CHAPTER 4

| } CHURCH i HISTORY OF THE — CHAPTER 4 mY i} ; 2474 The Church has painstakingly collected a | | .

"We believe that the Holy Mother ol the records of those who persevered to the ; v, ; i"

| continues in heaven to exercise her Metetite acts of the Martyrs. They form the archives | E | 1173 When the Church keeps te es! kingdoms of this age will be of any use to . of martyrs and other SS wrth: nn erro me. It is better for me to die [in order to councils lead by the Eoly dsfirit, f | cycle, she proclaims the Paschal 3 Rae unite myself] to Christ Jesus than to reign

, | the faithful as examples whi er maa yo My birth is approaching... (St. Ignatius of | € SC] a 11) I bless you for having judged me worthy | a eS from this day and this hour to be counted | | | | 2113 Idolatry not only refers to false pagan among your martyrs....You have kept your

It remains a constant temptation tc promise, God of faithfulness and truth, For a '

Man commits idolatry whenever he I bless you, I glorify you through the eternal he =A pene SUN Teena 6 ChCSture i Pace OL 0G, nd heavenly High Priest, Jesus Christ, your ; (ij * whether tis be gods or demons (for example beloved Son. Through him, who is with you

"4 ai * ea PRE aire eS yes s LF nd the Holy Spirit, may glory be given to > , ~ vs = e = spac om ass rte 2 : Ai ie eS We you, now and in the ages to come. Amen :

Ae> » Ae' a Se ne gs Selb d wh ink (Martyrium Polycarpi 14, 2-3: PG 5, 1040; A | '

_ \ *. i mK \ A —- | Poe \S We ee — } HISTORY OFTHE CHURCH THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES | | CHAPTER 4 j | The Athanasian Creed principally expresses faith in the three Divine Persons of the BlessedSat

Py! and the Incarnation of God the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity. This creed carefu Y | | emphasizes the equality of the three different Persons of the Trinity and their exact relationship

| with each another. The other remarkable aspect of the creed, which sets it apart from the Nicene | urc a and Apostles' Creeds, are the anathemas at the beginning and the end. (An anathema is a | 'Tt condemnation solemnly pronounced by ecclesiastical authority and at times accompanied by excommunication.) Every sentence, every word of this creed was carefully selected in order to express adequately the Catholic position. as well as to bring back into the fold those who had fallen

| fh into heresy. Although words like "substance," "Person," and "nature" may often appear at first | glance to have little meaning in the twenty-first century, members of the Church in the third and :

' fourth centuries suffered torture, exile, and even death in order to preserve and transmit the | Dear young people, let us seek the truthco yart8oeeechi

, unadulterated Deposit of Faith, with a very precise theological and philosophical vocabulary, to | But we must be consistent: let us love the Truth, live in the Pruth, p ; aim the Truth! articulate Catholic belief with total accuracy.

| O Christ, show us the Truth. Be the only Truth for us!

= — =] From almost the very beginning, many Christian ai — John Paul II, Address to Young People, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, August 19, 1989 oe : thinkers welcomed the Greek philosophical rh , palin tradition, and used the tools of Greek philos- .

| he persecution of Christians in the fourth and fifth centuries was followed by a series of '1: wie ophy to help explain Christian truths. St. Paul

} \ f fuk teers that rocked the emerging Church down to her foundations. Given the gravityand es preached at the Areopagus in Athens—though

} || widespread effect of these early heresies, it would seem that nothing less than divine intervention , ¢) y& '\ ' > with limited success—and the Apologists uti- | guided the growing Church through these trials, along her road of survival and growth. This

6x / \4 | lized philosophy in explaining Christianity to | H H ! segment from the Athanasian Creed, though it now reads in such a sober and clear Manner,

=y a [aiF-yp A\ Z 'h intellectuals and the ruling classes ofthe Empire.

| conceals four centuries charged with painful theological deliberations and debates.

OG \ aJ< j 1p (= | we) MD A dizepniy any GF Baresee andiecnenene | | Whoever wishes to be saved must, / above all, keep the Catholic faith. / For unless a BW ; ' INx \,\ S "~~ ' leaders confronted the Church following the I | person keeps this faith whole and entire, / he will undoubtedly be lost forever. / This is a f > iil — & Sama Edict of Milan (313). Over the course of the third

| | | what the Catholic faith teaches: we worship one God in the Trinity / and the Trinity in = M\— i, Pp A. / '7 i® to fifth centuries, popes and bishops ed tHe | | || unity.

