Unit 2 - Christianity in the Roman Empire

Question 1

What is the Patristic period?

Answer 1

The time of the church fathers (from between he unofficial closing of the New Testament books (100AD) to the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD)), and the ideas from that time

Question 2

What are the Apologetics?

Answer 2

Defence and justification of Christianity, and those who do that

Question 3

What is the Trinity?

Answer 3

The view that Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are all one (as started by TERTULLIAN)

Question 4

What changed because of the Edict of Milan? When as it?

Answer 4

313 AD, gave religious freedom, Christianity became tolerated, and property was returned.

Question 5

What changed because of the Edict of Thessalonica? When as it?

Answer 5

380 AD, Christianity was made the only religion of the Empire, a single doctrine was made.

Question 6

What is Arianism?

Answer 6

The belief that Jesus is lesser than God, taught by Arius of Alexandria

Question 7

What border creates the divide between the West and East side of the Empire?

Answer 7

Language (Latin / Greek)

Question 8

Why was the Sabbath changed to Sunday?

Answer 8

Constantine worshipped the Sun God

Question 9

What was Manicheism? What were the beliefs? What religions was it derived from?

Answer 9

A Gnostic faith; believed that there was no free will, evil came from dark invading light (dualism), light and dark were totally separate. Derived from Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Christianity.

Question 10

What did the Donatists believe?

Answer 10

The tratadors should not be easily allowed back into Christianity, that the church should be absolutely pure

Question 11

What was the Catholic response to Donatism?

Answer 11

1 - The church was not exclusively for the pure
2 - The Donatists had removed themselves from the Catholic church (had no link to the Apostles), so were not valid
3 - The Holy Spirit (not the purity of the person) validates the sacraments

Question 12

What was Irenaeus’ view on Original Sin?

Answer 12

Ancestral sin, but people retained free will and could be redeemed through Christ. Evil is used for moral growth.

Question 13

What was Origen’s view on Original Sin?

Answer 13

Personal sin, with some spirits that had fallen from higher realms being more prone to sim than others. Also believed sin from past lives could be passed down.

Question 14

What was Augutine’s view on Original Sin?

Answer 14

Ancestral / hereditary sin, people were condemned to Hell if not baptized, and human nature makes people susceptible to temptation

Question 15

What was Pelagius’ view on Original Sin?

Answer 15

Personal, sin, people have free will (choose to sin) and must take responsibility for their actions. Also believed that many new converts were not true believers.

Question 16

Who were the Church Fathers? (8 people) What did they do?

Answer 16

1 - Clement of Rome (wrote an epistle, may have been student of the Apostles)
2 - Ignatius of Antioch (first to use ‘catholic’, Christians should follow the bishop like Jesus did God)
3 - Justine Martyr (one of the greatist apologists, saw links of Christian truth in non-Christian sources (Greek philosophy, Jewish Bible, etc.))
4 - Iraneus of Lyon (argued for necessity of Jewish Bible, defended against Gnosticism)
5 - Origen (Jesus is lesser than God, not convinced of Hell)
6 - Tertullian of North Africa (Laid foundation for the Trinity, denounced people who looked to places other than scripture for truth)
7 - Athanasius of Alexndria (defended idea of the Incarnation and Trinity (against Arian controversy), influential in books chosen for Canon)
8 - Augustine of Hippo (defended the Church, wrote “Confessions” and “City of God”)

Question 17

How did the Roman Empire help Christianity grow? (12 points)

Answer 17

1 - the road system (easier travel)
2 - the Pax Romana (security for missionaries and pacifists)
3 - Legal persecutions
4 - Martyrs (showed strength of belief)
5 - Edict of Milan (freedom of religion)
6 - Constantine (unified the church, made Bibles, made doctrine)
7 - Church structure (modeled on Roman Government)
8 - Edict of Thessalonics (made Christianity the sole religion of the Empire)
9 - Pagan worship forbidden
10 - Diversity ends, other Christians persecuted
11 - Pope Leo I (made papacy more influential)
12 - Papacy gives stability to the Empire after the fall of the West

Question 18

What was discussed at the Council of Nicaea? (5 points)

Answer 18

1 - Arianism (denounced)
2 - When Easter should be (Bishop of Alexandria chooses, leads to Great Schism)
3 - Meletian Controversy (Meleitus was reluctant to let lapsed apostates back in, ordained clergy without authority; went into schism and made “The Church of the Martyrs”
4 - Heretical baptism (STEPHEN of Rome vs CYPRIAN, what made baptism valid (person or motive), with Stephen’s side (motive) being chosen)
5 - Made new canons / laws (ie. no self-castration, two annual synods, authority to the Bishops of Rome and Alexandria, no usury in the clergy, no kneeling during the liturgy, etc.)

Question 19

What was the result of Diocletian’s persecutions?

Answer 19

The Catholics and Donatists split

Question 20

Why was Augustine the perfect person to go against the Donatists? (4 reasons)

Answer 20

1 - he was very intellectual
2 - His mum was Christian
3 - He was a Manichean (influenced worldview)
4 - Was from North Africa (in the middle of the Donatist Controversy)

Question 21

Who taught Augustine?

Answer 21

Bishop Ambrose

Question 22

What did Augustine reluctantly agree to?

Answer 22

Using force to stop cults and heresies

Question 23

How did Augustine believe people could be saved?

Answer 23

Baptism and grace

Question 24

Who was Galatius?

Answer 24

A Roman general, who persecuted Christians (before Diocletian)

Question 25

What was the tetrarchy? Why did it get made?

Answer 25

A form of government, split, with more local government. made to make tax collection easier.