Midterm Flashcards
Apocalypticism
1st c. Jews believed that God would soon intervene to overthrow evil on Earth and establish a new age of peace, justice, and prosperity
- Cosmic dualism (good vs. evil)
- Pessimism (humans can’t defeat evil without God)
- Imminence (things are pretty shitty rn so god is prob coming super soon)
- Judgement (god will judge the living and the dead)
Apollonius of Tyana
1st century CE. Pagan figure with divine powers, beauty, wisdom, miracles/healing. Son of God Proteus, birth was miraculous and divinely foretold. “Off-brand Jesus”– threat to early christianity Life of Apollonius–written by Philostratus
Messiah
“The Hebrew term “Messiah” means “anointed one.” In Greek it is translated as “Christ” The idea of Messiah was a popular one in Judaism, especially among the Pharisees. The messiah, as represented in the Hebrew Bible book Isaiah, was a prophesized spiritual and political ruler that would establish a just and righteous kingdom for God’s chosen people, the Jews. Early Christians, like the author of the Gospel of Matthew, believed Jesus Christ to be the Messiah, ushering in a reconciliation with humankind and God through his sacrifice. The idea of the Messiah is important because it helps us see how early Christianity was rooted in and eventually departed from Jewish ideas.”
Consubstantial
“made of the same stuff.” As clarified at Nicaea, Jesus is consubstantial with the Father. AKA homoousios (same stuff), NOT homoiousios (similar stuff).
Canon
sacred writings by which christian ideas and practices are “measured”. The authoritative list of orthodox christian writings.
Incarnation
the doctrine that the second person of the Trinity assumed human form in the person of Jesus Christ and is completely both God and man. Jesus was incarnated–he is a real fuckin’ dude.
*Constantine
4th century CE
Conversion of Constantine
-Battle of the Milvian Bridge secures Constantine’s
control of the Western Empire
-Edict of Milan follows in 313
-Constantine calls Council of Nicaea (325) after Licinius’s defeat
-Prominent pagans assist with consecrating
-Constantinople in 328
-Constantine imports pagan art and builds 2 pagan temples in Constantinople
-Constantine is baptized only on his deathbed
Constantine’s conclusions:
-Harmony is essential to the health of the empire.
-Diplomacy and force do not establish harmony.
-Only a universal gathering backed by imperial power can do so.
-Constantine’s letter condemns neither the Donatists nor the Arians
-Constantine later asks that Arius be reinstated
-Constantine investigates complaints against Athanasius, Alexander’s replacement in the Arian controversy
-Constantine is eventually baptized by Eusebius of Nicomedia
New Testament
-is the second major part of the Christian biblical canon, the first part being the Old Testament, based on the Hebrew Bible. The New Testament discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christianity. Christians regard both the Old and New Testaments together as sacred scripture. The New Testament (in whole or in part) has frequently accompanied the spread of Christianity around the world. It reflects and serves as a source for Christian theology and morality
-Four narratives of the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus, called “gospels” (or “good news” accounts);
A narrative of the Apostles’ ministries in the early church, called the “Acts of the Apostles”, and probably written by the same writer as the Gospel of Luke, which it continues;
Twenty-one letters, often called “epistles” from Greek “epistole”, written by various authors, and consisting of Christian doctrine, counsel, instruction, and conflict resolution; and
An Apocalypse, the Book of Revelation, which is a book of prophecy, containing some instructions to seven local congregations of Asia Minor, but mostly containing prophetical symbology, about the end times.
Old Testament
Christian term for the Hebrew Bible. Jewish Law, Stories prophesied the Messiah. Early Christians argued about which Testament’s teachings were more essential to the faith- hebrew law v christian teachings ex. Circumcision controversy
*circumcision controversy
1st c. CE
Debate over whether or not followers of Christ had to get circumcised in order to be good members of the church. By extension, debate over whether old Hebrew law applied to new era of Christ. Paul (who was preaching more to Gentiles than to Jews) preached that Gentile converts did not need to be adult circumcised, whereas Peter (who was preaching more to Jews than to Gentiles) preached that in order to properly comply, all males must be circumcised. In the end, Paul’s view wins out. Important because further establishes Christianity as separate from Judaism, and distances Christians from Jewish heritage. Also important bc it reflects debate between orthodoxy and orthopraxy- which is more important to being a good Christian?
*Nicene creed
325 CE
- The Nicene Creed was adopted in the face of the Arian controversy, whose leader, Arius, was a member of the clergy of Alexandria. “Arius objected to Alexander’s (the bishop of the time) apparent carelessness in blurring the distinction of nature between the Father and the Son by his emphasis on eternal generation”.
- Claimed Jesus was not a regular person
- Always was eternal from the beginning
- Begotten not made
- If you don’t believe this, you’re out
- Who was Jesus?
- A part of God/with God from eternity but only recently
incarnate: of same substance and authority as God the Father – Alexandrian position – eventual victor - God the Father’s first creation, subordinate in time
- and also substance: “there was a time when he was not” – Arian position – eventual loser (sort of)
- vs. Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed. (381 CE)
- Made Jesus more human on the human-divinity spectrum–confessed to one baptism as well (specifics with Virgin Mary and Pontius Pilate)
*Paul
5 CE. “Pharisee Member of the tribe of Benjamin Fairly well educated
Familiarity with scripture and its interpretation is evidence of study with Jewish scholars
Writing style is evidence of decent Greek literary education. Tentmaker or leather worker Roman citizen Probably died in Rome”- lecture
apostle of Jesus. After Christ leaves, Paul becomes apostle to the Gentiles. Travels across the Roman empire spreading the word according to Acts. His letters to cities he visited ended up in the canonized New Testament. One could argue he is the founder of the Christian church, or at least that he and Peter were the founders. Concerned with intersection of Roman society/hierarchy and Christianity. Also concerned with how to fund the church/his own life: economic independence? Apostleship? Client of the church?
Gnosticism
subset of pagans, Jews, early christians. Dualism- matter=evil, good spirit is trapped in evil body. Goal to escape from matter to return to the divine spirit and light. Salvation is interior, individual, private, secret. (Gospel of John was influenced by gnosticism)
Trinity
Christian explanation of God/divinity as three distinct but cohesive things- general debate in Christianity over what that means- ex. Arius v Alexander. To some Christians, accepting the general mega-confusingness of this whole shebang is part of the nature of faith. Raises some questions about monotheism- is there really one God (as the old Testament proclaims) if God is three things- important factor in making Jews follow new Christian religion, can’t depart too far from idea that there is one God.
Father- More physical than the Spirit- Father creates(?) the son, often used to emphasize God’s merciful, loving nature
Son- Jesus, most controversial topic in this situation. Some think he was around from the beginning even before his incarnation on Earth, which would make him consubstantial with the Father. In this vein, some think that Jesus existed before he physically came to Earth in the form of the word of God. Others think he was created at conception w Mary by the father, making him in a way a subsidiary of God. Where does Jesus fall on the human-divinity spectrum? Very confusing shit.
Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit- Hella vague. The will of God/god’s power in action? The force that makes God’s will happen, not really a physical entity in the same way the Father & Jesus are.
apocrypha
Texts that has been rejected from the Canon (agreed upon texts)
original sin
believed to be the sin all people have as a result of Adam and Eve eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Idea that by default everyone is a sinner. Believed to different degrees by different sects
