People Flashcards
Who is Athanasius?
(2)
Bishop of Alexandria
Most feared opponent of Arianism
What is Athanasius’ background?
- Copt
- Lower class
- Visited Saint Anthony, a desert monk and wrote about him.
Where and when did Athanasius live?
Alexandria - 296-373
Major work of Athanasius?
“On the Incarnation of the Word”
What did Athanasius believe about salvation?
New creation required for restoration after sin, one who re-creates us cannot be lesser than creator.
Why is Athanasius important to church history?
Champion of Nicene Orthodoxy
Who is Macrina? (2)
Founder of Greek Monasticism
One of the Great Cappadocians
When and where did Macrina live?
Cappadocia - 327-380
Who are Macrina’s siblings?
Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa
What impact did Macrina have on her siblings and family? (4)
1) Called out Basil when he was being arrogant, encouraging him to faithfulness
2) Spiritual leader of family amidst crisis
3) Basil modeled his monastic community off of his sisters
4) It was Gregory’s last conversation with Macrina before she died that was the basis for “On the Soul and the Resurrection”
What is Macrina’s background?
- Betrothed at 12
- Fiance died
- She committed to singleness and celibacy
What did Macrina do as her life’s work?
Established monastic community for women in Annesi
What was Macrina known as?
“The Teacher”
Why is Macrina important to church history?
Founder of Greek Monasticism
Who is Augustine?
Bishop of Hippo
What is Augustine’s background?
- Monica, Christian mom
- Student of rhetoric
- Realizes one must seek truth
- Spent 9 yrs exploring Manichaeism
- Teacher of rhetoric
- Got into Neoplatonism
- Heard Ambrose Preach
- Internal battle - finally converted
Before conversion, what were Augustine’s main issues with Christianity? (2)
1) bible inelegant: had stories with violence and brutality
2) origin of evil: if a good God made everything, why so much evil?
What are some of the major writings of Augustine? (3)
“Confessions”
“Enchiridion”
“The City of God”
What are some of the major theological ideas Augustine developed? (7)
1) Free will
2) Origins of evil
3) Just War Theory
4) Irresistible Grace
5) Purgatory
6) Pre-destination
7) Corpus Permixtom: Mixed body
Why is Augustine important to Church history?
Most influential theologian in Western church
What is Gregory I’s background?
(5)
- Born in Rome
- family old aristocracy
- Benedictine Monk
- After many years of wars and sieges, Rome in bad state
- Worked with Pope Pelagius to fix up Rome
What was Gregory I like as a pope?
(4)
- Temporal ruler and religious ruler
- He fed people, secured peace, and fixed Rome
- Essentially being the ruler of Rome
- Considered himself patriarch of the West
When was Gregory I pope?
590-604
What was Gregory I’s theological contribution?
(6)
1) Original Sin - passed on through sex from Adam, weakness or sickness, sins as particular acts
2) Grace - emphasizes human cooperation
3) Predestination - through foreknowledge - God chooses who God knows will love God
4) Penance - Contrition of the heart, Confession of the mouth, Satisfaction of work
5) Purgatory - die with burden of minor sin, purified in purgatory
6) Mass as Sacrifice
How did Gregory I understand penance?
(3)
- Contrition of the heart
- Confession of the mouth
- Satisfaction of work
Why was Gregory I important to church history?
(4)
- Gregorian Chants
- Most capable popes ever
- Took Augustine’s ideas and confirmed them to be more certain, like purgatory
- Notion of mass as sacrifice
Who is Benedict of Nursia?
Founder of Western Monasticism
What is Benedict of Nursia’s background?
- Nursia, Italy
- Wealthy family
- after education, becomes monk
- lives in a cave
- sets up small monastery
- Sets up community at Monte Cassino in 525
When did Benedict of Nursia live?
480-547
Why was Benedict of Nursia important to church history?
He wrote the “Rule” for monastic living
What were the characteristics of the “Rule”?
(3)
1) Practical
2) Spiritually Rigorous but physically moderate
3) Variety of circumstances
What was Vincent of Lerins main theological contribution?
Vincentian Canon
What is the Vincentian Canon?
(3)
Teachings must have:
1) Geographic universality
2) Temporal universality (Jesus is final revelation - no further innovation)
3) Sociological universality (all of the church must accept it)
Vincent of Lerins believed doctrine should be believed…
“always, everywhere, and by all”
Why is Vincent of Lerins important to church history?
Argued Augustinian ideas on predestination didn’t pass the temporal universality clause
Who is Charlemagne? And what was his influence?
- King of France
- Crowned by Pope Leo III
- Almost all of Western Christendom under his rule
- Ruled people in both civil and ecclesiastical manners
When was Charlemagne crowned King?
800, on Christmas Day
What is the time Charlemagne ushered in?
The Carolingian renaissance
What changes did Charlemagne make in the church?
(4)
1) Preaching in language of the people
2) Sunday be kept as a day of worship and rest
3) Tithes be collected as if they were a tax
4) School in every church - open to rich and poor
Why is Charlemagne important to church history?
Interlude of stability brought theological activity
Who is Radbertus and Ratramnus?
Both monks of Corbie
When did Radbertus live?
785-865
What were Radbertus and Ratramnus’ differing opinions on the Eucharist?
Radbertus: Bread and wine become body and blood - mysterious transformation, humans can’t perceive it
Ratramnus: present mysteriously, not actually present - only seen through eyes of the faith - physical body of Jesus with God
When did Ratramnus die?
868
What were Radbertus and Ratramnus’ differing opinions on the Perpetual Virignity?
Radbertus: Because birth is from sin due to sex, Jesus came to us miraculously, no labor pains
Ratramnus: Rejected notion Jesus born miraculously, insists Jesus born like normal baby, but without destroying Mary’s virginity - Mary was virgin before the birth, in the birth, and after the birth
What was the name of Radbertus and Ratramnus’ separate writings on the Eucharist?
“On the body and the blood of the Lord”
Why are Radbertus and Ratramnus important to church history?
Their theological perspectives on:
- Transubstantiation
- Perpetual virginity of Mary
- Predestination
What is Gregory VII’s background?
- Monk named Hildebrand
- Humble origins, father carpenter in Tuscany
- Wanted to reform the church
- worked with Pope Gregory VI
- Became Pope himself
When was Gregory VII pope?
1073-1085
What was Gregory VII’s dream?
World united under one papacy
What were Gregory VII’s reform beliefs / efforts?
(4)
1) Bible should not be translated into vernacular languages
2) Outlawed clerical marriage (1070)
3) Condemned simony (1070)
4) Forbade laity from receiving sacraments from simoniacs (which some viewed as defying Augustine’s whole thing)
What was the response to Gregory VII’s reform efforts?
(5)
- The married priests and wealthy bishops teamed up against him
- Butted heads with Roman Emperor Henry IV (Henry wanted to be able to appoint Bishops, Gregory not into it)
- Henry and him clashed, ultimately Henry’s supporters elected new Pope, Clement III
- Henry invaded Rome and gave it to Clement
- Gregory had to go into exile, where he died
Why is Gregory VII important to church history?
Organized great military offensive against Islam - two decades later led to crusades