/ We distinguish among the Persons, / but we do not divide the substance. / For the i \ I wh . | \ | KV A | Church through a number of ecumenical ye Father is a distinct Person: the Son is a distinct Person; / and the Holy Spirit is a distinct

| a Va 2: fi councils, addressing each new controversy, and | || Person, / Still, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit / have one divinity, / equal glory,

Almost from the beginning, Christian thinkers used the tools of Greek consequently developing a rich theological | ; | and coeternal majesty. (Introductory lines of the Athanasian Creed) [emphasis added] philosophy to help explain Christian truths. tradition. This would become the greatest age of | The Athanasian Creed, often known by the name of the opening Latin words Quicumque valk heresy until the advent of Protestantism in the sixteenth century, and these heresies were not ("Whoever wishes [to be saved]"), is an excellent example of what was at stake during the timeof restricted to a circle of academics but rather affected the entire populace. The random observer

, the great heresies during the third, fourth. and fifth centuries. Like the two other creeds, the may see here confusion and arbitrary decisions; the believer sees the Holy Spirit guiding and | Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed, the Athanasian Creed is a profession of Faith that the directing the Church to protect, define, and promulgate the truths about the Person of Jesus Christ

} | | Church still strongly affirms. Though attributed to the Greek Church Father. St. Athanasiis and God's plan for the Church.

| | parepiasiSneeee not certain, It was written in the fourth or fifth century This chapter will explore the issues surrounding the various heresies, the ecumenical councils, and .

| | at heresies present at the time in both the East and the West. the Church Fathers, who rose to the occasion to teach, explain, and herald Catholic beliefs. ee paths nat hers Constantine defeats Lcinwus at Chrysopoi,

Constantine is baptized on his Pagan revival under Emperor Emperor Theodosius St.Ambroseexcammunicates | | | Donatis!schten vec becomesSiac ofa mp:ty the Arian Eusebius Julian the Apostate (361-363) nepint be Ng Emperor Theodosius I | Christians suffer greal Etictof Milan announces wr shoe of Nicaea , ; Theodosius forbids pagan AY | olCsaea Gly of Constantinople dedicated | the founderof the Archives

Monastic community a Santon arNr St. Jerome begins St. Augustine ordained ! a ———_ iy Boe of "New Rame of the Holy See exandria, cites 27 NT canon The Vulgate Latin Bible a5 Bishop of Hippo , ni || | HsSeen a Constantine oe < Constantius 11 : — Valentinian | 7. of Theodosius |re ; | # ik ee TT

So eee My iY. a! a | :

= a — ELE a — | | eee Chapter Four 129 | | | eo ————_— =———s—tsé eS——rst—~"'"'"—OS~S~—S Hh HURCH HISTORY OF THE C i THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES iT = ——— a:

| | H PAR a - ; iy yy | « ai} o = Early Heres :

= " ll - | <2 St. Thomas Aquinas defined heresy as a species of unbelief Pal aad f | | hat exactly is heresy* 9! f eee Christian faith, but corrupt Its dogmas" (STh ILI], 11,1 1) h,

} il belonging to those who pro ther forms of unbelief. namely, the unbelief of other religious | | Heresy must be distinguished ! f the various pagan religions. Orthodox (meaning "right

= | i | | f . ydaism or any OF Uls Vabiviwe Pro a pe aes é | traditions such as Judai nh : «ves from the Deposit of Faith (the sum of all truths revealed jp

| Scripture and through iradiGon, ait &* aa — helief but denies or alters some part or parts 6 A | | , 'le ro enter into heresy through ignorance of the truth mis. pak = | Jerctanding. or non-comprehension of particular aspects of the Faith, erroneous judgment,¢ > vie F he This type of heresy is not willed by the subject, anc thus, lacking one of the necessary

/ | nditions of sin (that the action has to be freely willed). This species of heresy is merely § > | 2. Formal heresy. It is also possible to freely choose, with full understanding of the teaching of ' even doctrines that have been condemned by the Church as false. This species of heresy

. depending on all the mitigating circumstances, cammes with it a degree of culpability.

