History Of Christianity In Britian Flashcards
Who did the first Britons (around 800,000 BCE) worship?
Ancestors, they believed that this would influence their fortune.
Roughly when did Britons move from worshipping ancestors to worshipping nature?
3,000 BCE
Around which year did Jesus die and rise from the dead?
33 CE
Around how many years after Jesus’ death did St Paul begin a series of missionary journies?
10 years after (around 43 CE)
Who started a series of missionary journeys to teach people that Jesus is the Son of God?
St Paul
Where did St Paul travel for his missionary journies?
Modern-day Greece and Turkey; finished in Rome
When did the Romans invade Britian?
43 CE
Who did the Romans worship?
Various Gods, e.g: Jupiter, Venus, Apollo
What is the worship of many gods known as?
Polytheistic
Around how many years after the Roman invasion did traders from Eastern Roman Empire bringnthe idea of Christianity?
10 years later; around 53 CE
Were many Christians across the Roman Empire being persecuted or being forced to worship in secret due to illegality?
Yes
What does the term ‘martyr’ mean?
One who dies for their faith or belief.
Who is England’s first known Christian martyr?
St Alban
When was St Alban martyred?
250 CE
When did Emporer Constantine issue an order for there to be no action to take place against any religion?
313 CE
Who issued an order for there to be no action to take place against any religion in the Roman Empire?
Emporer Constantine
When did Emperor Constantine declare Christianity as the official religion of the whole Roman Empire?
324 CE
Around when was a young, British teenager, called Patrick, kidnapped by Irish raiders, taken to Ireland and sold into slavery, where he was a shepherd for six years?
405 CE
What is the name of the young, British teenager kidnapped by Irish raiders, taken to Ireland and sold into slavery, where he was a shepherd for six years?
Patrick
Where did St Patrick eventually escape Ireland to go to become a priest?
Britian
When St Patrick returned to Ireland, what did he:
a) do to spread Christianity?
b) become?
a) He converted many pagans.
b) He became the Bishop of Ireland, and today is Ireland’s patron saint.
What is meant by the term ‘pagan’?
One who worships many gods/godesses, typically to do with nature.
What is meant by a ‘missionary’?
A person sent to another country in order to encourage Christianity.
Around when did the Romans leave/withdraw from Britiain?
Early 400s
In place of the Romans, who came and invaded Britian?
Pagan Invaders from German and Danish tribes, called the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes.
Give some examples of any Anglo, Saxon and/or Jute gods.
Twi, Wodin, Thor, Friya
Did Christianity stay or disappear from Britian after the Angle invasion?
Christianity disappeared as many Britons decided to worship multiple gods.
In which year did a Christian Irishman bring Christianity to Scotland and mainland
Britain?
563 CE
What was the name of the Christian Irishman, brought Christianity to Scotland and mainland
Britain in 563 CE?
Columba
Where did Columba initially land in?
Iona, Scotland
What did St Columba do in Iona, Scotland?
- He built a monastery.
- He converted the pagan king into Christianity.
- He founded many more monstaries after that as well.
Which Roman Catholic Pope became convinced that the world was going to end very soon?
Pope Gregory I
Did Pope Gregory I want to eliminate paganism?
Yes, particularly in England where such beliefs were still dominant.
What did Pope Gregory I do in 597 CE?
He sent 40 monks, led by St Augustine, as missionaries to England, in order to convert the English to Christianity.
Was Augustine welcomed by the king?
Yes, and gradually the people of Kent and Essex converted to Christianity.
In which year did Pope Gregory I send even more missionaries to convert the English kings?
580 CE, the following year after St Augustine and his other monks had went to England as missionaries.
By which year were many ordinary English people converting to Christinaity?
650 CE
In which year did a huge army of Norwegian and Danish Vikings seize Scottish and Irish coastal areas, and most of northern and eastern England?
865 CE
Who blocked the Norweigan and Danish Viking attack in 865 CE?
Alfred, King of Wessex.
Did many Vikings agree to be baptised as Christians?
Yes.
What Christian learning system did Alfred, King of Wessex, create to help the illiterate people in the country?
