Church History Flashcards
Why did Constantine move the capital from Rome to Constantinople in 324?
• large Roman population in the Eastern Mediterranean w/Persia as its most dangerous enemy
• troops could be moved more quickly from there to Syria rather than from Milan
• frequent problems in the eastern provinces which required a response
What did Arius believe?
• Jesus was a secondary divinity, not of the same nature or essence as the Father; merely similar to God
• J did not exist before time, God the Father was the ruler and J subordinate
Reign of ‘Julian the Apostate’
AD 360-3
• tried to reinstate Greco-Roman paganism
• Gregory of Nyssa
• Basil the Great
• Gregory the Wonderworker
• Macrina the Younger
• Gregory of Nazianzen ‘The Theologian’
Which one is not a sibling?
Which one was a student of Origen?
Gregory the Wonderworker
(c. 210-260) was a student of Origen
Gregory the Theologian (d. 390) was a friend of Basil (d. 379) and Gregory of Nyssa
(c. 331-95)
• pioneers in early monasticism in Asia Minor, studied Origen and wrote against neo-Arianism
What was the Roman policy of tolerance towards Christians, drafted by Constantine and Licinius called, and what year?
Edict of Milan, AD 313
Strong, influential and aristocratic bishop of Milan who influenced emperor Gratian to adopt a pro-Nicene position by the end of 378 AD
Ambrose, baptized and consecrated bishop on December 8, 374 AD
• very successful in spreading Nicene Christianity in Milan
• supported by Augustine of Hippo as well as the strong, elite, pro-Nicene Christian community of Milan; it included a number of people deeply imbedded in the imperial bureaucracy and court (Cambridge, ch. 8)
Emperor, his mother, and year of the incident at the Episcopal Basilica of Milan; and reason for the showdown
Valentinian II, his mother Justina (anti-Nicene), during the Holy Week of 386 AD, for the celebration of Easter by the anti-Nicenes
• reason: in defense of Nicene orthodoxy and episcopal authority…Ambrose
Year of Ambrose of Milan’s death
397 AD
Constantine’s reign
AD 306-37
Year of Constantine’s victory at the battle of the Milvian Bridge? Who did he defeat?
AD 312
• defeated Maxentius (son of Maximian, former emperor of the West)
What is Invictus in English?
“Unconquered”
What happened to Maxentius and his army?
They were driven into the river Tiber and drowned with their horses and armor. Eusebius compares it with the chariots of Pharaoh, in his Ecclesiastical History.
In what year did Constantine become sole emperor?
AD 324
instinctu divinitatis
‘by divine inspiration’
Written on the Arch of Constantine of 315 in Rome, erected in memory of his victory over Maxentius in Rome in 312
What ethnicity and religion were the Vandals and when did they invade Carthage?
Germanic Arians, in 439 AD
Manichaeism
Gnostic-type religion founded by Mani (d. 276) in Persia in 3rd century
• made extensive use of the Gospels and Paul’s letters due to his Judaeo-Christian upbringing
• taught a dualism of good (spirit) and evil (body), and an elaborate cosmogonic myth
• polytheistic but saw themselves as Christians
• Jesus not divine, and did not die on the cross, only feigned death
• combatted extensively by Augustine of Hippo
The only Pope to combat Manichaeism
Leo the Great (440-61)
The first list containing the 27 books of the NT
Athanasius of Alexandria in his Paschal letter of 367 AD
Jerome of Stridon
AD 347-419
• studied Cicero (rhetoric) in his secular education
• created the latin Vulgate in 405 AD, OT translated directly from the Hebrew texts along with his earlier revision of the Gospels
Ambrose of Milan
c. 339-97 AD
• bishop c. 374-97
Augustine of Hippo
AD 364-430
• taught rhetoric in Rome from 383; later took a professorship of rhetoric in Milan and met Bishop Ambrose, under whom he was baptized in 386; ordained priest in 391 and became bishop of Hippo in 396
How does rhetoric provide EV against Bauer’s thesis?