+ The first heresies that afflicted the early Church were especially dangerous since they struck atthe heart of Christianity: the figure of Christ. As mentioned above, Greek philosophy, especially me insights and similarities to Christianity. Neo-Platonic thought discusses a Supreme Being, the Ong

/ x "% ambiguous Greek word with a multitude of meanings including word, account, meaning, reason a_ r i? —_— | Second Per n af the RIpan, Lear,ee AT AP Befe Daa: a by iy DN 'i '

( f : re Diarar +} she et , } ' aoe Ee .

POS f JITECKS trer enied the erie Aine « mL, rt A Ff = ae . pict Mecone Of the stature an. r P | ec aed ' century the PLAT (ricer ran i.

- < , y ntitied were thoughtta he mencieuce et Word as inferior to the world of ideas. Mater to contemplation and personal nerfene nnme Mond OF ideas. Matter was viewed as an obstacle

| ~My GemMed— Christ s humanity. r F © Blessed Irinity, a person in the Divine Nature. and therefore satahts God Habs ceo ung, God the Son, the Logos, is the | i Ce ee .

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH we THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES .

| "e Jesus Christ inferior to the Father and, sar wokeani deny his In Gnosticism's view, Judaism wasa false religion that worshiped the wrong god, the Demiurge,

These early heresies thatet of the Arian heresy, which ppsasl one of the Wii cTise who is evil. Instead of trying to free the divine spark from its evil material confines, Judaism divinity, set the stage for Bssp 3 few difficult centuries of painful struggle would have tg pass mistakenly affirmed the material world as good. the Church would ever face ne early heresies behind her.

Gnosticism rejected the Church's teaching regarding both Christ's human before the Church could put and divine nature. According to Gnostic thought, Jesus did not have a | GNOSTICISM human nature; for a human nature, being materially bound, is

| | I Th naturally evil. Instead, he was a good divine being whose purpose, | ~ sm" is derived from the Greek word gnosis eae edge),

:ee "Ist as the Gnostic redeemer, was to bring the secret knowledge The vol caps f this multifaceted heresy, namely, that salvation may be achieve

(gnosis) and make it known to man. They believed that Jesus came | oeoS "Ther were many forms of Gnosticism (many 'eae origins predg as the representative of the supreme Divine Being. This Jesus did aedagaia f =H is difficult (if not impossible) to encapsulate them into one Coherey not inhabit a human body, nor did he die on the cross. Instead, the Segoe icici Gnosticism, which had eastern origins and influences from rer spirit of the divine being was present in Jesus temporarily, Jesus'

| spe t uF Se heestills perverted the meaning of Christianity and its SYMONS, Gnosticism CO. body was only an apparition, and his spirit left his "body" before he nh ae Old and New Testaments for some of the contents of the Gnostic religions and togive was put to death on Calvary. In Gnosticism's cosmological view, a oa seridiar Gnostic teachings a certain authority. a divine being could never have suffered the humiliation of death, let alone

| As mentioned above, Gnosticism is a blanket term for a very eees sseeeef beliefs, A Coptic image of Pisces death on a cross. h | Despite these complexities, it is possible to delineate some 0 ane ei aeaaeee : Points, Gnosticism existed prior to Christianity in pagan religions, and there is evidence of the existence of Gnostic beliefs held that a secret knowledge regarding God syed Regie d inoey Of man had early Gnostic Jewish sects. A number of early Christian thinkers and apologists combated Gnostic

| been given to a select few. Its cosmology pitted the DemiurBe, the EIealor BOO sae material an visible world, against the remote and unknowable Divine Being. The Demiurge was of lesser

| stature than the Divine Being, from whom the Demiurge oe gst i ee= ;.

The s claimed that the Demiurge was the author and ruler of the cre | | aan Bitepe i imperfect, the created world would naturally have an antagonistic and ROOTS OF GNOSTICISM inferior relationship to the spiritual, perfect world of the Divine Being. Thus, the spiritual Diving he early Christians considered Simon The seeming appearance of Gnostic Being is the agent ofgoodness, and the Demiurge, the author of the material world, propagates evi

Tree (Acts 8: 9-24) the founder of thought in many ancient religious systems | in the world.

