Events Flashcards
Development of the Canon of Scripture
Marcion’s “Canon” ca. 140
* No OT, cuts much of NT
* Response to heresy is necessitated
Muratorian Fragment ca. 170-200
* includes the four Gospels, the “Acts of all Apostles” and 13 of the Pauline Epistles
* not the anonymous Hebrews, 1 and 2 Peter, or James.
Eusebius in Ecclesiastical History
* has 22 of 27 NT books, some not included are debated
Athanasius Easter Letter 367
* includes all 27 books of NT
Synod of Hippo 393
* And Council of Carthage, 397
* affirms what we have today
Criteria for books:
– Apostleship
– Recognition/use in early church
– Synthesis/agreement with teachings in the church
Council of Nicea
325
- called by Emperor Constantine
- settle issue of deity of Christ in response to teaching of Arius and refutation by Athanasius (bishop of Alexandria).
- Produced the “Creed of Nicea” (anti-Arian statement) included the term “homoousius”, not the “Nicene Creed”.
- This same teaching shows up in Jehovah’s Witness theology.
- Creed of Nicea states: “…God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one substance with the Father.”
Arian Controversy
4th Century
- Controversy over the deity and coeternity of the Son with the Father.
- Arius vs Athanasius
Council of Constantinople
381
- called by emperor Theodosius I to completely eradicate Arian Christianity from the empire.
- Cappodocian Fathers’ theology was heavily present
- produced the “Nicene Creed”.
- Also formal adoption of Nicean Xty as the official religion of the Roman Empire.
- Dealt with Apollinarianism (deny Jesus had a human soul; had been condemned in 377 in Rome);
Macedonianism (Holy Spirit a creature)
Council of Ephesus
431
- Cyril vs Nestorius over the two natures of Christ.
- Nestorius held that Christ’s two natures were almost two persons.
- From the Council of Constantinople, Nestorius divided Jesus into God the Word and Jesus the Man, he was opposed by Cyril and condemned and the council of Ephesus, 431.
Council of Chalcedon
451
- called by Marcian at the behest of Leo the Great to settle issue of the nature of Christ (“one person in two natures, fully human, fully divine).
- In JC true deity (contra Arius) and full humanity (contra Apollinaris) are indivisibly united in the one person (contra Nestorius), without being confused (contra Eutyches).
- Ruled out Monophysitism - Christ was one person with one divine-human nature.
- Leo’s Tome is read and accepted (as well as earlier work of Nicea/Constantinople).
- Marcian insists that a “creed” be produced to settle all question—hence the Chalcedonian Definition: “…without confusion, without change, without division or without separation.”
Synod of Whitby
664
- Called by King Oswy in Northumbria (Anglo-Saxon kingdom)
- Decided in favor of Rome against following celtic ways
Reformation
- 1517-21 (95 Theses & Diet of Worms) 1643-49 (Westminster Assembly)
- The widespread withdrawal from the Roman Catholic Church over doctrinal disagreements, esp. regarding the nature/authority of scripture (scripture alone vs. scripture as interpreted by the Pope) the nature of salvation (by grace, through faith vs. sacramental/works).
▪ Lutheran/German reformation (Luther, Melanchthon),
▪ Reformed/Swiss reformation (Zwingli/Calvin),
▪ English reformation (English monarchs, Tyndale, Cranmer, Westminster Assembly).
Counter-Reformation
- 1521 (Luther excommunicated)—1545-1563 (Council of Trent)
- The Roman Catholic Church’s response to protestant claims, spear-headed by Ignatius Loyola’s founding of the Jesuits (1534) and the decisive anti-protest degrees of Trent. Internal reform also took place within the Catholic Church on a moral, but not theological, level. At Trent the Catholic Church assigned the term “sacrament” to seven essential rites for the catholic believer: baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, penance, extreme unction, orders and matrimony. The council also condemned much Protestant theology and clarified its teachings on scripture, tradition, the Church, the Eucharist, original sin and justification.
Belgic Confession
1561
—(aka Walloon Confession) Produced by Guido de Bres, a pastor to French speaking protestants in the “lowlands,” this apology for the Reformed faith tried to distance it’s adherents from Anabaptist theology and point out common tenets with Catholic theology. Together with Heidelberg and Dordt provided confessional foundation for the Dutch Reformed tradition.
Heidelberg Catechism
- (1563)
- Reformed catechism produced chiefly by Zacharias Ursinus and Kaspar Olevianus (and other theologians from Heidelberg univ.) at the request of Frederick III for a catechism to promote the reformed faith and reconcile theological tensions arising between Lutheran and Reformed views of communion. Said to combine the intimacy of Luther, the charity of Melanchthon, and the fire of Calvin.
Synod of Dordt
1618-1619
- Response by the Dutch church (with other delegations) to the teachings of the followers of Jacob Arminius and the publication: The Remonstrance. The synod unanimously condemned Arminius’ teachings with 5 ‘canons’ stating the reformed position. These 5 ‘canons’ are the basis of TULIP.
Westminster Assembly
1643-1649
- Assembly meeting in London at the behest of Oliver Cromwell’s parliament (sympathetic to Puritans previously persecuted under the executed Charles I) to reshape the Church of England into a reformed, Presbyterian national church. Produced DoW, WLC, WSC, WCF. Standards were not adopted by C of E, but was adopted by C of Scotland.