• even the Gnostics characterize themselves as being in the minority;
• the bulk of Celsus’ attacks on C are directed at orthodox C. He distinguishes orthodox C from heretical C and describes the split as a later development. To Celsus, orthodoxy was the majority
Who was Marshall Applewhite?
Leader of the UFO religious group ‘Heaven’s Gate’; they believed they would be transported to an alien space ship, upon death, that was following the Hale-Bopp comet in 1997. 39 of them committed mass suicide in 1997; they claimed to be following J and fulfilling the prophecies of Revelation
Gregory of Nazianzus
AD330-90
• studied rhetoric and philosophy in Athens, with Julian and Basil
John Chrysostom
c. 349-407 AD
• bishop of Constantinople 398-404 (pro-Nicene)
Theodoret of Cyrrhus
c. 383-460 AD, ‘the last apologist’
• educated at a monastic school in Antioch under John Chrysostom and Theodore of Mopsuestia
• bishop of Cyrrhus, Syria
When and where was the ‘Robber’ Synod?
Ephesus, 449 AD
What is the Tanakh?
The Hebrew Bible
What is the Torah?
the legal portion of the Hebrew Bible
What three main issues were addressed at the first Council of Nicaea (325 AD)?
1) the date of Easter
2) dispute of Arianism
3) episcopal succession: Meletius of Lycopolis vs. Alexander of Alexandria for the bishopric of Alexandria
What does ‘homoousios’ mean?
same ‘being’, ‘substance’, ‘entity’ or ‘essence’
• When applied to the Father and the Son, it means they are one.
What does ‘hypostasis’ mean?
‘being’
• When applied to the Trinity, the three hypostases are self-identical beings who coexist as a triad but without compromising the unity of God. This was the belief throughout Egypt and the eastern empire prior to Nicaea (Cambridge 1, p. 554)
When did Emperor Valerian rule?
A. D. 253-60
The word for those who underwent imprisonment and torture for Christ
confessore
Persecution of Emperor Septimus Severus
reign 193-211 AD
• AD 202-6 Severus made it illegal to convert to Christianity or Judaism; Origin’s father, Leonides, was martyred in Alexandria
• also, the converts Perpetua (female) and Felicitas and their companions were executed in Carthage in 203 AD; Perpetua was screaming about eternal punishment of the procurator while she was paraded around the amphitheater
When did Christianity begin to take hold in the upper classes of Rome?
in the first half of the third century
The earliest identifiable Christian meeting house known to historians
Dura Europos in eastern Syria
• dates to early-mid third century
• contained a baptismal basin too shallow for immersion
How did the Decian persecution differ from the persecution under Valerian?
• Decius required the empire to perform sacrifices to appease the gods in the midst of imperial turmoil; Christians were not specifically targeted and Decius made no attempt to confiscate church property.
• Valerian specifically targeted the church and confiscated its property because he believed Christians were a threat to the stability of the empire in the face of Persian invaders; he tried to destroy it socially and financially
Which Roman emperor quickly ended the persecution of Decius and Valerian?
Gallienus (AD 260-8), son of Valerian
• Valerian died in battle with the Persians in 260
Date of the Great Persecution and the emperors
February 23, 303 AD
• decree by Diocletian to forfeit Scriptures, destroy churches, lose social status, and imprisonment of clergy
• spring of 304 AD, fourth edict, by Galerius: general sacrifice,
Word for those who had surrendered Scriptures under Diocletian’s persecution
traditor
Schaff’s Eighth Period of church history
The age of polemic orthodoxy and exclusive confessionalism, with reactionary and progressive movements.
—From the Treaty of Westphalia to the French Revolution.
AD 1648-1790—
Schaff’s Fifth period of church history
The Church under the papal hierarchy, and the scholastic theology.
—From Gregory VII to Boniface VIII.
AD 1049-1294—
Schaff’s First Period of Church history
The life of Christ, and the Apostolic church
—From the Incarnation to the death of John.
AD 1-100—
Schaff’s Sixth Period of Church history
The decay of medieval Catholicism, and the preparatory movements for the Reformation.
—From Boniface VIII to Luther.
