Exam 1 Flashcards
What is Christian Triumphalism?
It’s the belief that Christianity replaced Judaism.
What is Jewish Apologetics?
It’s the belief that Christianity is a mutation of Judaism.
During which period did Christianity begin as a Jewish sect?
Late ‘second temple Judaism’ (300 BCE-100 CE). during a time of great DIVERSITY
List some other Jewish groups during the late second temple period.
- Pharisees
- Zealots
- Sadducees
- Essenes
- Samaritans
- Christians
What analogy is used to describe the relationship between Judaism and its sects?
Genus: Judaism; Species: Jewish groups/sects.
What common beliefs are shared among the Jewish groups?
- Monotheism
- Torah
- Temple
Devistating events:
*In 70 CE, the Romans Destroy the Temple
*In 132-135 CE, the Romans destroy Jerusalem
*Most Jewish Groups ceased to exist
What were the two Judaisms that survived after the Roman destruction?
- Rabbinic Judaism
- Christianity
*Both become normative systems, compose additional writings that provide the indispensable interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures, Claim to be the true tradition and deny the other.
What was a key factor in the parting of the ways between Rabbinic Judaism and Christianity?
*Historical factors: 1st and 2nd jewish wars
*Christiological factor: Christians believe Jesus is the son of God
*Social factor: Christianity includes non-Jews (Gentiles) fully
*Polemical factors: self definition over agains the “other”
When did the “parting of the way” occur?
*As late as 4th and 5th cent., some Christians (Jewish) in Antioch are still living in Jewish communities and observing Jewish festivals.
*As early as Paul’s ministry (40-50’s), Christians (Gentile) are meeting in house-churches, not synagogues.
Jesus: Birth
Born between 7-4 BCE during the reign of Augustus and toward the end of the rule of Herod the Great.
Mother was Mary, putative father, Joseph. NT speaks of four brothers (James, Joses, Jude, and Simon) and at least two unnamed sisters)
Raised in Nazareth, a small Galilean village
Public Ministry/ Teachings
Teachings
□ Form-parables
□ Content-kingdom of God; apocalyptic outlook
Miracle worker-demonstrations of the K of G
□ Heals blind, lame, lepers
Jesu’s associations-manifestations of the K of G
□ Designated twelve “special” disciples
□ Fellowshipped with “tax collectors” and “sinners”
□ Women among his followers
What was the precipitating event for Jesus’ death around 30 CE?
Demonstration in the Temple.
Who was the Roman governor that ordered Jesus’ execution?
Pontius Pilate.
What was the reason for Caiaphas to charge Jesus?
To prevent a riot and uprising.
Caiaphas charge to Pilate-
Jesus claimed to be King of the Jews
Resurrection of Jesus is a:
Divine act
According to Dodson, what is the origin of Christianity?
The resurrection of Jesus.
Fill in the blank: Christianity includes _______ fully.
non-Jews (Gentiles)
What Resurrection did:
○ Vindicates Jesus’s teaching and ministry
○ Vindicates Jesus’ shameful death and provides the impetus for decerning the Slavic meaning of Jesus’ death = God’s reconciliation
○ Creates a new understanding for the disciples themselves: (1) messianic community of the new covenant, and (2) witnesses/proclaimers of the Gospel.
Divine status by AGENCY in terms of:
Unique agent of divine purposes
Unique agent of the one true God to serve and express the glory of God.
Worship Practices: Binitarian form
- Hymns sung to/ about Jesus
- Prayer to God “through” Jesus and “in Jesus’ name”
- “calling upon the name of Jesus” in baptism
- Participation in a sacred meal where the risen Jesus presides as “lord”
- Christian prophecy ad oracles of the risen Christ (through the Holy Spirit)
“Orthopractic Jews”- practicing Jews
○ Participated in Temple (Luke 24:51-53; Acts 3:1)
○ Included Priests (acts 6:7)
○ Included Pharisees and the practice of circumcision (Acts 15:5)
Pillars of the church:
James, Peter, and John
Most Prominent dude?
James the brother of Jesus- decides not to trouble the Gentiles who are turning to God
The Apostle Paul’s ministry:
- Urban ministry he goes to these major cities
- Market place-leatherworker
- Network of ministers-“workers of the gospel” which included women
God’s end time Slavic action will____
include the gentiles a s gentiles
“God fearers”
Gentiles that do not follow the way of the Jews
Early Christian Worship
Took place on “First day of the week” (Sunday) Day of Christ’s resurrection
Regional variety, but two basic components:
- Liturgy of the bread and cup (Lord’s supper or Eucharist)
- Liturgy (or service) of the Word (instruction)
- 1 Corinthians 14-charismatic assembly
- Didache-acknowledge, spirit-inspired prophet/apostle
*Justyn Martyr-reading of the Gospels or OT prophets followed by bishop’s exhortation
Early Christian Rites
- The Lord’s Supper or Eucharist
- Baptism which was an INITIATION rite and Preceded by instruction (catechism), prayer and fasting
Baptismal imagery in early Christianity
*Cleansing/washing (forgiveness) of sins
*Initiation into the “one body” of the Christian *community
*Dying and Rising
*Putting of the “old nature” and “putting on the new” the new creation
*Enlightened/ illuminated
being “anointed or “sealed” by the Holy Spirit
Leadership in Early Christian Rites
Apostles (one who is sent)
Prophets
Apostle Criterion and Role
*a witness to the resurrected Jesus
*Proclaiming the Gospel and establishing churches
*not just 12 apostles Paul was an apostle
Prophet Role
Spirit inspired preacher/teacher for the community of faith
○ Concern for false prophets-“testing the spirits”
Greco-Roman Household-
-married couple, their kids, their grown kids, and their families, and then the slaves
Early Christians Met___
In houses
Episkopoi
“Overseers” (Becomes the term for Bishop)
Diakonoi
“Ministers, helpers, managers, (later becomes term for deacon the word means one who serves)
Role/tasks- Forms of assistance, forms of leadership
- Co workers (included women)
- Episkopoi
- Diakonoi
*Organizational oversight; host of Lord’s supper; benefactor of congregation and apostles/prophets; caring for the sick and poor
By the end of the mid second century, we have a 3 fold leadership that has developed:
○ Bishop (espiskopos)
○ Elders (presbyteroi)-evolves to priests
○ Deacons (Diakonoi)
“Judaizers”
- Jewish Christians
- Demanded that Gentile converts observe the Mosaic law, particularly circumcision.
