Studied by 57 people
What is the Nicene Creed?
A prayer developed in response to heretics that clearly states the beliefs of the Christian church
What does Ecumenical mean?
promoting or tending toward worldwide Christian unity or cooperation
What was Arianism?
The belief that Jesus was not God but somewhere between God and man, that if anything Jesus was human and not divine, that God wouldn’t take human form because it is flawed
What is an ecumenical council?
where all the bishops of the world come together to discuss important matters of faith
What is pacifism?
being against fighting/war
What is Martyrdom?
A person who is killed because of their religious faith
What were the Gnostics?
people that believed that all material things including the human body were evil, that Jesus was just an apparition, that humans remained totally ignorant b/c God is so far removed from material things, that the gnostics had secret knowledge of God & spiritual destiny, that salvation was only for the gnostics, and that Jesus was only divine
What is Heresy?
beliefs contrary to some essential belief of faith
What is a creed?
A confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, a statement of the shared beliefs of a community in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core beliefs
What was the Edict of Milan
an edict created in 313 that legalized christianity and declared tolerance of religion
What is a bishop?
source of foundation for unity, 1 in each community, shepherd and govern the people of the church
What is a Presbyter?
A priest & elder who performs sacraments; shares the mission of bishops & deacons
What is a deacon?
A person who helps those in need & distributes communion; they share the mission of bishops
Why were christians persecuted in Rome in the early church?
because they were seen as a threat due to the fact that they didn’t believe in Roman gods or worship the emperor, people thought that they were cannibals & practice incest, and they didn’t serve in the army
Why weren’t Jews persecuted in Rome in the early church?
they had made a deal with the Romans when their land was conquered saying that as long as they remained peaceful and payed heavy taxes, they could worship in peace
Who legalized christianity?
emperor constantine
Why was Christianity legalized?
Constantine converted to christianity, he wanted a completely unified empire, and because his mom (st. Helen) was christian
What effects did the legalization of christianity have on the christian church?
It allowed christians to worship freely, the clergy was exempt from taxes, christian items were returned, and churches were built
When did the Council of Nicaea take place?
325
Where was the council of Nicaea?
Nicaea
Who was at the council of Nicaea?
The bishops of Nicaea & Emperor constantine
Why was the council of Nicaea called?
to denounce Arius’ heretic teachings
What number council was Nicaea?
1
What happened/what was decided at the council of Nicaea?
The bishops met, discussed, and developed a creed to spell out key church doctrines
How did the decisions of the council of Nicaea affect the development of the church?
it gave us the creed and defined beliefs of the church, which minimized heresy
When did the council of Chalcedon take place?
451
Where did the council of Chalcedon take place?
Chalcedon
Who was at the council of Chalcedon?
Pope Leo I and bishops
What number council was Chalcedon?
4
Why was the council of Chalcedon called?
to declare Nestorius’ teachings heresy, to decide which bishop would have more authority, to decide if Mary was the mother of God, and to decide if Jesus was God or not
What happened/what was decided at the council of Chalcedon?
That the bishop of Rome had most authority, the bishop of Constantinople was 2nd in authority, that Jesus is both human and divine, and that Mary is the mother of God
How did the decisions made at the council of Chalcedon affect the development of the church?
It caused discourse between the eastern & western christians and led to a complete break between them, but also led to more unity in the west
Why is the bishop of Rome the most powerful bishop in the church?
because Peter was appointed leader of the church by Jesus, so when he became the Bishop of Rome, the title was considered the one with the most power and continued to be when handed down to the next bishop of Rome
Why did the western part of the Roman Empire collapse?
corrupt emperors and leaders, barbarian invasions, weak military, and internal discourse
Who was Constantine?
The first Roman emperor to legalize Christianity; he was originally a Roman man of pagan faith in power who had a dream in which he was told that if he placed the first two letters of Christ's name on his troops' banners and shields, he would win. When he won, he converted, but he wasn’t baptized until he was on his deathbed
What was Constantine’s influence on the Christian church?
He legalized christianity, minimizing persecution and allowing the christians to worship openly
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