AD 1294-1517—
Schaff’s Ninth Period of Church history
The spread of infidelity, and the revival of Christianity in Europe and America, with missionary efforts encircling the globe.
—From the French Revolution to 1880.
AD 1790-1880—
Schaff’s Seventh Period of Church history
The evangelical Reformation, and the Roman Catholic Reaction.
—From Luther to the Treaty of Westphalia.
AD 1517-1648—
Schaff’s Second Period of Church history
Christianity under persecution in the Roman Empire.
—From the death of John to Constantine, the first Christian Emperor. AD 100-311—
Schaff’s Fourth Period of church history
Christianity planted among the Teutonic, Celtic, and Slavonic nations.
—From Gregory I to Hildebrand, or Gregory VII. AD 590-1049—
Schaff’s Third Period of church history
Christianity in union with the Greco-Roman empire, and amidst the storms of the great migration of nations.
—From Constantine to Pope Gregory I. AD 311-590—
Who was Philo?
c. BC 20-AD 40
• Egyptian Alexandrian (Greek Jew) who tried to harmonize the religion of Moses with Plato, using the OT; he devised a doctrine of the Logos very similar to the Apostle John’s doctrine.
• never came in contact with Jesus or the apostles
Who was Caesar Augustus?
BC 63-14 AD, also called Octavian
• first Roman Emperor, following the republic
• Christ was born during his reign
Who invented the “Christian Era” of history?
Roman abbot Dionysius Exiguus, in the sixth century; came into general use during Charlemagne
• Nativity December 25, 754 Anno Urbis (founding of the city of Rome)
• nearly all chronologers agree that this is wrong by 4 years
Schaff’s answer to the Swoon Theory of the crucifixion
“A brief sickly existence of Jesus in need of medical care, and terminating in his natural death and final burial, without even the glory of martyrdom…would have only deepened their gloom and driven them to utter despair.”
Who was the first to propose the Hallucination hypothesis of the crucifixion?
Celsus
(Schaff, History, 179)
Schaff’s response to the Hallucination hypothesis of the crucifixion
1) If he did not rise, then his body must either have been removed or remained in the tomb;
2) why did the visions of the disciples suddenly stop after forty days, with the exception of Paul who said it was “the last” appearance? Stephen saw Christ in heaven, not on earth;
3) we are expected to believe that all the people in the Gospels had the same vision at different times and places
Reign of Nero
AD 54-68
Who was Seneca?
c. 4 BC-65AD
• stoic philosopher and Roman statesman
• tutor of Nero
• did not know Apostle Paul
Who gives us the account of the Neronian persecution in AD 64?
Tacitus
Who was Paul’s teacher?
Gamaliel, Jewish rabbi
Who conquered Jerusalem and what year?
Pompey, BC 63
Who was Hillel and when did he die?
died c. 10 AD
• grandfather of Gamaliel
• a Pharisee
What is the Talmud and it’s two parts?
the accumulated oral traditions and Jewish law of the Pharisees; central text of Rabbinic Judaism
• composed of the Mishna and the Gemara
What year did the Punic wars end?
How many were there?
Name of the general against Rome?
Name of the empire?
• B. C. 146
• three
• Hannibal
• Carthage
Bar-Cochba revolt
A. D. 132-135
• Bar-Cochba was a false Messiah based on Numbers 24:17 (star of Jacob)
• Christians murdered who would not follow; half-million Jews killed; Jerusalem and Palestine laid waste
Emperor Claudius
A. D. 42-54
• with his edict in 53, banished Jews from Rome
Tiberius Caesar
A. D. 14-37
• Emperor during the life of Christ
Five emperors in rapid succession between Nero and Domitian
Galba, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian and Titus
• no persecution under these emperors
Emperor between Domitian and Trajan
Nerva, A. D. 96-98
• did not persecute Christians; recalled the banished Christians
Who were Blandina and Ponticus?
victims of the Gallic persecution
• Blandina was a slave girl, tortured and thrown to beasts
• Ponticus a 15 year old boy, martyred for Christ
Who was Potamiaena?
beautiful virgin tortured and then boiled in pitch with her mother under Septimus Severus
Who were the six emperors between Septimus Severus and Decius who mostly left the Church undisturbed?
