Early Church History: Vocabulary, Dates, and Key Concepts in Christianity

Church / Ekklesia

The Greek word ekklesia literally means an assembly or gathering of people. In Christian usage, it means the community of believers united in Christ.

Catholic (literal meaning)

Universal.

Catholic (doctrinal meaning)

The Church that possesses the fullness of Christ's teaching, sacraments, and apostolic authority.

Heresy

A false teaching that contradicts the essential doctrines of the Christian faith.

Deposit of Faith

The complete set of revealed truths given by Christ to the Apostles, handed down through Scripture and Tradition.

Eucharist (literal meaning)

Thanksgiving (from Greek eucharistia).

Eucharist (definition)

The sacrament in which bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ.

Disciplina Arcani

The early Church's practice of keeping certain teachings and rituals hidden from non-Christians and catechumens until baptism.

First Class Relic

A physical part of a saint (bone, hair, blood).

Second Class Relic

An item used or worn by a saint.

Third Class Relic

An object touched to a first-class relic.

AD

Latin: Anno Domini; English: 'In the year of the Lord.'

When did Jesus die & rise?

Around 30-33 AD.

Century Christians began calling themselves 'Catholics'

Early 2nd century (Ignatius of Antioch uses the term around 107 AD).

When was the Martyrdom of Polycarp written?

Shortly after Polycarp's death in 156 AD.

Year St. Irenaeus wrote about Mary as the New Eve

Around 180 AD.

When & where the Sub Tuum Praesidium was written

Earliest copy dates to 250 AD, found in Egypt.

Century Ethiopia & the Roman Empire became officially Christian

Ethiopia: 4th century; Roman Empire: 4th century (under Constantine).

What does it mean that the Church is 'universal'?

It is meant for all people, in all places, at all times.

Where had Christianity spread within decades of Jesus' Resurrection?

By the end of the 1st century, Christianity had reached Rome, Ethiopia, Alexandria, Armenia, Greece, Syria, and Asia Minor.

What does it mean that the Church has the 'wholeness' of the faith?

It preserves all that Christ taught—complete doctrine, sacraments, and apostolic authority.

Two central beliefs of Gnosticism

1. Salvation comes through secret knowledge. 2. The material world is evil, created by a lesser being.

Gnostic attitude toward authority

They rejected apostolic authority and Scripture, claiming personal secret revelation.

Does gnostic attitude produce unity or division?

Division, because everyone can claim their own 'secret truth.'

Why did some Gnostics reject good works and indulge in sin?

Because they believed the body doesn't matter, only 'spirit,' so physical actions were irrelevant.

Why did other Gnostics live strict, disciplined lives?

Because they believed the body was evil, so they tried to punish or suppress it.

Examples of things they rejected

Marriage, sex, meat, wine, pleasure, and sometimes all physical comforts.

What does 'Peter' literally mean?

'Rock'. Jesus named him this because he would be the foundation of the Church (Matthew 16).

Why did Rome become associated with Peter & Paul?

Both were martyred in Rome around 65 AD.

Who is the Bishop of Rome?

The Pope — successor of Peter, head of the universal Church.

Did the early Church think the Eucharist was a metaphor?

No — they believed it was truly the Body and Blood of Christ.

What part of Mass could catechumens witness?

The Liturgy of the Word.

What part could non-Christians NOT witness?

The Liturgy of the Eucharist (kept secret under the Disciplina Arcani).

How was the Disciplina Arcani different from Gnostic 'secret knowledge'?

The Church hid holy things out of reverence, not because salvation required secret information.

What did St. Irenaeus say about Mary?

Mary is the New Eve, whose obedience unties the knot of Eve's disobedience.

What does it mean that Mary is the 'Mother of God'?

She is mother of the Person of Jesus, who is fully God and fully man.