Christian Heritage Test 2 Flashcards
responsible for the Great Persecution; he split the Roman Empire into the East and the West with 4 people governing
Diocletian
put in power when his dad died in 306, wins the battle at the Milvian Bridge against Maxentius for control of the west. Before this, he converted to Christianity after seeing a cross of light and “in this conquer” and then a labarum
Constantine
agreement between Licinius and Constantine to end the persecution of Christians in 313; results: Christians financial benefits, the laws changed, public churches were constructed, Jerusalem was restored as a Christian city, and Constantinople was founded
Edict of Milan
went to Jerusalem and founded a church in Bethlehem and at the Mt. of Olives and says she found Jesus’s cross
Helena (Constantine’s mother)
officially makes Christianity the state-sponsored religion and condemns other religions in 380 AD
Theodosius
used a tree, the sun, and water to explain the trinity
Tertullian
says God “adopted” Jesus as his son at some point in Jesus’s earthly life (at baptism or resurrection)
adoptionism
identifies the father and son and the spirit so closely that the distinct identities fade away; the father, son, and spirit are not distinct persons, but are the 3 modes of divine existence
Sabellianism (Modalism)
comes from Arius; says Christ belongs to part of the created order - the Logos/son was derived, made from the father and there was a time when Christ didn’t exist; the church at Alexandrian thinks this is heresy
Arianism
Constantine’s theological advisor who investigates the different theories for how the father, son, and holy spirit relate to each other
Hoses of Cordova
friend of Constantinople who agrees with Arianism
Eusebius of Caesarea
325; called and chaired by Constantine to answer the question of how the members of the Trinity relate; this is the first ecumenical council; produced the Nicene Creed, which is against Arianism, and says that Jesus is begotten, not made and comes out of the Father; uses the term homoousion which means “same substance”
Council of Nicaea
says that homoousion is Sabellianism and instead wants to use homoiousian which means “similar substance”
Eusebius of Nicomedia
said the discussion of Jesus’s relation to the Father is soteriological; if Christ were not truly God, then his sacrifice couldn’t erase human corruption; in the person of Christ, the immortal God entered the world to suffer death and save humanity
Athanasius
Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus; said one homoousion, 3 distinct individuals (hypostasis)
Cappadocian Fathers
381; called by Theodocius; defeats Arianism and ends the Trinity debate; comes up with the Nicene-Constantinoplian Creed and added more detail to the spirit part of the Nicene Creed
Council of Constantinople
affirmed homoousion and said God exists in 3 persons - it’s a mystery and paradox, but true
Nicene-Constantinoplian Creed
based in Alexandria and off of Plato’s works and led by Cyril, the bishop of Alexandria; says the divine Christ took on flesh - Jesus’s divinity is fully present in his bodily form and there is a holistic unity in Jesus’s person; the divine logos took on human nature
Monophysites
based in Antioch off of Aristotle’s works and led by Theodore of Mopsuesta, the bishop of Antioch and Nestorius, the bishop of Constantinople; says the divine Christ became human and Christ had a divine nature and a human nature
Nestorianism
431; Cyril and the Monophysites vs the Nestorians; the monophysites show up first and excommunicate the Nestorians, who, when they show up, then excommunicate the Monophysites. The monophysites win, and the church concludes that Christ has one nature of divinity and humanity. But this causes a fracture in the church, so Cyril decides to sign on to Nestorianism to unite the church.
1st Council of Ephesus
Cyril’s successor, Dioscuros, and intense monophysite, calls another council to reassert monophysitism. The pope in Rome, Leo, writes the Tome of Leo, saying he sides with nestorianism, but it isn’t read, and monophysitism wins
2nd Council of Ephesus
451; final council dealing with the nature of Christ; Tome of Leo is read; the council decides to meld nestorianism and monophysitism together, saying Jesus has 2 natures that are unified
Council of Chalcedon
bishop of Hippo; became a Christian and goes to northern Africa to set up a monastic community, but is forced to be a priest in Hippo and eventually a bishop; wrote Confessions and City of God; says the trinity is three distinct things that depend on each other; fights against the donatists by saying that original sin means the church can’t be pure, so traditores should be let back in; says God uses the sacraments for salvation; says God is completely responsible for salvation because people are evil and can’t choose good
Augustine
believed the church and the bishops who administered the sacraments had to be pure for the sacraments to extend grace/work for salvation, thus they didn’t want to let bishops who fled from persecution in
Donatists
says we can choose to do good, and a choice to do good can only be good if you also can choose evil. He says how you were raised determines how you choose good or evil; believed in free will
Pelagius
the belief that one must discipline the physical in order to empower the spiritual; people do this to display a devotion to Christ
asceticism
individuals that go away into the wilderness to study and pray and life as hermits; ex: Antony of Egypt; a type of asceticism
anchorites
lived in community in the wilderness praying and working; type of community Augustine was planning on creating; ex: Pachomius; a type of asceticism
cenobites
invades and conquers Rome in 410
Alaric the Visigoth