Caracalla, Heliogabalus,
Alexander Severus,
Maximinus the Thracian, Gordianus, Philip the Arabian
Emperor between Decius and Valerian
Gallus (A. D. 251-53), continued the Decian persecutions
Why did Cyprian flee the first persecution?
“Our Lord commanded us in times of persecution to fly…For since the martyr’s crown comes by the grace of God, and cannot be gained before the appointed hour, he who retires for a time and remains true to Christ does not deny his faith but only abides his time.” (Schaff, Vol. 2, 61)
Reign of Diocletian
A. D. 284-305
the four emperors of the tetrarchy
Diocletian, Galerius, Constantius Chlorus, Maximian
What was Neo-Platonism?
Syncretistic philosophy-religion which harmonized Platonic and Aristotelian philosophy with Oriental religion;
• mystical;
• pantheistic eclecticism
• supplanted the popular religion among the educated classes until the end of the fifth century when it died out
proper founder of Neo-Platonism and his pupils
founder Ammonius Saccas of Alexandria, d. 243 A. D.
• his pupil Plotinus, an Egyptian (204-269)
• Porphyry of Tyre, pupil of Plotinus, d. 304
• Jamblichus of Chalcis, Syria, d. 333
• Proclus of Constantinople, d. 485
When did Arias live?
A. D. 256-336
Chief genius of the Elvira Synod (306) and chief representative of the West at Nicea (325)
Hosius, bishop of Cordova, Spain
• d. 358
• strong defender of Nicene faith
Who called the first Council of Arles?
Constantine in A. D. 314 as an appeal of the Donatists
• Donatus was excommunicated
• clergy traditores during Diocletian were deposed
• precursor to Nicea
Council of Ancyra (capital of Galatia, Asia Minor)
A. D. 314
• priests who had sacrificed but repented were prohibited from preaching and all sacerdotal functions, but retained their clerical position
Novatus of Carthage
Led a schism in the church of Carthage against Cyprian in
A. D. 250 due to Cyprian’s hasty election as bishop by the voice of the congregation in 248, after his baptism
• Novatus ordained Felicissimus illegally to the position of presbyter and later their own bishop
• opposed Cyprian in his severity against the lapsi
• the schism strengthened Cyprian’s authority and led him in his doc. of church unity to absolute exclusiveness
Novatian of Rome
Roman presbyter who opposed Cornelius who was elected bishop of Rome in A. D. 251, due to his leniency toward the lapsi
• Cornelius excommunicated him after Novatian was elected bishop by his party against his will (schism)
• Novatian was even more severe than Cyprian toward the lapsi, similar to the Donatists
What kind of man was Novatus?
According to Schaff, “an unprincipled ecclesiastical demagogue, of restless, insubordinate spirit and notorious character” (History, vol. 2, 194)
What kind of man was Novatian?
“an earnest, learned, but gloomy man, who had come to faith through severe demoniacal disease and inward struggles”
Who ushered in the era of church architecture, and what was the first style?
Constantine; the basilica was the first style (Schaff, vol. 2, 200)
Epictetus
Stoic slave, born early first century (unknown death) in Hierapolis, Phrygia
• “No one is a slave who’s will is free”
Musonius Rufus
Distinguished teacher of the Stoic philosophy under Nero and Vespasian
• Epictetus heard his lectures
Stoic theory of the end of the world
All individual souls would be resolved into the primary substance of the Divine Being
To what did Marcus Aurelius attribute the Christians’ readiness for martyrdom?
“sheer obstinacy” and a desire for “theatrical display”
(Meditations, XI. 3)
Plutarch
A. D. 50-125
• platonist, believed in a dualism of God and matter; opposed to Stoic pantheism and Epicurean naturalism
• wrote “Parallel Lives” and “Morals”
The martyrdom of Joseph Smith
June 27, 1844; killed by the mob at Carthage, Illinois
When was the battle of Actium?
B. C. 31
• Mark Antony vs. Octavian