Chapter 3 - The Development of Doctrine and the Decline of the Empire- Church History, Klemm, SJA

Arianism

a heresy developed in the late 3rd century that denied Christ's full divinity, stating that Christ was a created being who was superior to human beings but inferior to God

Edict of Milan

A joint declaration by the Roman emperor Constantine and Licinius in the East in 313 that legalized the practice of Christianity and other religions throughout the Roman Empire.

Fathers of the Church

canonized, well-educated men, mostly bishops, during the 2nd-6th centuries, who formulated writings, teachings for the Church

Doctors of the Church

a title officially bestowed by the Church to those canonized men and women who defend the teachings of the Church.

Apologists

men and women who defend the teachings of the Church; do not need to be canonized

Vulgate

the version of the Bible translated from Hebrew and Greek into Latin by St. Jerome and which became the definitive version and officially promulgated by the Church

Ecumenical Council

A gathering of the Church's bishops from around the world convened by the Pope or approved by him to addressing pressing issues in the Church

Consubstantial

Having gthe same nature or essence

Theotokos

A Greek title for Mary meaning "God bearer"

Logos

A Greek word meaning "word." Logos is a title of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of John that illuminates the relationship between the three Divine Persons of the Holy Trinity

Patristic Period

Another name for the "Age of the Fathers," from the 2nd to the 6th Centuries

Pontifex Maximus

means "greatest bridge builder." Title Constantine gave himself as he saw himself as the bridge between the earthly and spiritually. Subsequent emperors used the title and later popes used it.

Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Church Constantine built on the site where his mother allegedly discovered the cross Christ was crucified on

Chi Rho

The symbol Constantine saw in a dream and had added to his soldiers' uniforms. It's the first two letters of Christ's name in Greek

Constantinople

present day Istanbul, Turkey. Where Constantine moved the capital of the empire.

Licinius

emperor of Eastern Empire who signed the Edict of Milan with Constantine; He chose not to follow it and continued persecution of the Christians which caused his eventual demise

As a result of the Edict of Milan

Clergy were exempt from paying taxes and property that had been previously confiscated was returned; Constantine commissioned the building of churches

living in isolation

Christians who wanted to give their all for Christ sacrificed comforts of life in Christ's name by going out in the desert or other place of solitude since they were no longer called to be martyrs

Sts. Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux, & Hildegard of Bingen

four female Saints named Doctors of the Church in the 20th century

Hildegard of Bingen

Most recent female Doctor of the Church named by Pope Benedict in 2012

36

Number of recognized Doctors of the Church today

39 from the Western Church and 51 from the Eastern Church

Number of recognized Fathers of the Church

St. Ambrose

converted to Christianity, was baptized, confirmed, became a priest and bishop all in one week; opposed Arianism and promoted authority of Church over the emperor. Best known writings included "On the Duties of the Clergy" and "On the Sacraments." He is known for influencing St. Augustine and leading to his conversion; father and doctor of the Church

St. Augustine

Both a father and doctor of the Church. Known as one of the greatest theologians of the Western Church. Led a wild life as a young man and fathered a child out of wedlock. His mother was St. Monica. After his conversion, he became a priest and later a Bishop. Best known works include "Confessions," "Trinity" and "City of God."

St. Jerome

Monk who preferred to live in isolation. Well educated and knowledgeable about languages. Greatest contribution was translating bible from Greek/Hebrew to Latin; father and doctor of the Church

Three popes given the title of "great" during age of Fathers

Leo, Gregory, Basil

St. John Paul, II

most recent pope to receive the distinction of being called "the great" for his contributions to the Church and world

St. Leo the Great

defined Apostolic Succession and increased authority of the Church during his reign

St. Gregory the Great

established papal authority in the temporal realm, developed a system of providing charitable relief for the poor, established seminaries.

