Test Two

Question 1

Gnosticism

Answer 1

Claims to possess secret knowledge (the key to salvation) only reserved for the elite; Dualism; Spiritual sparks from the supreme being are souls encased in flesh; Denied incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of our bodies; Hostile to Judaism because Jehovah creator is evil and different from the perfect supreme being; All creation is evil;

Question 2

Manichaeism

Answer 2

Persian religion, each human has both light and darkness within them (light=spiritual, darkness=matter), the purpose of life is to separate the two in order to prepare the spirit to return to the realm of pure light, this has been revealed in various fashions to a long series of prophets, including Jesus

Question 3

Modalism

Answer 3

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are simply “modes” in which God appeared; Christ only appeared to be human

Question 4

Adoptionism

Answer 4

God is One and undivided; Jesus was a mere human until his baptism at which point he was baptized by the HS and adopted by the Father; Holy Spirit was withdrawn from him at the cross; Emphasis on the humanity of Jesus and denies his divinity

Question 5

Montanism

Answer 5

Criticized the established church; movement to reform the church to its NT origins; Emphasis on the spirit (prophecy and glossolalia); Open canon; women’s leadership in ministry; Asceticism; no 2nd marriages; no forgiveness for post-baptismal sin; voluntary martyrdom; emphasis on the immediate return of Christ;

Question 6

Donatism

Answer 6

Denied validity of ordination and sacraments conferred by unworthy bishops; demanded re-baptism to join true, pure church; opposed state intervention in the church

Question 7

Dualism

Answer 7

Matter (evil) vs. Spirit (good)

Question 8

Docetism

Answer 8

Jesus was not truly human, he only appeared to be; Dualism; Emphasis on Jesus’ divinity and denial of his humanity

Question 9

Arianism

Answer 9

God was only uncreated reality, there was a time when the son was not; Jesus is more than a man but less than God;

Question 10

Canon

Answer 10

“rule of faith/truth”; List of books which are acknowledged to be the rule of belief and practice of the religious community;

Question 11

Apostle’s Creed

Answer 11

Legend is that each apostle suggested a clause; Composed in Rome around 150; directed against Gnostics and Marcion; Baptismal creed, built around the Trinitatian formula;

Question 12

Apostolic Succession

Answer 12

2nd Century church denied the existence of secret knowledge (Gnosticism) and claimed direct connection to Jesus’ apostles; most churches kept lists of bishops and elders that linked them with the apostles;

Question 13

Muratorian Fragment

Answer 13

Possibly the oldest known list of books of the NT; Included 4 Gospels, Acts, 13 Pauline Epistles, Jude, 1&2 John, Revelation; Omitted Hebrews, James, 1&2 Peter, 3rd John; Limited use for the Book of Wisdom, the Apocalypse of Peter, and the Shepherd of Hermas

Question 14

Athanasius’ Easter Letter

Answer 14

27 books of the current NT; Didache and Shepherd of Hermas may be read but are not authoritative;

Question 15

Venial Sin

Answer 15

a relatively slight sin that that does not entail damnation of the soul

Question 16

Mortal Sin

Answer 16

cuts the sinner off from God’s sanctifying grace until it is repented, usually in confession with a priest

Question 17

Marcion

Answer 17

Son of bishop in Turkey; excommunicated for immortality; moved to Rome and began to preach his heretical teaching; Christian Gospel is a Gospel of love to exclusion of the Law; Jehovah of OT is different than God of NT; Jesus’ purpose was to overthrow Jehovah; Jesus appeared as a grown man; Rejected OT and choose a select few NT books to consider canon; earliest known list of NT scriptures;

Question 18

Tertullian

Answer 18

Wrote a number of treaties in defense of the faith against pagans and in defense of Orthodoxy against various heresies; developed a Trinitarian (One Substances, 3 Persons) and Christological formulas (1 Person, 2 Natures)

Question 19

Athanasius

Answer 19

wrote On the Incarnation; believed that Christ’s divinity was vital to salvation;

Question 20

Anthony

Answer 20

Orphan son of wealthy parents who heard a sermon on Mark 10:21 and sold all his possessions; “The Discipline”; Lived in tombs and an abandoned fort; did not see another person for 20 years; inspired the monastic movement in the East;

Question 21

Pachomius

Answer 21

Founder of communal Monasticism; Rules on giving up worldly goods; absolute obedience to superiors, working with hands and none must consider any task unworthy, mutual service;

Question 22

Julian the Apostate

Answer 22

Cousin to Constantine’s sons; educated as Christian-exposed to philosophy-abandoned Christianity; Restarted pagan worship but no overt persecution of Christians;

Question 23

Positive/Negative results of Christianization of the Roman Empire

Answer 23

Persecution of Christians stopped
More open forum for the Gospel
Conditions of women and slaves improved
Prosperity of Church seen as divine favor
Changes in worship
Christianity became the persecuting power