Church History Final 2023

Heresy

formal denial and maintained opposition to any defined doctrine of the Christian faith

Arianism

Belief that Jesus is not equal to God and did not always exist.

Patriarch

the title given to the bishops of five major cities of early Christendom

Gnosticism

Claimed to have secret knowledge about Jesus from the apostles. Also saw the material world as evil.

Canon

An official list of the Biblical books considered to be authentic and authoritative

Church Fathers

The earliest Christian theologians from the 2nd-7th centuries whose writings were foundational for the Church

The Didache

An early Christian Document literally meaning "The Teaching" it contained instruction on church practices and belief.

Apologist

Someone who defends their faith against false charges

Martyr

Someone who is killed for their faith, beliefs, or cause (originally from the Greek word for witness)

Apostate

someone who abandons or renounces their faith

Ascetic

Someone who practices severe self-discipline and abstains from pleasures and luxuries

Creed

A document outlining beliefs

Ecumenical Council

an early meeting of bishops from throughout the Christian world to deal with heresy and solidify statements of belief

Trinity

The three-in-one God, including Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Pentecostalism

An early twentieth-century movement that emphasized the Holy Spirit that empowers believers with spiritual gifts, especially speaking in tongues. They often referred to a "baptism" of the Holy Spirit when these gifts were given. It was a multi-ethnic, multi-class movement. Azusa Street Revival is often credited as its starting point

Papal Infallibility

The belief of the Roman Catholic Church that God protects the Pope from speaking in error when he speaks about faith or morality.

Christian abolitionism

The belief that Christian faith was incompatible with slavery. It used arguments from the Bible to argue that slavery was immoral.

Social Gospel

A movement in the late 1800s / early 1900s which emphasized charity and social responsibility as a means of salvation. They emphasized humanity's "natural goodness" and were often critical of capitalism

Evangelicalism

An 18th Century movement within Christianity that emphasizes personal conversion, mission work and social activism. It started the practice of Sunday School, and influenced the Methodist Movement. In the 20th Century, it would experience a "great reversal" and prioritize conservative politics over social activism.

Ecumenical Movement

a movement among diverse Christian groups aimed at universal Christian unity

camp meetings

Open-air revival events that were common in the Great Awakening through today. They often used traveling preachers as their speakers.

KJV (King James Version)

English translation of the Bible authorized by King James in 1611, would become one of the most widely-read books ever.

Icon

a symbolic image of a biblical (or historical figure) used in worship

iconoclasm

Opposing or even destroying images used in worship

Cathedral

A large and ornate church that became popular in the Middle Ages

Mysticism

the practice of seeking immediate knowledge of the Divine through personal meditation, religious experiences, and spiritual disciplines. In the Middle Ages, women were especially prominent in this movement.

Anabaptism

Various groups of radical reformers who rejected infant baptism, practiced pacifism and wanted a strict separation of church and state.

Transubstantiation

Catholic belief that the bread and wine of Communion actually become the literal body and blood of Christ.

Christendom

A word that originally meant simply "Christianity," but came to mean the geographical areas in which the institutional Church held power and influence.

Conciliar Movement

The belief that the Catholic Church should be led by councils of cardinals rather than popes

Indulgences

The practice of selling forgiveness from sin in exchange for money or participating in the crusades

Gutenberg Printing Press

An invention that used movable type to print. This increased the availability of written material and literacy, which helped spread the Reformation

Simony

the buying and selling of church offices

Relics

Bones or other objects connected with a biblical figure or saint; thought to take away time in purgatory

Holy Roman Empire

A Loose federation of mostly German states and principalities tracing back to Charlemagne

Jerusalem Council

Decided that Gentile converts do not need to keep all of the Jewish Laws

Burning of Rome

event that led to official Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire

Destruction of Jerusalem Temple

Led to an increasing divide between Judaism and Christianity

Edict of Milan

issued by Constantine in 313, ended the "great persecution," legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire and granted toleration for all religions.

Council of Nicaea

first ecumenical church council, convened by Constantine in 325 to deal primarily with Arianism

Council of Chalcedon

Ecumenical council held in 451 AD that affirmed that Jesus is one Divine Person with two natures: a divine nature and a human nature. This affirmed the doctrine of "Theotokos"

Council of Constantinople

Ecumenical Council of 381 AD that re-affirmed the orthodox understanding of the Trinity (1 God in 3 Divine Persons) . It gave more detail on the work of the Holy Spirit

The Great Awakening

Religious revival in the American colonies of the eighteenth century during which a number of new Protestant churches were established.

Azusa Street Revival

historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California, and was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. The revival was characterized by spiritual experiences, speaking in tongues, dramatic worship services, and inter-racial / inter-class mingling

The Spanish Inquisition

A program ordered by the Spanish monarchy to investigate and eliminate heresy in the kingdom. Torture was common, sometimes execution was used.

95 Theses

Arguments written by Martin Luther against the Catholic Church, especially against indulgences and the Pope's power. They were nailed to the Church door in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517.

The 1st Crusade

A military excursion ordered by Pope Urban to take back Jerusalem from Muslim invaders. It was successful in taking the city but resulted in the slaughter of many innocent people.

The 4th Crusade

A military excursion ordered by Pope Innocent to retake Egypt and Northern Africa. The force was diverted from their original purpose and ended up sacking Constantinople and killing and terrorizing thousands of Eastern Christians

Edict of Worms

Declared Martin Luther an outlaw within the empire and ordered his works to be burned. This was after Luther refused to recant his beliefs.

Council of Trent

A meeting of Roman Catholic leaders, called by Pope Paul III to decide on doctrines criticized by the Protestant reformers.

The Great Schism

the official split between the Roman Catholic (west) and Byzantine churches (east) that occurred in 1054.

