Figures summarised

Question 1

Alexander the Great:

Answer 1

• 350BC
  
  • Tutored by Aristotle
  • Founded many cities
  • Spread Greek culture
• Conquered Persia, Egypt, spread to India

Question 2

Zeno of Citium:

Answer 2

• 300BC
  
  • Founder of Stoicism
• His thought influenced Aurelius and culture/thought

Question 3

Athanasius:

Answer 3

• Defender of Orthodoxy
  
  • Was present when Arius was exiled
  • He was exiled 5 times
    Helped to form the Nicene Creed

Question 4

Basil of Caesarea:

Answer 4

• Was a church Father
  
  • Defended the divinity of the Holy Spirit
  • Clarifying doctrine on the Trinity
• Founded a monastic community

Question 5

Augustine:

Answer 5

• Converted to Christianity after a period of skepticism
  
  • Developed key doctrines such as original sin, divine grace
  • Deeply shaped Western Christianity
• Defended orthodoxy

Question 6

Nestorius:

Answer 6

• Rejected the term Theotokos (God bearer) for Mary arguing that she should be called “Christ bearer” instead
  
  • Had beef with Cyril of Alexandria who disagreed
  • Condemned as a heretic
• His followers formed the Church of the East

Question 7

Pope Gregory:

Answer 7

• Strengthened the independence and the power of the papacy
  
  • Reorganized Church liturgy (initiated Gregorian chant)
  • Sent missionaries
  • Set the tone for Christian leadership
• Venerated as a saint

Question 8

Clovis:

Answer 8

• The first king who the united Frankish tribes under one ruler
• Converted to Nicene Christianity a major turning point

Question 9

Patrick:

Answer 9

• Enslaved in Ireland
  
  • Escaped but returned as a missionary
  • Venerated as a saint
  • Established churches
• St Patrick’s day

Question 10

John Wycliffe:

Answer 10

• Professor at Oxford Uni
  
  • Advocated for scripture to be read by all (translation into common English)
  • Criticized wealth
  • Rejected transubstantiation
  • Known as the morning star of the reformation
• Declared a heretic after his death

Question 11

Hudson Taylor:

Answer 11

• British protestant missionary
  
  • Founded the China Inland Mission
• Had a passion for reaching people, and went to great efforts to adopt their culture

Question 12

Samuel Mardson:

Answer 12

• English missionary who came to NZ
  
  • Preached the first Christian sermon in NZ
• Māori engagement

Question 13

John Calvin:

Answer 13

• Founder of Calvinism
  
  • French
  • Emphasized the sovereignty of God
• Trained many pastors

Question 14

William Carey:

Answer 14

• Baptist minister
  
  • English dude who went to India
  • Helped to translate the Bible into 40 languages
• Inspired a wave of 19th century missionaries

Question 15

Ignatius:

Answer 15

• Likely a disciple of the Apostle John
  
  • Wrote seven letters to Christian communities while en route to martyrdom
  • Was an early Church martyr
• Countered early heresies like doecism

Question 16

Tertullian:

Answer 16

• A well educated roman citizen trained in law
  
  • Converted to Christianity and became a prolific writer
  • Joined the monastic movement later in life
  • Pioneer of Latin theology
• Apologist/defender of the faith

Question 17

Arius:

Answer 17

• Founder of Arianism which taught that Jesus is not co-eternal with God, the son was created by the Father
  
  • Was exiled by Constantine
  • Opposed Athanasius
• His thought heavily influenced German tribes

Question 18

Cyril:

Answer 18

• Debated Nestorius about the naming of Mary
  
  • Theologian and church leader
• Defended the doctrine of the hypostatic union (Christ is one person with two natures

Question 19

Charlemagne:

Answer 19

• King of the franks, and the Lombards
  
  • Emperor of the Carolingian empire
  • Revival of the Roman Empire
  • Involved in Church reform
• Encouraged the creation of Monastic schools

Question 20

Brothers Constantine (Cyril) and Methodius

Answer 20

• Pioneers of Slavic Christianity
  
  • Preached in the peoples language (vernacular), not Latin or Greek
  • Creators of the Galgolitic alphabet
• Had tensions with the Latin church

Question 21

Cyprian:

Answer 21

• Known for his writings, and leadership during a time of pastoral crisis
  
  • Emphasiesed church unity
  • Opposed the Novatianists
  • Was martyred in 258BC
• His writings heavily influenced Augustine

Question 22

Gregory the Illuminator:

Answer 22

• Brought Christianity to Armenia
  
  • Converted the King Tiridates III after healing him from madness
• Established the Armenian apostolic church

Question 23

Thomas Aquinas:

Answer 23

• Born into a noble family
  
  • Studied in Paris
  • Was a theologian and philosopher, reconciling faith and reason
  • Doctor of the church, and canonized as a saint
  • His works became foundational to Roman Catholic theology
• Wrote “five ways”

Question 24

Pope Boniface VIII:

Answer 24

• Asserted papal supremacy
  
  • Conflict with France
• Declared the first Christian Jubilee year encouraging mass pilgrims to Rome

Question 25

Dietrich Bonhoeffer:

Answer 25

- A Lutheran pastor, theologian and Anti Nazi - Intellectually brilliant - Church leader - Wrote the cost of discipleship - Was martyred

Question 26

Vladimir Lenin:

Answer 26

- Head of the Bolshevik party - His leadership marked the end of the Russian monarchy - Adopted Marxism into Leninism