Church History Definitions Flashcards
Scholasticism
Medieval Scholasticism: A system of learning in philosophy and theology that developed in European universities.
Method: Used philosophical reasoning to create clear divisions and distinctions within knowledge.
Time Period: Flourished from the 11th to 14th centuries.
Notable Figures:
Thomas Aquinas
Peter Abelard
Anselm
Duns Scotus
Babylonian Captivity
Avignon Papacy (Also Known as the Babylonian Captivity of the Church)
Time Period: 1309–1377 (14th century)
What Happened?: Popes resided in Avignon, France, instead of Rome, largely due to political pressure from the French monarchy.
Biblical Reference: The term “Babylonian Captivity” alludes to the Jewish exile in Babylon (586 BC).
Reformation Context: In 1520, Martin Luther used this term in his work The Babylonian Captivity of the Church to critique the Roman Catholic Church, arguing that it was enslaved by the papacy and in need of gospel-centered reform.
Humanism
Renaissance Humanism
Time Period: 14th–16th centuries (Europe)
Core Idea: Emphasized that man is the measure of all things.
Educational Focus: Advocated for basing education on the Greek and Latin classics, interpreting them through a Christian lens.
Theological Implication: Highlighted the high value Christianity places on humans as created and redeemed by God.
Radical Reformation
Radical Reformers (Anabaptists)
Context: Emerged during the Protestant Reformation.
Core Beliefs:
Sought a radical separation from and reformation of the Catholic Church.
Advocated for a return to early Christian precedents in the nature and government of the church.
Rejected the idea of centralized national or state churches.
Key Groups: Included groups like the Anabaptists, such as the Mennonites and the Amish.
Puritanism
Puritanism
Time Period: 16th–17th centuries
Key Focus: Sought to “purify” the Church of England, moving it in a more Reformed Protestant direction.
Theology: Primarily Calvinistic in theology, with an emphasis on doctrinal purity.
Church Government: Adopted Presbyterian or Congregational models for church governance.
Impact in America: The Puritan reform movements continued in New England, where they became a major cultural force.
Ethical Emphasis: Puritans believed that theology should lead to ethical action, asserting that true theology grounds ethical behavior.
Modernism
Modernism
Time Period: Late 19th–early 20th centuries
Key Focus: A movement among Protestants and Roman Catholics seeking to reinterpret Christianity in light of modern knowledge.
Core Belief: Christian doctrine was seen as evolving and in need of reshaping to align with contemporary scientific, historical, and philosophical insights.
Prominent Figures:
Friedrich Schleiermacher
Adolf von Harnack
Harry Emerson Fosdick
Condemnation: The movement was condemned by Pope Pius X in 1907 through the Encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis for its perceived threats to traditional Christian teachings.
Fundamentalism
Fundamentalism
Time Period: Early 20th century America
Key Focus: A movement within evangelicalism that aimed to preserve conservative Protestant views and values against liberal theology and the higher criticism of Scripture.
Core Belief: Emphasized the inerrancy and literal interpretation of the Bible.
Reaction Against: Modernist theology, which questioned traditional Christian teachings, and higher criticism, which sought to analyze the Bible using historical and literary methods.
Neo-orthodoxy
Neo-Orthodoxy
Time Period: Post-WWI, dominant in Europe and America until the 1960s
Key Figures: Promoted by Karl Barth and Emil Brunner.
Core Beliefs: Rejected liberal theology and sought a return to biblical Christianity without requiring historical grounding.
Emphasized a theological rediscovery of biblical doctrines.
Reinterpreted Reformation themes such as God’s transcendence, human sinfulness, and the centrality of Christ.
View of the Bible: Old Orthodoxy: Believed the Bible is the inspired and sufficient revelation of God.
Neo-Orthodoxy: Held that Jesus is the Word of God, and the Bible is an interpretation of the Word’s actions. The Bible is not inspired by God or objectively true but becomes the Word of God when God uses it to point someone to Christ.
View of Sin: Neo-Orthodoxy: Viewed sin as the rejection of our responsibility to treat others well, leading to dehumanization and societal ills. Salvation is achieved through a subjective encounter with Christ, with no need to accept a set of truths.
Emphasized social work and the ethical responsibility to love others.
Alternative Names: Also called Neo-Calvinism, Neo-Protestantism, and Neo-Reformation theology.
