Church History - Test #2 Flashcards
(125 cards)
How did Apologists respond to the heresies?
Apologists were adept at using philosophy to defend the Faith, but some would be led astray by these alternative views
What happened as the Church spread throughout the Empire?
she encountered a number of religions & philosophies that influenced certain leaders
What is heresy?
Wrong belief
What can one contrast with heresy?
orthodoxy, or right belief
What did heresies require?
a response from the Church, especially the Bishops entrusted with the care of their flocks
What is Gnosticism?
a term used to describe a wide variety of mystery religions in the Mediterranean in the early Christian centuries
What did Gnostic cults purport to dispense?
a secret knowledge to a supposed elite class
What did Gnosticism believe this knowledge would lead to?
enlightenment/salvation
Gnosticism was primarily what?
dualistic (body & mind/spirit are distinct)
What would Christian Gnostics do?
Deny the Incarnation & have problematic ethical ideas
What kind of problematic ethical ideas did Christian Gnostics have?
- some would become irrationally ascetic
- others would be overly indulgent in physical pleasure
What does gnosis mean?
Knowledge
who was the leader of Montanism? where did it start & when?
a recent convert to Christianity named Montanus in Asia Minor in the middle of the 2nd century
what did Montanists want?
a more rigorous ethical demands, & an imminent focus on the end of the world
who would eventually join the Montanism sect?
Tertullian
what did Montanists claim?
that their revelations came direct from the Holy Spirit & could supersede the authority of Jesus, Paul, or whomever
what was the danger in Montanism?
if this had won out, Christianity would have lain at the mercy of each prophet of every new generation
who started Arianism?
Arius, a priest from Alexandria
what did Arianism teach?
- that Jesus of Nazareth was not God
- only God is external: there was a time when Jesus did not exists, therefore he was not God
- Jesus is like God (should be followed), but not God (cannot be worshipped)
when was the Council of Nicea?
325 CE
what happened at the Council of Nicea concerning Arianism?
the argument got so fierce that St. Nicholas punched Arius in the face
what was the end result with Arianism?
the bishops condemned Arianism in the end, but it took time to root it our completely
who were the Fathers of the Church?
“Teachers whose writings extended the Tradition of the Apostles & who continue to be important for the Church’s teachings”
who was St. Athanasius of Alexandria?
a 4th Century bishop whose teaching was essential in combating the heresy of Arianism