Many lords began to provide small chapels for their people to worship. This was the beginning of the parish system.
What did William the Conqueror implement in 1066?
New stone churches which played a central role in community life in schools, markets, and entertainment venues.
Who is the first known Christian martyr in Britain?
St Alban
What happened when St Alban was going to bed?
He heard the creak of a door in the courtyard of his villa, and when he walked quietly towards the door, to his surprise, he saw one of his slaves talking to an elderly man.
What did one of St Alban’s slaves do once he saw that he was watching him talking to the elderly man?
He was terrified and quickly went away in terror.
What did the elderly man do when he saw St Alban?
He approached St Alban, who demanded to know what was going on.
What was the name of the elderly man seeking help in St Alban’s courtyard?
Amphibalus
Who was Amphibalus?
An elderly Christian priest who had fled from the town due to his rejection to offer incense to the Emperor.
Who was St Alban?
A British soldier in the Roman Army, whonwas the first known Christian British marytr.
Why did citizens in the Roman Empire have to offer incense to the Emperor?
Citizens in the Roman Empire had to offer incense to the Emperor to demonstrate political loyalty and unity, accept the Emperor’s divine status, and reinforce social unity. Refusing to participate could result in legal and social penalties, as it was seen as an act of disloyalty to the state.
What was Amphibalus begging for?
A shelter for the night.
Had St Alban heard about Christians before?
Yes, but was confused as to why they were so stubborn to not worship the Emperor.
What did St Alban decide to do with Amphibalus?
He decided to question the man further in the morning, before handing him to the governor.
What happened when Amphibalus was talking to St Alban about his belief in Jesus?
Alban came to know and believe in Jesus.
Despite it being very dangerous to give shelter to Christians, what did Alban do?
He couldn’t hand the priest over to the governor to be tortured and killed, so when soldiers arrived at his villa without warning, Alban hurriedly put on the priest’s clothes and was arrested and brought to the governor.
What did the governor tell Alban to do once he found out that the priest had escaped?
He furiously demanded the he should offer incense to the Emperor to prove his loyalty to Roman beliefs.
What did Alban declare when he rejected to offer of incense?
“I am called Alban and I worship and adore the true and living God who created all things.”
What happened to Alban once he was tortured?
He was taken to the hill outside the town and was beheaded.
What did one of the executioners request after seeing Alban’s courage and faith?
He too begged to be allowed to die for Jesus.
Did St Alban and the executioner’s witness of faith lead to many others becoming Christians?
Yes.
What was built on the martyrdom site of St Alban?
A Church was eventually built and it became a shrine and a centre of pilgrimage; a monastery was also founded, and the town of St Alban’s was also founded.
Why was it so difficult to be a Christian during the time of Alban?
Christians would have been persecuted if they didn’t prove their worship of Roman Gods.
Why did Romans persecute Christians at the time?
Christians didn’t worship Roman Gods, which was against Roman law.
Why do you think Alban was prepared to die rather than give in to the threats of the Roman governor?
He had learnt and now believed that Jesus is ‘the Way, the Truth, and the Life’.
What happened when the soldiers were leading Alban to the place of execution?
They approached a river, and Alban bent forward so that the soldiers could cross without getting wet; this is how his executioner converted instantly and refused to carry out the sentence.
What happened to the second executioner who beheaded him?
It is believed that he was immediately struck blind and his eyes fell out of his sockets.
How long did Priest Amphibalus survive after Alban’s death?
He survived only for 4 days before he was stoned to death.
Definition of a martyr:
A person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs.
When and where was St Augustine of Canterbury born?
6th Century (approx.)
Rome, Italy (estimate)
When and where did St Augustine die?
(Probably) May 25th, 604 CE
Canterbury, Kent
Where is St Augustine buried?
Canterbury Cathedral
When is St Augustine’s feast day?
27th May
Where are St Augustine’s shrines?
St Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury (now destroyed)
St Augustine’s Ramsgate
What is a shrine?
A special religious place of prayer.
Definition of ‘Benedictine’:
A community of monks who live according to St Benedict’s teachings.
What is meant when someone is preaching?
They are spreading the word about God.
