History Final Flashcards
Augustine’s Against Donatists response
Against Donatus’ teaching he argued against a pure church.
It is made up of both wheat and tares.
“In gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.”
Sacrament did not belong to the minister. It’s integrity is in its objective standard.
What was the Donatist controversy?
The question was “who consists of the church?”
Donatism taught that the efficacy of the ordination and baptism depended on the worthiness of the bishop or priest.
Ordination must be free of compromise. (Such as those who turned bibles in to Rome).
What is the backdrop to Augustine’s City of God?
Rome was attacked by the Visigoth’s.
The attack scatters the Roman “sophisticated” throughout North Africa who saw this as “judgment of the gods” and blamed Christianity.
How did City of God defend against paganism?
It was written as a counter apologetic to defend against rise of paganism.
He argues Romans should long for the city of god, not the city of man.
He declares Christianity is the most ancient religion.
Christianity is marked by true love of God, not for what he gives us but because of who he is.
City of God main arguments?
Books 1-10 argues against paganism.
Books 11-22 focus on origin, progress, and goal of city of God.
City of man is built on self love.
City of God is built on love of God.
Christianity is True love of God not because of what God has done but because of who he is.
Teachings of Pelagius
He promulgated the decency of Christianity.
We are basically good.
“Be nice.” “Every person has responsibility and ability to be perfect.
Death is not a moral problem, just a fact of life. (Not because of sin)
No original sin. Adam was punished for his own sin.
Augustine’s response to Pelagius
Romans 5 tells us we fall under Adam or we fall under Christ.
We are born from Adam and being found in Adam we share in his nature/guilt.
If we have a problem with being under Adam we have a problem being under Christ.
We either love God or we love the self.
(Because the self is then what is achieving)
Enchiridion
Augustine writes to a young man who is learning about the Christian faith.
It is a summary of the Christian faith.
- man’s service to God as the source of wisdom.
- faith, hope, and love are the Christian virtues.
5th ecumenical council:
Second council of Constantinople- condemned errors of origin, followers of Nestorius.
-the “three chapters” (nestorianism) taught a two nature, two subject Christology.
Affirmed two-nature, one person Christology. (Chalcedon)
Re-emphasized council at Chalcedon.
6th eccumenical Council:
Third Council of Constantinople
- rejects idea of a single will or single mode of activity in Christ (Monotheleitism)
- this held that Jesus’ two natures could not coexist.
- Maximus the Confessor argued will is a function of nature, not persons. (Since there are three persons and one nature)
- since Christ had two natures, he must then have two wills. (“Not my will, but thine…”)
7th ecumenical Council:
Second council of Nicaea:
- regulated veneration of holy images.
- condemned iconoclasm
- defended written tradition as well as unwritten tradition, including production of representational art. (T2)
- see anathemas concerning holy images
Anathemas concerning holy images:
In the Second Council of Nicaea (7th):
- does not confess Christ can be represented in his humanity, let him be anathema.
- does not accept representation in art evangelical scenes…
- does not salute such representations as standing for the Lord…
- rejects any written or unwritten tradition of the church, let him be anathema.
John Damascus, three treatises:
Second Council of Nicaea worked off Damascus, ideas.
- images are part of the Biblical worship going back to the tabernacle.
- introduced the distinction between adoration and veneration.
- important to depict the Son in his human form to underscore his full humanity.
Damascus’ distinction between veneration and adoration:
Adoration: due God alone who is the only proper object of worship.
Veneration: is a form of honor given to saints without worshipping them.
Iconoclasts:
Those viewed as heretics in the second council of Nicaea.
They destroyed religious images and opposed their veneration.
This was seen as rejecting papal authority. (Since it was anathema)
Arianism:
- Son is perfect creature, formed by the father.
- son cannot have direct knowledge of the father since he is not self-existent.
(Derives from but does not have equal knowledge) - the Son is a demigod. Same substance as creatures but highest form.
Appolinarianism:
-Jesus had human body but divine mind or soul.
If Jesus not fully human we cannot be redeemed - Gregory of Nazianzus
Nestorianism:
Rejected idea that Mary was theotokos, God bearer.
Taught that Mary was bearer of Christ but not God.
Nesorius suggests the divine and human natures of Christ are divided.
- impossible to unite two natures in one person
8th ecumenical council:
Fourth Council of Constantinople:
- condemned Photius
- this council began to show divide in east vs western churches.
- photius criticized clerical celibacy and doctrine of filioque.
Filioque clause in 8th ecumenical council:
Filioque clause revised the nicaean creed to say the spirit proceeds from the father and the son.
- photius denied this as he sought to affirm the original statement of the Nicaean creed.
- photius believed if the HS came from the father and son it becomes a dual divinity.
Anselm’s Monologion:
Written in response to monks asking how someone should meditate on the divine essence.
Established his First principle of a being who is supremely good and supremely great.
It seeks to prove God’s existence from the characteristics of nature. (I.e. the presence of good in ascending degrees of goodness leads to the supreme being)
Attributes:
Must be self-existent.
Must be eternal.
Omnipotent
Omnipresent - existing at all places at all times
Immutable - there is nothing for him to become
