Ecumenical councils Flashcards
Define the term religious structure
Can be defined as the organizations that exist within a religion , including its leadership , religious structures typically have a hierarchy.
Religious structure
Two examples
The Magisterium and Ecumenical councils
Define the term religious process
Refer to how
how a particular outcome is produced. Processes are a system or way of doing something according to a series of predetermined steps , actions or understanding.
Religious process
Examples include
the election of the pope , production of church documents
Two issues addressed by structure of Catholic Church
Arian heresy and need for aggiornamento
A council is ecumenical when
it is presided over by the pope and has all the world’s bishops in attendance
Magisterium
Magisterium best thought as
the leadership structure and teaching authority of the Catholic Church
Magisterium
What comprises of it
Pope and the World’s bishops
Ordinary and Extraordinary Magisterium
What is ordinary
taught through
day to
day to day teaching , taught through homilies for example , when a bishop teaches in his diocese
Ordinary and Extraordinary Magisterium
What is extraordinary
does not
does not occur very often , used to address issues within the church such as faith and morals
Apolistic succession
Original apostles
Original apostles handed on their authority to the first generation of bishops , this handing over continued
Three functions of magisterium
Teaching and safeguarding the Christian message
Meant determining whether
the teachings of individuals or groups of Christians accurately expressed the gospel of Jesus.
Three functions of magisterium
Providing for the growing holiness of believers
Make sure
liturgical celebrations in the life of the Church remained authentic to Jesus
Three functions of magisterium
Governing the church in the name of Jesus
Bishops govern
their dioceses by reminding all within them of their calling from Jesus to join in the Christian mission to humanity.
Define the term infallibility
allows
pope
teach
gift
Infallibility is a charism , or spiritual gift that allows the Pope, either alone or with the world’s bishops at an ecumenical councils to teach without error in matters of faith and morals
Ecumenical council
What is it
comprised of
Structure and a process of the Catholic Church comprised of the pope and all the worlds Catholic Bishops
Ecumenical council
Purpose of ecumenical councils
councils is to address issues that concern the universal church , clarify doctrine , address theological challenges
Two issues addressed by Council of Nicaea and Second Vatican Council
Arain heresy addressed by
Council of Nicaea
Two issues addressed by Council of Nicaea and Second Vatican Council
Aggiornamento addressed by
Second Vatican Council
The word ecumenical means
‘the inhabited world’
Ecumenical councils
Pope’s approval is
crucial for any decisions or documents produced by the council to become binding on the Church.
Ecumenical councils
No regular
the of day
social issues
schedule for ecumenical councils since councils come into existence in response to demanding religious and social issues of the day , the church has no regular schedule for convoking them.
Canon law
Provides
legal
framework governing church’s organization and practices , outlines pope’s authority to convene councils for deliberation and decision making , roles of participants etc
Canon law
Ensures that ecumenical councils
are conducted lawfully and that their decisions have authoritative status within the Catholic church
Arian heresy
Define the term ‘heresy’
Refers to beliefs or opinions that go
against established religious doctrine , particularly regarding fundamental aspects of faith
Key features of Arianism
What time period did it occur
Fourth century heresy
Key features of Arianism
What did it deny
Denied the full divinity of christ
Key features of Arianism
Arius taught that God the Father was
while Jesus Christ
supreme and unique. though divine , was created being and not of the same substance
Key features of Arianism
Challenged concept of
trinity
Key features of Arianism
Jesus subordinate to
Father
Council of Nicaea
Council of Nicaea created in response
to the issue of Arianism
Council of Nicaea
Bishops believed
that Jesus
Jesus was eternal and of the same substance as God the father
Purpose of Nicene Creed
It clarifies
doctrinal beliefs , ensures unity of faith across various different Christian branches
Purpose of Nicene Creed
Arianism was condemned
as heretical , Arius exiled
Purpose of Nicene Creed
Nicene creed became cornerstone
consensus
of Christian belief , establishing theological consensus c
Second Vatican Council
When was it convoked
Convoked or called by Pope John XXIII in 1959
Second Vatican Council
Italian word used to describe need to update church’s mission
aggiornamento
Second Vatican Council
He saw church needed to make
the message of faith more accessible to people
Second Vatican Council
Church had to engage with
modern societies and culture more effectively
Second Vatican Council
World rapidly changing with advancemenents
in technology , communication and transportation
Second vatican council
Brought people closer together , facilitated
spread of ideas
Second Vatican Council
Post war era
significant social and political upheavals
Fortress mentality
Refers to a mindset or perception characterized by
an insular , closed off approach to the world , often associated with an institution or group that is perceived as being defensive , rigid and resistant to change
Fortress mentality
An example could include
Catholics being forbidden to attend protestant weddings or funerals
Purpose of Second Vatican Council
What is the Second Vatican Councils purpose
To Protect church
To protect Church doctrine but at the same time to teach it in better ways
Purpose of Second Vatican
The Second Vatican Council responded to the need to update the Catholic Church’s pastoral mission in the modern world
does not mean
does not mean breaking with tradition but rather it the effective expression of that tradition in the modern world
Summarise the historical context of the Second Vatican Council
Devastation of Second World War
was felt in many countries
Summarise the historical context of the Second Vatican Council
Communism was a political presence in
Europe
in Eastern Europe , Parts of Asia with increasing influence on nations such as Italy and France
Summarise the historical context of the Second Vatican Council
Developed nations like
consumer culture
USA and Aus , new consumer culture and the growing influence of secular thought resulted in increasing questioning of Christian teaching.