- Thomas Goodwin and Jeremiah Burroughs were among the writers
Pietism
- 1666 (Spener sr. pastor at Frankfurt)—1705 (Spener’s death); influence continues today.
- Movement originating in mid 1600’s Germany which stressed the necessity of having a personal, living experience of faith, being born again and not just baptized into the church, direct bible study, and an emphasis on practical lived theology vs. the minutiae of theological orthodoxy. Strains are seen clearly in historical Methodism, the Moravians and much North American Evangelicalism with Mennonites and Wesleyans.
Half-Way Covenant
- (1662); 17th Century
- English Puritans prior to the 1st Great Awakening, developed a form of partial church membership to allow the children and grandchildren of members of the church to receive membership without a “conversion experience”. These half-way members were allowed to partake of the Lord’s Supper, but were not allowed to vote in church matters. This was in response to a spiritual drift that was taking place in the Puritan church. Leaders hoped the partial members would see benefits of full membership and seek a Christian, “born again” experience.
1st Great Awakening
(1735-43)
Major Figures &
Traditions:
Theodore Frelinghusen (Dutch Reformed)
Gilbert Tennent (Presbyterian)
Jonathan Edwards (Congregational)
George Whitfield (Anglican)
Theology: Calvinist
Distinctive
Features:
Salvation: Traditional Calvinist (Sov. God; total depravity; no decisionalism)
Church: “Pure Church” model (only born again take LS); end of “half way” covenant
Society: Church/State relationships grow apart
Highlights:
Edwards, Freedom of Will; Original Sin; Religious Affections; Whitfield’s campaigns
2nd Great Awakening
(1795-1830)
Major Figures & Traditions: Nathaniel Taylor (Yale) Lyman Beecher Charles Finney Meth/Bapt in west; Pres/new school in east
Theology: New Haven/Arminian (modified Edwards)
Distinctive
Features:
Salvation: Humans have ability to choose to come to God
Church: private interp. of bible; revivalism; volunteer societies
Society: Potential of US; impact of volunteer societies, special blessing on US.
Highlights: Finney, Lectures on Revival; camp/tent meetings; anxious bench (New Measures)
Old School / New School schism and reunion
- 1837 (schism) // 1869 (reunion)
- Disagreement in 1830-60’s within American Presbyterianism. New School proponents embraced a “weakened” Calvinism akin to Taylor’s New Haven theology (moralist elements of common sense, semi-Pelagian views of sin). New School theology set the stage for 2nd GA revivalists like Finney & Beecher and social activism. Old School theologians (A. Alexander, Hodge) maintained historic Calvinist doctrine and standards and favored ministries within a Presbyterian polity (vs. voluntary or Congregationalist) so that doctrinal conformity was maintained. Reunion was made possible by move of the New School to a more Reformed orthodox/conservative position.
Auburn Affirmation
- (1924)
- Document issued by liberal Presbyterian minister’s in reaction to the 1923 General Assembly of PCUSA’s insistence that 5 “essential and necessary” doctrines be affirmed by candidates for ordination (inerrancy, virgin birth, vicarious penal atonement, literal resurrection of JC, literal miracles). Liberals viewed this as an unconstitutional requirement thus highlighting the fundamentalist/modernist controversy in Presbyterian circles; brought the Modernist-Fundamentalist Controversy to the fore.
English Reformation Timeline
- 1534 Act of Supremacy Henry VIII over his divorce to Catherine of Aragon, Cramner Archbishop
- 1447 Edward VI comes to the throne at age 9, leads Protestant Reforms
- 1549 First Book of Common Prayer, very Protestant (Revised 1552)
- 1553 Catholic Mary takes the throne (Daughter of Catherine) persecutes the Protestant Church, pushes back against Cramner’s reforms, executes Cramner
- 1558 Elizabeth I restored England as a Protestant nation, but held a more middle ground
- 1559 Broader version of the Book of Common Prayer
- 1571 39 Articles
- 1603 James I, son of Mary, Queen of Scots, takes the throne after Elizabeth, keeps the middle road, KJV Bible
2nd Helvetic Confession
- written by Heinrich Bullinger in 1562 and revised 1564
- Swiss Reformed Confession
Scots Confession
- 1560 John Knox
- Was the confession of the Scottish church until the WCF
East/West Schism
- Occurred in 1054 over the Filioque clause, Roman authority, leavened vs unleavened bread in the Lord’s Supper, the celibacy of priests, and other things
Scottish Covenanters
1638—Scottish National Covenant resisting Catholic theology and structure
• Those who signed/agreed National Covenant to resist Catholicism and Anglicanism in Scotland in favor of Reformed Presbyterianism. Rooted in 1581 agreement/covenant to keep their form of worship as the sole religion of Scotland against Charles I
• Members holding this view were reinstated and participated in Westminster Assembly
• Reformed Presbyterians – those that did no accede to Charles I as head of church, held a lack of religious tolerance
• Were persecuted under Charles I eventually leading to civil war, The National Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant
• Some under persecution stated, some left for Ireland, South Africa, and America