What is a ‘see’?
The area an Archbishop is responsible for.
What is Pope Gregory I more commonly known as?
Pope Gregory the Great
In 596/597 CE, who did Pope Gregory the Great send from Rome to preach in England?
40 Benedictine monks, one of whom was Augustine.
What had happened by the time the monks had reached France?
They had heard so much about the English and how fierce they were, that they wanted to return to Rome.
What did Pope Gregory tell the monks to reassure them?
He said that they had to continue with their mission so that they would have a greater reward in heaven because of this difficult task they had been asked to do.
Who else did Pope Gregory convince to join the Roman Benedictine monks?
Some nearby French priests.
When did the whole group, assigned by Pope Gregory, arrive in England?
597 CE
Who were Augustine and the group welcomed by when they arrived in England?
The English King, Ethelbert
What was the name of King Ethelbert’s wife?
Bertha
What religion was Queen Bertha?
Christian
Was Ethelbert soon baptised after hearing about believing in Jesus from the monks and his wife?
Yes.
Who was soon made the Archbishop of the English in 597 CE?
St Augustine of Canterbury
Where was St Augustine’s see?
In Canterbury
What are some possible challenges that Augustine and the monks could have faced?
- Bad weather
- Food and Water Shortages
- No Shelter at Certain Points
- Encountering those who go against Christian beliefs.
- Crossing the Channel
Between which years did the Christian Church in Europe grow much stronger?
597 - 1500
Which groups of people helped the Church to establish itself?
Missionaries, teachers, writers, artists, craftsmen and builders.
What does the word ‘Catholic’ mean?
Universal
Where is the Catholic Church’s headquarters?
Vatican City, surrounded by Rome
What does the word ‘Orthodox’ mean?
Correct Belief
Where is the Orthodox Church centred at?
Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul)
Which two main branches of the Christian Church still remain separated today, almost 1000 years later?
Orthodox and Catholic
When did the Great Schism take place?
1054
Before which century were Church leaders increasingly disagreeing amongst each other about several matters?
Before the 11th Century
Other than the Holy Trinity, what could the Orthodox and Catholic churches not agree about?
The authority of the Pope within the Church
What did the Orthodox Church believe about the role of the Pope?
The Orthodox Church was never prepared to give the Pope the sole right to determine the doctrines that Christians should hold.
What is a doctrine?
A set of beliefs.
What did the Roman Catholic Church believe about the role of the Pope?
The Catholic Church believed that the Pope was the successor of St Peter, and so his authority over the Church shouldn’t be questioned.
Who was the first bishop of Rome?
St Peter
Apart from the Pope’s role, what else did the two churches disagree about?
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
What are the three equal parts of the Holy Trinity?
God the Father
God the Son (Jesus)
God the Holy Spirit
What is an example of an important Christian creed?
The Nicene Creed
What did the Nicene Creed orginally state about the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit came ‘only from the father’.
What was later added onto the Nicene Creed regarding the Holy Trinity?
It was changed from:
“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father.”
…to
“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.”
Which church accepted that the Holy Spirit came from both the Father and the Son, and therefore which church didn’t?
The Catholic Church accepted, whereas the Orthodox Church didn’t, as they insisted that God the Son and God the Holy Spirit both came from God the Father alone.
What does the word ‘schism’ mean?
(Great) Division
Who was the Head of the Orthodox Church in Constantinople during the time of the Great Schism?
Michael Cerularius
What is the word used to describe an act of holding false beliefs?
Heresy
What did Michael Cerularius accuse the Roman Catholic Church of?
Holding/believing in various heresies.
Who was the head of the Catholic Church during the Schism?
Pope Leo X
What did Pope Leo do in return after Patriarch Michael had accused them?
He denied that his Church was in error and instead condemneed the Orthodox Church in return.
What happened to Pope Leo the 10th the same year of the Great Schsim?
He passes away,
What happened in the same year of Pope Leo’s death?
Cardinal Humbert of France excommunicated not only Patriarch Michael of Constantinople, but the entire Orthodox Church.
Had the excommunication of the Orthodox Church ever happened before?
No, this has never been done before, or ever since.