St. Basil the Great

Known for his care of the poor and contributions to the development of monasticism in the east. Said to bring presents to the children on January 1st in the Eastern Church

John Chrysostom

Archbishop of Constantinople known for his desire for reform and denunciation of abuse of authority by both political and religious leaders; his outstanding preaching earned him the title of a word that means "golden mouthed"

chrysostomos

golden mouthed

Issues the Church clarified in the 4th & 5th centuries

Beliefs about Jesus' divinity and humanity, Holy Trinity, and Blessed Virgin Mary

Council of Jerusalem

FIRST Church Council called to address issue of allowing Gentiles into the Church without first becoming Jews (circumcised)

First Council of Constantinople

called to address more heresies that were not ended at Council of Nicaea. It was called to confirm teachings of Nicaea, complete the Nicene Creed, and addressed controversy of Divinity of Holy Spirit

Council of Ephesus

denied teachings of Nestorius (Nestorianism) which said that Mary was not the Theotokos

Council of Chalcedon

affected relations between East and West Churches by declaring the Bishop of Rome as preeminent authority of the Church and the patriarch of Constantinople was the second in command. This council began the fissure between the Eastern and Western Church

5 Major Patriarchates Cities of the Roman Empire

Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, Jerusalem

Two

How many ecumenical councils needed to produce the Nicene Creed: Started at Council of Nicaea and completed at Council of Constantinople

21

Number of Church councils called throughout history

Vatican II

Last Church Council called

How Church Councils are named

after the city in which they are held

A.D. 476

Fall of the Roman Empire in the West

Hagia Sophia

literally means "Holy Wisdom" ; Church built in Constantinople by Emperor Justinian in A.D. 537. Modeled after the finest public buildings in the empire at the time and said to rival King Solomon's temple in Jerusalem. It was a church first, than a mosque, then a museum, and back to a mosque today. Served as the center of Christianity for over 900 years.

In the East

- spoke Greek
- strong politically, religiously, militarily, and economically
- well educated, wealthier
- architecture reflected power, prestige and was more elaborate than the west

In the West

- spoke Latin
- religious leaders served as political leaders too
- weak economically, politically
- architecture was simple, plain
- susceptible to invasion by nomadic tribes; weak militarily

patriarch (Eastern)

the father of a group or tribe; spiritual father. The title is given to the highest-ranking bishops in the Church.

iconoclasm

The deliberate destruction of religious icons and symbols.

Year when Patriarch Athenagoras I and Pope Saint Paul VI met to lift mutual excommunications

1964

Iconoclast controversy

A dispute during the 700s in the Eastern Church over the use of icons in liturgy. Emperor Leo III condemned the veneration of sacred images, claimed it was idolatry. He attempted to impose a policy against the use of icons and sacred images on the world-wide Church.

Pope's response to Iconoclast Controversy

The Pope defended the veneration of icons as an important part of Christian piety.

Many events led to the Eastern Schism, one of them was about the rejection of Mary's role as Mother of God

disagreements over the Nestorian heresy

Many events led to the Eastern Schism, one of them was supremacy and primacy

The See of Constantinople second to the See of Rome in authority and importance, but also ahead of the Sees of Alexandria and Antioch, historically second only to Rome

Many events led to the Eastern Schism, one of them was about the differing views of Church and State

the Eastern Church accepted the emperor's authority, whereas the Pope asserted primacy in the West

Many events led to the Eastern Schism, one of them was disagreement over the scope of the Pope's authority over the Church, especially in relation to the authority of the patriarch of Constantinople. What did the lead to?

mutual excommunications of 1054

Characteristics of the West (Roman Catholics)

The Pope had primacy over the Church. Only the Pope could call a council. The Pope had authority over government and society.

Characteristics of the East (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Church accepted the Emperor's domination over the Church, the Emperor is seen as "The Vicar of Christ"-a title usually reserved for the Roman Pope. The Emperor would call church councils and assist them in settling doctrinal disputes and name the patriarch of Constantinople.

What did both churches agree on in relation to the Pope?

The 2 Churches accepted the Pope, the Bishop of Rome as the successor of Peter

Arianism

A heresy of the fourth century that took its name from Arius, a priest from Alexandria. The heresy denied the divinity of Jesus, claiming that he was like the Father except that he was created by the Father.

caesaropapism

The political theory often practiced when Christianity was legalized that held that a secular ruler could also have authority over the Church, including in matters of doctrine.

canon

The official list of inspired books in the Bible. The Catholic canon lists forty-six Old Testament books and twenty-seven New Testament books.

Christology

The study of Jesus Christ; the academic effort to understand who he is.

Codex Vaticanus

From the early fourth century, the oldest complete copy of the Bible in existence; it features the forty-six books of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven books of the New Testament.

