unique scripture
No divine beings (pleroma)

18. 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)

19. Marcionism: the Final Overview
What: Marcionism
Who: Marcion
When : s AD
Where: Rome
Central Belief: God of Jesus Christ sent to destroy the Demiurge
View of Christ: Jesus was NOT truly human

20. Manichaeism (250s –1000s) Elaborate brand of Gnosticism
Founded by Mani
Goal was to share a secret knowledge that led to liberation

21. Mani Persian Condemned to death
Viewed self as a spiritual leader (Buddha, Jesus)
Provided path to true freedom

22. 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

23. 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)

24. 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.

25. 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

26. Montanism TIME IS DIVIDED INTO THREE ERAS Age of the Father
Age of the Son
Age of the Holy Spirit (final age)

27. Montanism New Heavenly movement would begin in Pepuza
Canon of Scripture should NOT be closed
“Charismatic”
Believed Church was too soft on sinners

28. Montanism: The Final Overview
What: Montanism
Who: Montanus
Where: Turkey/Rome/ Pepuza
When: s
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

29. Docetism (30s-100s) Branch of Gnosticism “to appear”
Jesus’ humanity was merely an appearance

30. 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.

31. Docetism: The final overview
What: Docetism
Who: ? (unknown)
When: s
Where: Roman Empire
Central Belief: Christ did NOT suffer the Crucifixion; Gnostic
View of Jesus Christ: Christ was not fully human

32. The Ecumenical Councils
Part II

33. Ecumenical Councils There has been 21 ecumenical councils
All the Bishops of the world (under the Pope) meet to discuss issues facing the Church.

34. Types of Councils
Diocesan (Synod)
Provincial
Plenary
Echumenical

35. Diocesan Council
Meeting of the Bishops, laymen/laywomen, and representatives of the Clergy meet and discuss matters of the diocese.

36. Provincial Council
Meeting of the Archbishop with his suffragan bishops

37. Plenary Council
Meeting of all Bishops within a single nation

38. Ecumenical
Meeting between the Bishops and the Pope (their leader)

39. Church Fathers
Part III

40. Characteristics of the Church Fathers
Orthodoxy in doctrine
Holiness
Notoriety
Antiquity ad

41. Patristics The writings of the Church Fathers
Patrology – study of the Church Fathers

42. Doctor of the Church
Title only given by the Pope to those whose development of theology is extraordinary
St. Teresa of Avila
St. Catherine of Sienna
St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Hildegard of Bingen

43. 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

44. St. Jerome Translated the Hebrew Bible into Latin
Latin Vulgate - uniform Scripture for the West
Most accurate translation of the Bible

45. St. John Chrysostom He who speaks GoldEN words
Patriarch of Constantinople
Combined the Biblical Meaning with practical application/ captured the deep spiritual meaning
On the Priesthood: the morality of the priests.

46. 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.

47. Heresies of the Fourth and Fifth Centuries
Part IV

48. The “Golden Age” of Church fathers
Lack of persecution
Christians experienced a renewed freedom

49. Alexandrian School
Gave special status to the Divinity of Christ

50. Antiochene Antioch - Jesus’ followers were first called Christian.
Focused more on literal and historical meanings of Scriptures.

51. Arianism
Jesus is neither God nor equal to the Father

52. Arianism Reduced the status of Jesus to being a creature of the Father
Jesus, however, was above every other creature in dignity and perfection.
Denied the Church’s teaching that the logos was coeternal with God.

53. Arians Instead Believed …
That there “was when He was not”
God created “The Word”

54. 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

55. St. helena d. 330 A.D. Mother of Constantine Archaeologist True Cross
Manager
Stairs (Scala Santa)
Favored wide spread of Christianity
Influenced son

56. Constantine the Great 272 A.D. – 337 A.D.
Conversion (Cross/battle)
Edict of Milan 313 A.D.
Empowered Christianity
Sincere?
First Christian Roman Emperor
Saint in Orthodox Church

57. 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

58. The Council of Nicaea (325 AD)
Failed to combat Arianism through Scripture alone
Developed a Creed to combat Arianism

59. What Developed Homoousians : identical (Orthodox)
Homoiousians : similar(Arian)

60. After the Death of Constantine
“The entire world woke from a deep slumber and discovered that it had become Arian.”
~ St. Jerome

61. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed
Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople (381).

62. 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.

63. Apollinarianism ( )
Apollinaris refused to accept the Church’s Authority

64. 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

65. Apollinarianism The final Overview
What: Apollinarianism
Who: Apollinaris
When:
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

66. Nestorianism ( )
Christ was the unity of a Divine person and a full human person.
Mary = Christotokos “the bearer of Christ”

67. 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.

68. Monophysitism (400s-600s) Reaction to Nestorianism
Christ = ONE nature (Divine)

69. 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

70. Monothelitism Response to Monophysitism
Emperor Heraclius/Patriarch Sergius
Pope Honorius: “one will”

71. 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.

72. Donastism (311-411) Sacramental Heresy
Sacraments are invalid:
1. Priest/Bishop formally rejected the Faith
2. Priest/Bishop in state of sin

73. Donastism Christ is the only true administrator of the Sacraments
(Augustine)

74. Donastism: The Final Overview
What: Donastism
Who: ? (those who rejected the ordination of Bishop Caecillan )
Where: Carthage (Roman Empire)
When: ( )
Central Belief: Sacraments are invalid if done by a lapsed priest or Bishop
View of Christ: Jesus was human and Divine (Orthodox)

75. Pelagianism (late 300s-431): Dogmatic Heresy
Man can be redeemed and sanctified without grace
No Original Sin
Sacraments are unnecessary

76. 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

77. St. Hilary Latin Church Father Athanasius of the West Fought Arianism
Heretics: followers of Christianity who were trying to explain the same ideas, but in different terms

78. The Three Cappadocians

79. St. Basil the Great Community life is essential
Teachings = Greek Church legislation
Father of Eastern Monasticism
Fought Arianism
“if people only took what they needed, there would be no rich or poor.”

80. St. Basil the Great Worked for clerical rights
Saw that Priests were properly trained
Provided for the spiritual and material needs of the laity
Built a social system of hospitals and social service institutions
Divine Liturgy

81. St. Gregory of Nazianzus
Five Theological Orations = Third person of the Trinity
Against Arianism
“Gregory Bishop”

82. St. Gregory of Nyssa Became monk after wife died On Virginity
Attacked Arianism/ “Theotokos”

83. Pope St. Leo the Great d. 461 Consolidated Papal Power (NT)
Gained Papal Jurisdiction (West)
“First Pope”(modern)

84. St. Augustine of Hippo Mother = Christian Father = pagan Studied Law
Student of rhetoric (Cicero)
Manichaeists

85. St. Augustine of Hippo
Found Difficult: - The Bible - Origin of Evil Left Manichaeism after questions went unanswered

86. St. Augustine of Hippo Youth –rebel Stole pears for fun
Made stories up about women to gain acceptance
Had an illegitimate child
Great Conversion experience
“Tolle et lege”
Castrated self –to win over flesh

87. “My heart will not rest until it rests in You.”
St. Augustine
“My heart will not rest until it rests in You.”

88. Augustine’s Most Important Works
City of God
Confessions