Peter

One of Jesus' 12 disciples. Said to be the first Pope

Paul

A Jewish convert who spread Christianity to the Gentiles

Nero

Was blamed by some for the burning of Rome. He shifted blame to the Christians and persecuted them.

Constantine

Leader who converted to Christianity after having a vision. He made Christianity legal in the Roman Empire

Marcion

Heretic who wanted to get rid of the Old Testament

Arius

Heretic who claimed Jesus was not equal to God

King Kaleb

Leader in Ethiopia who converted to Christianity and made it the official religion

Alopen

First Known missionary to China

Augustine

bishop of Hippo in North Africa and a Church father. Is well-known for his biographical account called "Confessions"

Perpetua

Early Christian Noblewoman who was martyred and kept a prison journal before her death

Anthony of Egypt

a hermit, considered to be the first Christian monk and the father of monasticism

St. Patrick

Missionary to Ireland, the land in which he was formerly enslaved

Benedict of Nursia

Leader in the Monastic Movement. Wrote a famous "Rule" that became a standard in communal monastic living.

Jesuits

Also known as the Society of Jesus; founded by Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) as a teaching and missionary order to resist the spread of Protestantism. They reported to the pope

Charlemagne

Crowned by the Pope as the first head of the Holy Roman Empire

St Francis of Assisi

A wealthy Italian who renounced worldly possessions and founded a society for preaching, poverty, and penance. He is also known for his care of animals and nature.

Desuderius Erasmus

the most well-known Christian humanist who was a leading Renaissance scholar of northern Europe. He tried to start a reform movement, though it ultimately failed. He wrote "The Handbook of the Christian Knight" and "Praise of Folly"

John Wycliffe

a forerunner to the Reformation. Translated the Bible into English. After his death, his bones were exhumed and burned.

Thomas Aquinas

Italian theologian and "Doctor of the Church" who merged philosophy and theology. His most well-known work is called the "Summa Theologica" and outlines his theology systematically.

Martin Luther

a German monk who became one of the most famous critics of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1517, he wrote 95 theses (statements of belief) attacking the church practices. He is credited for sparking the Protestant Reformation.

John Calvin

A Protestant Reformer known for his belief in predestination and God's ultimate Sovereignty. He wrote a book called "The Institutes of Christian Religion" and set up a theocracy in the town of Geneva, Switzerland.

Hildegard von Bingen

An abbess of a convent in Germany; She was famous for her mystical theology, writings, compositions, art, medicine, and poetry.

Charles V

The Holy Roman Emperor during the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

King Henry VIII

Started the Anglican Church because he wasn't granted a divorce. He became head of the church and took all possession and land the Catholic church had previously held. He had 6 wives in total.

"Bloody" Mary

Queen of England, opposed the Anglican church and burned over 300 Anglicans at the stake in an attempt to "re-Catholicize" England.

The Knights Templar

a military religious order with the original purpose of protecting crusaders and pilgrims as they traveled to Jerusalem.

Jonathan Edwards

Preacher during the First Great Awakening; Known for his sermon "Sinners in the Hands of Angry God"

George Whitefield

Christian preacher whose tour of the English colonies attracted big crowds and sparked the First Great Awakening. He was also a leader in the "New Lights" Movement. Said to be the most popular man in the colonies in his time.

William Wilberforce

British reformer who led the abolitionist movement that ended the British slave trade in 1807.

Henry Ward Beecher

American preacher and abolitionist. In addition to speaking out against slavery, he bought guns and smuggled them to abolitionists in creates labeled "books and Bibles" They were known as "Beecher Bibles"

Frederick Douglass

American abolitionist and writer, he escaped slavery and became a leading African American spokesman and writer. He criticized Christians who supported slavery as hypocrites who corrupted Jesus' message, but supported the true Christian message

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

German theologian who resisted Hitler and Nazism. He worked as a double agent and was eventually executed for his involvement in an assassination plot against Hitler. He was a leader in the Confessing Church and His most famous book is called "Cost of Discipleship,"

CS Lewis

Famous author and lay theologian. Is known for his book "Mere Christianity" which was originally a radio broadcast during WWII. He wrote on a variety of Christian topics, as well as a famous children's series.

Billy Graham

A Baptist evangelist who held "crusades" for millions of people, both in person and televised. He counseled presidents and held great influence in America, and around the world.

Martin Luther King Jr

Baptist preacher and civil rights leader who advocated nonviolent protest against segregation

Confessing Church

a movement within German Protestantism during Nazi Germany that arose in opposition to government-sponsored efforts to unify all Protestant churches into a single pro-Nazi Protestant Reich Church

Nonconformists

Protestants who did not conform to the doctrines or practices of the Church of England (i.e. puritans)

Clapham Sect

A group of abolitionist British parliament members including William Wilberforce

Name 3 new protestant denominations that emerged after the Reformation

1. Anabaptists

2. Calvinism

3. Puritanism

How did Christians react to the American Revolution? (be sure to include multiple perspectives)

Some were opposed to the war because of violence, others believed it was right because the English king would not listen to them or help them.

Provide a Christian abolitionist position argument (Should be a few sentences)

All men are created equal. Slavery is not biblical we are supposed to treat each other with respect.

What made the "Slave Bible" different from the actual Bible?

the slave bible had the entire old testament out and anything that could cause slaves to feel like they should uprise.

How did Christians resist Hitler during WWII? Provide at least 2 ways.

They often hid Jews or the smuggled food to them

Describe the influence of Billy Graham

He helped push for the end of segregation, he also helped spread the Gospel.

What are the characteristics of Pentecostalism?

- Speaking in tongues

- teachings of prosperity

- spiritual warfare