Historical/political

Question 1

Plato: main points

Answer 1

Dialectics, the Academy, student of Socrates

Question 2

Aristotle: main points

Answer 2

Founded the Lyceum (temple dedicated to Apollo). Followers known as Peripatetics

Question 3

Epicurus: main points

Answer 3

Goal was to attain a happy life: “Ataraxia.” Epicureanism died out with the rise of Stoicism. Wrote 300 works, mostly lost.

Question 4

Gospel of Thomas: main points

Answer 4

Gnostic views: Elitist
Leave behind the 99 sheep for the one sheep
Teaching is for the elect

Question 5

Gnostic beliefs

Answer 5

Jesus wasn’t present in body - gave the illusion of a body, didn’t really suffer
Teacher to student relationship - secret knowledge
Material things not as important as spiritual

Question 6

Irenaeus main points

Answer 6

Wrote “Against Heresies”
Opposed Gnostics
First one to use Apostolic Succession as proof of truth

Question 7

Justin Martyr main points

Answer 7

Said Hebrew Bible speaks prophetically about Jesus
Argued with Rabbi Trypho, circa 155 CE
First hints of Christian supercessionism
Beheaded since he wouldn’t sacrifice to Emperor
Disgruntled with Greek philosophy - reconciled it with Christianity. Logos is Reason. Greek “Spermatikos” is Christ in us.

Question 8

Origen: main points

Answer 8

On First Principles (early 3rd century)
Iron never leaving the fire - retains fire.
Jesus’ soul retains divinity after being exposed to it
Hypostatic union: reconcile the humanity and divinity of Jesus
Ousia: substance
Started infant baptisms

Question 9

Ignatius of Antioch: main points

Answer 9

Emphasized Jesus’ birth, suffering, humanity
Follow the Bishop as Jesus follows the Father: start of Christian hierarchy
Beware of false prophets and “Judaizers” (Christians who still circumcised
Martyred and wrote letters on the way to Rome

Question 10

Perpetua: main points

Answer 10

Noble young mother from Carthage
Oldest writings from a woman
Glorified Martyrdom

Question 11

Arius 256-336

Answer 11

God created Jesus, so they are not equal.
(Alexander of Alexandria, his presbyter, disagrees)
Letter to Eusebius 318 CE: “We are persecuted for saying Jesus was not unbegotten…not everlasting…does not have being with the Father” (had a specific beginning)
Emphasized humanity of Jesus

Question 12

325 First Council of Nicaea

Answer 12

Called by Constantine, presided. Wanted unity.
“begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.” Logos is a chunk of the Father
“Father is never without his Word.”

Question 13

Alexander of Alexandria

Answer 13

Opposed Arius
Logos mediates between God and Humans
Co-eternal with God: “The Father is never without his Word” No time when God existed before Logos.

Question 14

Tertullian 155-240 CE

Answer 14

“Against Praxeas”
“On the Flesh of Christ”
Opposed Marcion and Monarchianism
God is one nature, two substances and three ways of being: first one to use the phrase “Trinitas”
Didn’t create a third kind of creature, a “tertium quid.”
Fully human, fully divine.
Jesus’ divinity didn’t suffer, just his humanity.
“Apology”

Question 15

Marcion 85-160 CE

Answer 15

How can the divine become human? Denies a pluralism, two substances.
Jesus is not human, he’s a costume
Logos is divine. Like water poured into a (human) glass. Logos put on a human costume.

Question 16

Athanasius 296-373

Answer 16

Bishop of Alexandria, after Alexander
Christ = Logos + body.
God had to be fully human and divine to save us.
Against Arius, Arians
Changed “of similar substances” to “of the same substance” in Nycene Creed
Exiled to Germany