Council of Nicaea

-325

-250 bishops came to a call from Constantine

issues:

1.      Arian teaching led by Eusebius of Nicomedia

2.      the moderate subordinationists in the tradition of Origen who did not see Arian teaching as extremely dangerous

3.      conservatives hostile to new formulas and concerned with unity

4.      those who found Arius’ teaching dangerous and wanted to outlaw it (Alexander)

5.      Monarchians- perceived as carrying an implicit Modalism

-conflict over –homoousios, etc

purposes of the council:

1.      refute Arian thought

2.      anathematized the two errors of the Arians: 1) that “there was when he was not” and that 2) the Son of God is created\

-importance-

            1. 1^st ecumenical (‘universal’) council

            2. Nicaea served as a symbol of imperial involvement in
                church affairs

3. Nicaea marked a crucial development in doctrinal history.
    By adopting a creed backed up by anathemas, creeds   
    were no longer just confessions of faith

-Century of activity-  4^th century

            -preacher in Alexandria

-major works

            -

-quotes-

“There was (once) when Christ was not” – understood “begetting” as equivalent to “creating”

century – 4^th

-major works

            -wrote a letter to his home church

                        -reported the addition to the Nicene creed of the
                        Greek word ‘homoousios’ (of the same substance)

- Century of activity- 4^th Century

-         Name major works and explain why they are impt.-“Life of St. Anthony”, “Contra Gentes”,  “De Incarnatione Verbi”, “Contra Arianos”, “On the Incarnation”, “Festal Letters”, “Orations against the Arians” (most important dogmatic work), “Apology against the Arians, and numerous homilies and other letters

-“On the Incarnation of the Word”

                  -against Arianism

-Christ was the Word who had become incarnate,
      who had become flesh  (John 1:14)

                        -defended Christ’s divinity

                        -the incarnation was the means of salvation

-without full humanness and full deity of Christ there
  would be no salvation

   -“Life of Anthony”

                        -advertised monastic ideals

-regarding imitating the humble Jesus

  -“Defense of the Nicene Definition”

-defends the language of the Nicene Creed against criticisms, arguing that the words are scriptural even though they are not using the exact words of Scripture

- How he refuted a particular heresy (briefly explain the heresy and
  the counter to the heresy)-

            -see “incarnation” explanation above

            -champion of Nicene orthodoxy against the Arian threat

            -said that Arianism was an attack on Christianity

            -Christ was the Word Incarnate

- Major theological contributions (any Scriptures used in these contributions typically add extra credit as well)-

            -key defender of the term ‘Homoousios’

            -his writings marked the eventual victory for the Nicene 
             cause

- Impt. quotes (sometimes I use these as a bonus for partial points)-

- Century of activity: 4^th century

- Name major works and explain why they are impt.

-“On the Holy Spirit”

-“Against Eunomius”

- How he refuted a particular heresy (briefly explain the heresy and the counter to the heresy)

            -was ecumenical concerning the Arian controversy

- Major theological contributions (any Scriptures used in these contributions typically add extra credit as well) –

-demonstrate his importance to the defense and ultimate
 victory of the Nicene Faith

- Century of activity: 4^th century

- Name major works and explain why they are impt.

-known for his mystical writings, “On Virginity”, “On the Making of Man”, “On the Soul and the Resurrection”, “Life of Macrina”, “Against Eunomius”, “On the Holy Spirit”, “Against Arius and Sabellius”, “Against Apollinarians”, “Life of Moses”

- How he refuted a particular heresy (briefly explain the heresy and the counter to the heresy)

            -there are not three gods

- Major theological contributions (any Scriptures used in these contributions typically add extra credit as well)

-attended the Council of Constantinople in 381, and was able to have considerable influence

- Name major works and explain why they are impt.    

