Rome: Christianity And The Roman Empire Flashcards
Who is an abbot?
A monk who is chosen as a head of a monastery
How significant was the birth, life and death of Jesus Christ during the Roman period?
It was the most significant event but did not seem so important at the time
Where and when was Jesus Christ born?
In Palestine during the reign of Augustus Caesar
What are the aspects of the boyhood of Jesus Christ?
- Very little was written about it
- His childhood events were recorded by Luke
- Jesus grew up in Nazareth and his father was a carpenter
How did Luke sum up Jesus Christ’s early life?
‘Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man’
When did Jesus’ ministry begin?
It began with His baptism by John the Baptist
When did Jesus begin His public ministry, and how many years did it last?
He started it at around 30 years of age and it lasted three years
What is the Galilean Ministry?
The name given Jesus’ ministry in Galilea
When Jesus offered Himself to the Jews as their Messiah, how did the leaders of Israel react to His claim?
They rejected His claim
How did the Jewish leaders begin to plot against Jesus?
They sent spies to make Him speak against Caesar to involve the Roman authorities
What was the name of Jesus’ follower that betrayed him?
Judas Iscariot
Where was Jesus crucified and buried?
- He was crucified outside Jerusalem on a hill called Golgotha
- He was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy member of the Jewish sect known as the Pharisees
After how many days was Jesus raised from the dead?
After three days
After how many days was Jesus ascended in to heaven?
After forty days
What was the name of the book in which the growth of early Christianity is described and who was it written by?
In the book of Acts and it was written by Luke
Where was the Gospel first preached?
In Jerusalem and Judaea where the church was mainly a Jewish group
Who was Saul?
- Originally a zealous Jew who would be the instrument through which God would reach the Gentiles
- He was converted through a dramatic vision of Christ
- He is known form his Greek name, Paul
To where did Paul take the gospel?
He took it throughout Asia Minor and into Greece
Where was Paul arrested?
In Jerusalem
What were Paul’s famous Prison Epistles?
- Galatians
- Ephesians
- Philippians
- Colossians
Who was the last apostle to die?
John
How did Rome first view Christians?
- It did not feel threatened at first
- They considered the Christian’s religion as another cult
- But as they grew in number they were viewed as a threat
What happened to the Christians during the third century?
- The first major Persecution of Christians was ordered by Emperor Decius
- This period was one of disorder and unrest throughout the empire
How were the Christians viewed in the third century?
- They were seen as as enemies because they did not worship the emperor
- And because they appealed to the lower classes
- Their way of life was seen as ‘unpatriotic’
What happened to the Christians during the fourth century?
- The emperors realized that persecution could not stop Christianity
- And in the year 311, the East declared Christianity a legal religion
Who tried to revive Christian persecutions?
Emperor Julian in 361 A.D.
What are heretics?
A person who holds beliefs that are different to church doctrines (the beliefs taught by a church)
What were some of the major heresies faced by the early church?
- Gnosticism
- Arianism
- Nestorianism
- Monophysitism
- Donatism
Why was Arianism the most serious heresy?
- It rejected the concept of Trinity
- It taught that Christ and God were not of the same essence
What is the Nicene Creed?
- It was produced by the Council
- It declared that the Trinity as three Persons in one God
- And Christ as coequal with the Father and Spirit
- It simply formalized what the church believed from the beginning
What were the five cities that cities that emerged as centers of Christianity?
- Antioch
- Jerusalem
- Alexandria
- Constantinople in the East
- Rome in the West
What is a Diocese?
A district ruled by a bishop
In the major centers of Antioch, Jerusalem, Constantinople, Alexandria and Rome, bishops were given the title of what?
patriarch
Who was Pope Leo I (Leo the Great)?
- One of the Bishops of Rome that distinguished themselves politically and religiously
- He stopped Attila the Hun’s march on Rome
By the mid-fifth century, the Bishop of Rome was considered what?
They were considered as supreme over all others in the Roman Church
Who was Anthony of Egypt?
- Called the father of Monasticism
- A third century Hermit
What is a hermit?
A person who lives in solitary for religious reasons
What is a Metropolitan?
An Archbishop who presides over a church province
Who is an Abbot?
A monk who is chosen as head of a monastery
Who is St. Basil?
- Established the first monastic orders of the East
- Responsible for the Latin translation of the Bible called the Vulgate
What is a regular clergy?
Monks or religious men who followed a rule and took vows
What is a secular clergy?
Church officials who were not bound by rules or vows