Gnosticism. Magus claimed to have secret owes to philosophical and religious A divine spark, belonging to the Divine Being, could, however, be found among some people inthe knowledge of the mysteries of God and pessimism, which is both a central feature created order. The redeemer, sent from the Divine Being, came in order to release the sparks hoped to gain magical powers through his of Gnosticism andacommon perversion trapped in the bodies so they might return to the Divine Being. This was only possible if the | conversion to Christianity. Despite the of intemperate religious fervor. While individuals understood the secret knowledge of the redeemer's teaching and practiced the similarities between Magus' claims and the precise emergence of Gnosticism is appropriate Gnostic rituals.

Gnostic beliefs, the origin of Gnosticism difficult to pinpoint, magical powers, has long been a matter of controversy and _ secret knowledge of the divine, and the | .

NH The principle involved here of finding the light | is still the subject of much scholarly belief that present existence is essentially

| irate within oneself through a pagan ceremony is the research. evil are misconceptions . essence of the New Age movement in contem

Recent scholarship has attempted to that have long th aS . porary times. As will be seen in this chapter, the show that traces of Gnostic beliefs canbe

Corrupted <q} "we ofes i "he!

Church has witnessed a staggering range of found in religions that existed before the religious y x Pe fe A3INF . eas? Tighe .

Meee =(<resies and schisms in her two-thousand yea coming of Christ. Some scholars, for belief.

- v <naed— Be 1) | oa rte = "oe history. Many of the false teachings that appeared example, have tried to establish links A "6. 8/0 % un va \| | ~ eee: 5 in the Medieval period, during the Reformation between Gnosticism and the Babylonian é pit Vix Fag fe NY Hl No = Os far beaae of ancientta Similarities between Gnosticism and Greek a ~~*we <=le .

. a % thought. Attempts have even been made Gnostic systems a > : A a = a ; \ A contemporary New Age medicine wheel in Arizona rs divided people mainly into twoa eon Gnosticism with certain eye magica nS Sey ; i . between the matenal be get Nos€ who understood this cosmic scrugere schools 0 pre-Christian Judaism, but this astrology with the Bible.

| Most of theMonnaiepage We seee wordce (soe: ee Tie agg srsTAO weer eps a | | | struggle going on around them. Some branches ita : =ceria) group), castes

2 fa th leo | ; as the psychikoj, in between these two ese OF 'Gnosticism incorporated a third group, known | il = a aa i ; 132 Chapter Four — ————— ————————— ! up Chapter Four 133 | | 1] ww —— —_ 1] |p eee HISTORY OF THE CHURCH THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES _ ey | Chief among them were St.sgtword. tie anYs

Marcion had established his own church before being excommunicated in 144. He admittedEe influences in Christianity ed the goodness of the crea aren ae from all backgrounds, just as the Church did, but by the third century, most of Marcion's followers their arguments they aria f the Scriptures. and Christ's human €xp

<<S— Especially were incorporated into Manichzeism. His followers had to practice a most rigorous asceticism, fasts Christian God. the clear ant were multiplied, and eating meat was forbidden. Many orthodox writers of the period fought passion and death vatives of Gnosticism. Generally, a Gnostic religion Holds the Marcionism, including St. Irenaeus, Tertullian, St. Hippolytus, Pope St. Clement I, and Origen.

| Many of the later heresies are Cet Marcion was not the only person to reject Judaism and the Old Testament as incompatible with following beliefs: d thus the world is corrupt; Christianity. Down through the ages other groups have done the same. The Lutheran theologian

1. Matter is a corruption of spint, an e this fallen state and return to Gods anq Alfred von Harnack (1851-1930) similarly proposed a canon free of Jewish influence early in the 2, Man must seek through knowledge t0lee held to be Jesus) ——_ twentieth century. Later, National Socialism (Nazism) in Germany proposed "German Christianity,

C his possible by sending a savior (usually te a Christianity cut off from its Jewish roots. Christianity cannot exist without its Jewish heritage, and 5. God has mace 2 hence Pope John Paul II continually singled out the Jews as "the elder brothers in faith:

