Christianity Final Multiple Choice

The Edict of Milan

Issued by Constantine I in 313 AD, this decree granted religious toleration and freedom to Christians who had previously been persecuted within the Roman Empire

The Edict of Thessalonica

Issued by Theodosius I in 380 AD, this edict established Christianity as the official state religion of the Roman Empire

Plinius (Pliny the Younger)

An imperial legate to Bithynia-Pontus around 110 AD who wrote to Emperor Trajan regarding his investigations and trials of Christians. His correspondence provides the earliest description from an outsider of early Christian worship gatherings and highlights concerns that the growth of Christianity was negatively impacting traditional Roman institutions and the economy

Galen or Galenus:

A famous Greek physician and surgeon in the 2nd century who promoted the Hippocratic bodily humors theory, which attributed human moods to imbalances in four fluids: blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. Although he viewed Christianity as a "defective philosophy," he expressed admiration for Christians' courage in the face of death and their self-restraint regarding food, drink, and relations

Nestorian Christianity

This form of Christianity flourished in China for approximately 200 years after the Persian missionary Alopen was permitted to work there in 635 AD by King Taejong of the Tang Dynasty. It eventually disappeared in China following a period of persecution in 845 AD

St. Patrick:

A primary figure in the Christianization of Ireland (389-460 AD) who, after being kidnapped by Irish pirates at 16 and later escaping, returned to missionize the country. He is credited with initiating the monastery movement in Ireland, which became a center for learning and further mission work.

Gregory the Great’s Letter to Mellitus Abbot:

Written in 601 AD, this letter advised that pagan temples should not be destroyed but rather converted into Christian churches. Gregory suggested that keeping familiar physical locations and adapting local festivals into Christian feasts would help the indigenous population gradually transition to the new faith

St. Columba:

Known as the Apostle to the Picts, he was a key figure in the Irish monastery movement who founded the Iona community in northern Scotland in 563 AD

St. Boniface:

Known as the Apostle of Germany (680-754 AD), he was an English nobleman who worked to reform the Frankish Church and convert pagans. He is famous for a "power encounter" in which he cut down an oak tree dedicated to the god Thor, leading to the conversion of thousands of residents

Cyril & Methodius

Two brothers sent by Byzantine Emperor Michael III as missionaries to the Moravians. They are credited with the development of Slavic characters and the translation of the Bible into the Slavic language

Padroado

This refers to the right granted by the Pope to Portugal and Spain to protect missionary work in their colonies. Over time, this right was criticized for being used to justify colonial rule and conquest rather than serving as a purely religious too

Francis Xavier

A co-founder of the Jesuit order who conducted extensive missionary work in India, Japan, and China in the 16th century. Initially following a "Tabula Rasa" policy that sought to root out all existing local culture, he eventually transitioned to a policy of adaptation, believing that existing civilizations did not have to be rejected entirely

Matthew Ricci:

A Jesuit missionary in China (1552-1610) who was highly respected for his scientific knowledge in astronomy, mathematics, and clock-making. He practiced "Chinese Localization" by using terms like Shang Ti for God and taking a moderate position that allowed Chinese Christians to participate in Confucian civil rituals.

The Propaganda:

Formed in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, the Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide (Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith) was established to centralize Roman Catholic mission efforts and neutralize the influence of the Padroado

Robert de Nobili:

Jesuit missionary in India (1577-1656) who adopted the lifestyle of an Indian Guru, including giving up meat and leather shoes and wearing traditional tan Kavi clothes. His goal was to make Christianity acceptable to the upper-caste Brahmins by separating Christian faith from what Indians perceived as "unclean" Western habits.

Alexander de Rhodos

A Jesuit missionary in Vietnam (1591-1660) who formed the "Company of Catechists" to maintain faith in remote communities. He is significantly known for refining the Vietnamese language into a notation system using the Latin alphabet, which later became the official chữ Quốc ngữ system

Western Plan:

A tough policy implemented by Cromwell of England designed to expand Protestant power and weaken Roman Catholic influence in overseas territories

Weapon Salve:

A 16th-century medical concept associated with Paracelsus where an ointment was applied to the weapon that caused a wound rather than the wound itself, based on the magical belief that the soldier could be healed from a distance

Kosher:

The Jewish dietary laws that distinguish between "clean" and "unclean" foods. Examples include only eating land animals that chew their cud and have split hooves (like cows or sheep), fish with fins and scales, and strictly forbidding the mixing of meat and dairy.

Halal:

The Islamic dietary laws which designate "permissible" foods. This includes properly slaughtered animals, most plants that do not intoxicate, and milk, while forbidding Haram (forbidden) items like pork, blood, and alcohol