            -“45 Orations”

            -“5 Theological Orations”

            -“Epistle” 101

-considerable writings against Arianism

            -hymns

- How he refuted a particular heresy (briefly explain the heresy and the counter to the heresy)

            -against Arianism and Apollinarianism

- Major theological contributions (any Scriptures used in these contributions typically add extra credit as well)

“What was not assumed was not healed” (Epistle  101) –speaking against Apollinarianism

- Century of activity: 4^th century

- Name major works and explain why they are impt.

            -“On the Duties of the Clergy”

- How he refuted a particular heresy (briefly explain the heresy and the counter to the heresy)

- Major theological contributions (any Scriptures used in these contributions typically add extra credit as well)

            -defender of Nicaea, great pastor

            -three-fold interpretation of Scripture (literal, moral,
             allegorical/Christological)

            -used typology often

            -converted Augustine

            -is called “The Father of Liturgical Hymnody” for his many 
             hymns

John Chrysostom of Constantinople

- Century of activity- late 4^th / early 5^th

            -“On the Priesthood”

            -“On the Incomprehensibility of God”

            -“Against Judaizing Christians”

            -most writings are sermons, homilies, or practical
              treatises
        

- Century of activity: 4^th / 5^th in Italy

- Name major works and explain why they are impt.

            “Vulgate” – official Bible of the Western Church until the
                               Reformation

                             - served as the basis for most of the early English
                               translations

- Major theological contributions (any Scriptures used in these contributions typically add extra credit as well)

-his exegesis is influential on many of the Christian theologians that come after him (spiritual exegesis)

-translated the Scriptures from the Hebrew and Greek to Latin

-his views of monasticism, celibacy, the virginity of Mary, and the cult of saints had an immense influence on the Medieval Church

Augustine of Hippo – Doctor of the Church and the West’s greatest influence

- Century of activity: 5^th century

- Name major works and explain why they are impt.

            "Confessions"- testimony and autobiography


            “Just War”

                        three components-

                                    1. the purpose of the war must be just

                                    2. Must be fought by properly instituted
                                        authority

                                    3. the motive of love must be central

            “The City of God”

                        -the only one that will lost

-Rome was allowed to have power in order to aid in the spread of the Gospel

- How he refuted a particular heresy (briefly explain the heresy and the counter to the heresy)

-wrote against Manichaeism on the freedom of the human will and the origin of the will (Manichaeism – p.172)

Manichaeism- taught an extreme dualism of light and darkness, good and evil, spirit and matter. Particles of light are trapped in the material world, and redemption is the liberation of these particles of light so they can return to the pure heavenly realm.

-man is free to sin, but evil is not a “thing” that was created by God. It is the choice to rebel against God, to turn away from him

-wrote against Donatism on the validity of the sacraments and just war (three components)

            -regardless of unworthy bishops, the sacrament
            itself has the validity

-wrote against the Pelagians

            -salvation is by grace

- Major theological contributions (any Scriptures used in these contributions typically add extra credit as well)

- Century of activity: 6^th / 7^th century

- Major theological contributions (any Scriptures used in these contributions typically add extra credit as well)

            -took Christianity to Ireland

            -served as a slave, but returned to convert many of them

Columba – missionary to Iona, Scotland

- Century of activity: 6^th century

- Major theological contributions (any Scriptures used in these contributions typically add extra credit as well)

            -set up monasteries with the model that did not have a hierarchy

            -this model became a threat to Rome

            -openly critical of worldly wealth and status

            -stressed the importance of God’s creation as revealing something about Him

5^th century

            -bp

            -passionate theologian

-major works

            “Twelve Anathemas” – against Nestorius

            -‘Paschal’ letter of 429

-defended the term ‘Theotokos’ against Nestorianism, using John 1:14 “the Word became flesh”

-how he refuted Nestorius

            -applied a grammatical model to the understanding of the  
             incarnation     

                        -Word is the subject; the flesh is the attribute the
                         Word took on

                        -becoming flesh involved no change in the divine
                        nature

             
           -the Logos unites flesh to himself… “one nature”

                        -the appropriation of the flesh he called
                         “composition”

-emphasis on the union of the divine and human in Christ approached an acknowledgment of this paradox that Christ “suffered impassibly”