Lesson 5 - Early Church Fathers Flashcards
Who were the 4 groups of opponents to the Early Church Fathers?
- ) Jews (religious opposition)
- ) Romans (political opposition)
- ) Greek philosophers (intellectual opposition)
- ) Christian heretics (theological opposition)
Who was the first Church Father?
Justin Martyr (110-165)
What was Justin Martyr’s strategy?
Present Christianity as the “true philosophy”
– aimed to demonstrate harmony of Christianity and the best Greek philosophy
What was Justin Martyr’s big idea?
Philosophy is good and Christianity is the best philosophy
Who was the second early church Father?
Irenaeus (120-202)
What did Irenaeus oppose?
2nd Century Gnosticism
What was Irenaeus’ big idea?
Evil is a necessary condition for human moral development
Who was the 3rd early church Father?
Tertullian (160-225)
Who did Tertullian oppose?
Marcion, Gnostics, Docetists
What word did Tertullian coin?
Trinitas - to capture the 3 in oneness of God (in Against Praxeas)
What is Tertullians’ famous quote in antipathy toward speculative philosophy?
“What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem?”
What did Tertullian appeal to during arguments?
Rule of Faith - concise summary of Christian doctrine
– emphasized revelation and authority over philosophical arguments
What was Tertullian’s big idea?
Greek philosophy is no match for Scripture and apostolic traditions
Who was the 4th early church Father?
Clement of Alexandria (150-215)
What was the relationship for Clement between philosophy and theology?
Philosophy is the ally of Theology (very different from Tertullian)
- philosophy is God’s covenant with the Greeks
- philosophy cannot produce faith, but it can support it