- To be a follower of Jesus Messiah means to follow the ways of Judaism.
The Ebionites (2nd-4th cents)
- Jewish Christians
- To be a follower of Jesus Messiah means to observe faithfully the Mosaic law, particularly circumcision.
- Christology-Jesus was born “naturally” of Joseph and Mary; “adopted” son of God at his baptism. Jesus’ death on the cross is the perfect sacrifice for sin, which God accepted as signified by the resurrection.
Docetic Christology
- Based on dualistic worldview-material world evil, spiritual world good.
- Jesus only “seemed” to be human
- Jesus’ divinity emphasized, humanity denied
Dualistic Christology
the divine Christ enters the human Jesus at some point in his life and departs before the human Jesus dies.
Marcion (mid 2nd cent)
- Theology-two gods:
○ God of the OT, vengeful and wrathful
○ God of Jesus, love and forgiveness - Scripture-rejected OT; used Paul’s letters and an edited form of Luke’s Gospel.
- Christology-docetic, representative of the nonmaterial, good God.
- Soteriology-Jesus’ death (real?) saves us from the wrath of the Jewish God
Gnosticism (2nd-4th cents.)
- Theology-based on various myths, which begins with one unknowable, completely transcended god from whom emanates of “Pleroma of divine entities; creation is a cosmic disaster.
- Scripture
- Anthropology-humanity enslaved in their material, evil bodies; some humans, however, have a divine “spark” that resides in their corporal bodies.
- Soteriology-Christ, the divine emissary enters this world to provide the knowledge that liberates the divine spark from it s entrapment in the world of matter.
- Christology-two versions Docetic, Dualistic
Montanism (mid 2nd-3rd cent.)
- Montanus-pagan priest converted to Christianity; two female leaders, Prisca and Maximilla
- Critical of emerging authority of bishops; believed such appeal/reliance on apostolic tradition stifled the work of the Holy Spirit
- Prophetic movement emphasizing the continuance and authority of new revelations.
Proto Orthodoxy-emerging Characteristics
- Authority of the bishop based on apostolic succession.
a. -God appointed bishops the bishops appoint bishops and so on and so on a way of guarding the traditions and teachings that go back to the apostles - Emphasis on the catholic church with its “rule of faith.”
2 Persecutions
- The imperial government- state-sponsored, empire-wide
- By local officials and citizens- sporadic, local; the kind of social harassment. Persecution that minority groups face from the majority group
Why were christians persecuted?
They were seen as Atheists who upset the gods
Persecution they faced:
○ Local mob riots
○ Slander and the rhetoric of stereotyping
○ Confiscation of property
○ Imprisonment and beatings
○ Exile Execution
Precursor Imperial Persecution
Nero-confined to Rome precursor to Christian persecution
Official Persecution:
Valerian-Christians to honor traditional Roman gods; clergy who disobeyed where arrested and church property confiscated; Christians of high rank would suffer confiscation of property and exile or death. First emperor to have the official persecution of Christians
Imperial persecution ended when ____
Constantine became emperor; it officially ended with the Edict of Milian.
Martyrs and “confessors”
Died for their faith
The Lapsed
Those who sacrificed or obtained “fake certificates” to keep worshiping Christ
The Enthusiasts
voluntary martyrs
What accusations did the apologists defend against?
○ Atheism (they are not atheists)
○ Immoral accusations-accusations of incest, cannibalism, murder, and orgies.
○ Class prejudice
○ Intellectual/philosophical inferiority
Apologist arguments:
○ Atheists?-used Socrates because of his criticism of the gods
○ Immoral? -turn tables talk about Roman immorality
Justyn Martyr
- Christianity=”true Philosophy”
- Compatibility between Christianity and philosophy
- The linking concept: the “Logos”
Tertullian
- What has Athens got to do with Jerusalem?-nothing
- Fundamental antitheses between
- Christianity and philosophy
Faith against reason
The Legacy of the Apologist
○ Took the Christian message public
○ Set the ground work for further theological formulations, especially in terms of Christology and Trinity.
