Christian Heritage Exam 1 Study Guide

Josephus

• Jewish historian who wrote for Rome, references Jesus (the problem), too Christian

Tacitus

• Roman historian, references Jesus by reflecting reality, annoyed with Christians

Babylonian Conquest

• Conquered Juda in 587

• Spread jewish communities across the world

Persian Conquest

• Conquered Babylon, don’t have independence when they go back to the land; 539

Alexander the Great

• Took over the Persian Empire and world, he dies within a decade, his empire divided into 4 parts where two of them fought over israel

Hellenism

• Spread of Greek thought especially in the roman empire; jewish people respond differently

Philo

• Jewish philosopher who embraces Hellenism and wants to show how Jewish thought and Hellenism can be blended

Essenes

• Lived in the desert and wanted nothing to do with Greek thought and life; one example of response to hellenism

Zealots

• Want to rebel against hellenism

Pharisees

• Associated with commonfolk, more liberal than Sadducees, “of the people,” Paul trained as a Pharisee

Sadducees

• Did not believe in the resurrection, connected to the temple, elites

Maccabean Revolt

• Kinda like the zealots, catch Rome and take over for Jewish independence for about a century

• Increasingly accept Rome during this time

Roman Conquest –

• 63 BC Rome retakes the land of Israel

• Ultimately culminates to the destruction of the temple

Roman Religious Policies

• Had to worship the roman god, contribute to society in some way, tolerant to other religions bc they believed all religions were connected in some way so it didn’t matter what people worshipped

• They wanted religious antiquity

• Tolerant towards other religions, wanted synchronism, wanted emperor worship, favored ancient religions

Paul

• Missionary to the Gentiles

• Paul’s teachings and mission to the Gentiles was successful and prominently made up Christian success

• Roman citizen

Distinctives of the Church

• Sabbath on Saturday and worshipped on Sunday

• Famous for sharing a meal together

• Baptized to be initiated into the community

• Met in wealthy patron homes

Gospel of Thomas

• Most likely not written by him

• Gnostic document, church considers it heretical

Church in Jerusalem

• Led by James, Jesus’ brother

• Prior to 70, the church was the lead church in Christianity

Thomas

• Strong tradition that he went to India before he died; globalism term of Christianity

Ebionism

• Rejected the virgin birth, a heresy of jewish Christians, not willing to accept teachings from certain jewish teachings

Docetism

• Believed Jesus only appeared to be human, spiritual world is “good” and material world is “bad”

• Believed Jesus only appeared to suffer

Gnosticism

• Deep secret knowledge is needed

• Material world is evil, spiritual world is good

• Demiurge was an idiot for making the material world

Marcionism

• Rejects the Old Testament and most of the NT

• Closely related to Gnosticism

• Believed the God of the OT is bad for making the material world

• Tru God is different than the father of Jesus

Ignatius of Antioch

• Bishop of Antioch

• Martyred

• Wrote seven letters

• Against Docetism and ebionism

Irenaeus of Lyons

• Bishop in southern France

• Opposes gnosticism espcially

• Emphasizes the universality of the faith and says there is an apostolic tradition (faith is handed down and preserved)

• First to identify the four gospels

Muratorian Canon

• Earliest list of the NT (not exact but still)

Tests of Canonicity

• Apostolicity (associated with apostles), catholicity (universal), antiquity (goes back to apostolic era), orthodoxy (align with the teachings of the church)

Apostolic Tradition

• Illustrates the church structure

• Teaches us we need to be saved for 3 years before we are baptized

Montanists

• Elevate the element of the holy spirit over bishops and Jesus himself

The Didache

• Early Christian document

Justin Martyr

• Loves philosophical traditions

• Says the best of philosophical traditions blends with Christian ideals

The Epistle to Diognetus

• Early Christian document

• Emphasizes the morality of Christianity

The Incarnation

• God became human

Ecclesia

• The assembly of the Church

Roman perception of Christianity

• Economic threat, incestuous and cannibalistic religion, bad citizens because they don’t participate in society/economy

Persecution in the first 200 years

• Local and spiritic, not universal

Nero

• Rome burns, rumor he started it and he blames Christians only in Rome

Domitian

• Blames Christians for not worshipping the emperor

Pliny

• Roman official who writes to the emperor Trajan asking what to do with Christians

Trajan

• Responds to Pliny that he shouldn’t hunt them out but find them if they cause problems

Decius

• Roman emperor

• Requires a certification for a sacrifice

Diocletian

• Focuses persecution on pastors and leaders of church

• Systematic persecution on the church

Tertullian

• Christian

• Hates philosophy and rejects Greek philosophy, says we need the gospel

• First to use term trinity

Clement of Alexandria

• Bishop of Alexandria

• Talked that the lightness of God was a gift of God not granted through education

Perpetua

• Woman who is a persecuted Christian

• Had to willingly allow herself to die

Felicitas

• Persecuted woman Christian

Cyprian

• Bishop of Carthage

• Must be part of the church to be saved

Origen

• In Alexandria

• Allegorical views of scripture

Diocletian

• Focuses persecution on pastors

Constantine’s Conversion

• Baptized on his death bed

Edict of Milan

• Allows religious tolerance for Christianity and all religions

Theodosius

• Made Christianity official religion

• Becomes punishable to not be Christian

Asceticism

• Another word for monasticism

• Induce personal suffering through self-discipline

Martyrdom

• One is killed for their faith

Monasticism

• Movement in response to Christianity becoming the official religion of Rome

Wandering Holy Man

• Type of ascetic or monk who goes around performing miracles

Hermits

• Lives in seclusion and practice ascetic lifestyle

• “anchorites”

Anchorites

• Interchangeable with hermits

Communal Monks

• Monks who live in communities and abide by certain rules and share possessions

Cenobitism

• Interchangeable word for communal monks

Eusebius

• First church historian

• Argue God triumphed through Constantine’s conversion

Proceedings of Zenophilus

• Focused on taking sacred texts from christians

Anthony of Egypt

• Monk who lives in desert and gives up wealth

• Father of monasticism

Adoptionism

• One explanation for relationship b/w God and Jesus

• God adopts Jesus

Sabellianism

• No distinction b/w Jesus and God

Arianism

• Teaches there was a time when Christ didn’t exist

• Major heresy that prompts Nicaean Council

Arius of Alexandria

• First came up with Arianism

Nicene Council

• Called for by Constantine

• Wants to deal with conquest over Arianism

• Roman council

Eusebius of Nicomedia

• Baptizes Constantine and supports Arius

Athanasius

• Grave defender of Nicaean Christianity

• Opposes Arius

The Nicene Creed

• Statement that produced by the Nicean Council and addresses common hereseys and encapsulates Christian faith

Alexandria

• Important church in Egypt

Antioch

• Church in Syria

• Influenced by Aristotle

• Reads scripture historically

Constantinople

• Capital of Rome named after Constatntine

• Important leader in Church

Council of Chalcedon

• Tried to resolve Ariust debate

Donatism

• Can a bishop be restored if they recanted their faith during persecution

Augustine of Hippo

• Opposes doneticts (say they cant be restored)

• Says you can be restored

Gregory of Nyssa

• Defended Christianity