Desert Fathers

Christians of about the fourth century who withdrew into the desert to live an ascetic life of prayer, fasting, and abstinence. Their teachings had a profound impact on the theology and spirituality of the Church and the development of monasticism.

deuterocanonical

From the Greek for "second measuring rod," a designation for sacred writings that remain in the Catholic Bible, but have been removed from some other Christian Bibles because they were not originally written in Hebrew. In canonical order, these texts (also known as the Apocrypha) are: Tobit, Judith, portions of Esther, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and portions of Daniel.

ecumenical councils

Meetings of Catholic bishops from around the world, typically convened in order to discuss and resolve pressing theological topics.

Filioque

Latin for "and from the Son"; a phrase added to the Nicene Creed by the Western Church without the agreement of the Eastern Church to specify that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son; one of the theological differences between East and West leading to the Great Schism.

First Council of Nicaea

The first ecumenical council called to address heresies spreading at this time, namely Arianism; a meeting of three hundred bishops that took place in 325, it spelled out Church doctrine including on who Jesus is and started writing Nicene Creed; defined Jesus' divinity

hypostatic union

From a Greek term (hypostasis) employed to describe the union of the human and divine natures of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in one Divine Person. The First Council of Ephesus used this term and affirmed this teaching.

Justinian Code of Law

A collection of laws written in Latin that were instituted by the Byzantine emperor Justinian (527-565) and became the basis of European law. Its Christian orientation gave women and children more protection than earlier law, but it still reflected the customs of its times, like bodily mutilation for some crimes and repressive measures against non-Christians, including Jews.

Liturgy of the Word

The part of the Mass that includes the "writings of the prophets" (the Old Testament readings and psalms) and the "memoirs of the Apostles" (the Gospels and the New Testament epistles), the homily, the profession of faith (Creed), and the intercessions for the world.

monasticism

Religious life in which men or women leave the world and enter a monastery or convent to devote themselves to solitary prayer, contemplation, and self- denial. After martyrdom became rare, monasticism became the most demanding way to live out a Christian vocation.

Monophysitism

The heresy taught in the fifth century that asserted that there is only one nature in the Person of Christ—his divine nature.

Monothelitism

The heresy taught in the seventh century that claimed that Jesus has two natures but only one will—his divine will.

Nestorianism

The heresy spread by Nestorius, a fifth-century patriarch of Constantinople, that asserted that there is a disunity rather than a unity between Jesus' divine and human natures.

Nicene Creed

The foundational statement of Christian belief that was produced by the Church leaders gathered at the First Council of Nicaea in 325.

patriarchs

Bishops of one of the five episcopal sees, the name for the places of residence of bishops: the Eastern patriarchates of Jerusalem, Antioch, Constantinople, and Alexandria; and the Latin patriarchate of Rome. In the early Church, the bishop of Rome (the pope) was acknowledged the principal patriarch.

Patres

Latin term meaning "Father"

Pateres

Greek term meaning "Father"

St. Athanasius

Bishop of Alexandria, best known for his defense against Arianism
Some of his writings included On the Incarnation of the Word and The Life of Anthony.

3 Criteria for Book to be Canonical

1. Apostolic Origin
2. Orthodox Content
3. Universal Appeal
(know what these things mean)

Apostolic Origin

A book had to have come from the Apostles, either directly or through those who had known them.

Orthodox Content

A book had to portray Jesus in a way that was compatible with the faith as they themselves received it from the Apostles and as articulated in creeds.

Universal Appeal

A book had to enjoy widespread and frequent use in the worship and teaching of the Church—in other words, it had to be genuinely universal.

Old Testament books in Catholic Bible

are inherited from Judaism

The Gospels

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John; they recount the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

Acts of the Apostles

tells the story of the early Church, especially ministries and missionary trips of Peter and Paul

13 Epistles

written by or attributed to Paul

Book of Revelation

an apocalyptic symbolic book about Jesus' self-sacrificing love

Letter to the Hebrews & 7 Catholic epistles (1 & 2 Peter, 1-3 John, James, and Jude)

Theological reflections on Christ and instructions on a Christian life

1054 AD

East-West Schism or The Great Schism; the final break between the Church in the East and the Church in the West; those in the West recognize supremacy of the Pope while Church in East recognized Patriarchs

Church in the West

Roman Catholic Church

Church in the East

Eastern Orthodox Church

Eastern Rite Catholic Churches

Catholic Churches whose origins were in the Eastern Roman Empire that are in union with the pope and Church centered in Rome; they are considered to be in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, recognize the Pope as their supreme leader but their liturgical rites and ceremonies may differ slightly from how they are celebrated in the Western Church