MARCIONISM (144400s) | Marcion (d.ca. A.D. 160) founded his heretical mow:

MANICHAEISM (250s -1000s) ment very early in the life of the Church, ail | lingered well into the fifth century in the West andi

Manichzeism was probably the most elaborate and polished branch of Gnosticism. Its founder, s centuries longer in the East. Marcion came from tie

Mani (ca. 216-276), was born in Persia. He developed this particular brand of Gnosticism in Persia Black Sea port of Sinope in the Roman provinces and India during the third century until he was eventually condemned to death by the Persian i Pontus (what is today Turkey), where he was map emperor Bahram I. Accounts of his death conflict—some report that he died in prison, others that ¥ likely involved in shipping. He was the son gy he was crucified. flayed, and his skin stuffed with straw and hung upon the gates of the city. bishop, and as the story goes, his father excom

Despite his condemnation, by the fourth century Manicheeism had spread to Rome and was | municated him on the grounds of immorality, He wep already deeply rooted in North Africa. to Rome ca. 140. He misc his own Community as Manichaeism continued the age-old dualist cosmology involving the conflict between darkness and | was formally excommunicated in 144. It was not lay light. This heresy stated that Satan had managed to steal light particles and place them in the brains before his heresy grew into the one of the great of humans. The goal of Manichzeism was to share the secret knowledge which liberates this light

. threats to orthodox belief in the second half offi so it could return to its original source. Mani understood himself as just another spiritual leader in | second century. a long line of leaders that included the Jewish prophets, Jesus, and Buddha, all of whom showed

Marcion adapted important ideas from Gnostic belies the path to true freedom. The ritual acts of Manichzeism also incorporated the movements of the | to form his own theology. From Gnosticism he tool cosmic bodies —the Sun, the Moon, and stars—also points of light. The "hearers" and the "elect" the idea of the Demiurge, whom he identified as ie comprised the two groups in the sect. The latter group was comprised of the authentic followers

| jealous, revengeful God of the Old Testament Te of Mani.

| Circ ganze only St Pau (above) asalepttmate Jewish God, the Demiurge, is the God of the Lae Manicheeism borrowed heavily from the Scriptures, especially from the writings of St. Paul. Mani as opposition to this cruel God of the Law, Marcon) incorporated many of St. Paul's arguments and imagery to support his own teaching concerning heralded the God of Jesus Christ. the true God, sent to bring about the demise of the Demiurge © the struggle between darkness and light.

. ao Se eeeowe ane aoe = Lane who has no connection with the Law. Jesus teachig Followers of Manichaeism adhered toa strict form of asceticism, and it is here that one under- | was taken [rom the true God. His Passion and death came about through the machinations oft stands part of the al.of G n o s t i c afid other heretical evil Creator God of the Old Testament. This dualism of Law and Love is the main thesisa oiriabass = SPPSE Pte te or Nene ;cachings: is Ee Roman world of lax | Marcion's system. morals, Christianity required faithfulness to a demanding moral life as inspired by Jesus.

| Marcion recognized only St. Paul as a lesitimare Chee .

Manicheeism and other movements attempted to out-perform Christianity in terms of their moral meade sssae hance *"5 5 ceitimate Christian authority because of his teaching ngor. If Christianity required fasting, Gnostic groups would require tougher and longer fasts. east oe aeeae os . ipostles, in Marcion's view, did not fully understand the Manicheeism also drew adherents by its intellectual appeal. St. Augustine, for instance, drawn by | Eales and > Se; oesi is :ona pone God. Therefore, only ten of St. the philosophical bases of the heresy, was a fervent adherent of Manichzeism for nine years.

| were given canonical saniHeaieoyaiaen ee eoniiee similar to Manicheeism reappeared in the Medieval Albigensians of the twelfth through epistles of the New Testament —or rejected them outnght. This canon reflected Marcion's attemp eeepeeat me ae ap seek z uedeclare unlikely to have a direct, to Iree the New Testament from Jewish influence. ee aah link to, Manicheeism, the Albigensians used much of the same imagery and beliefs.

Unwittingly. Marcion Keled the Gaclece.

| Serpe periodically re-emerged in isolated areas for many centuries and did not completely | Partially in reaction to ae:or Oe Catholic Church's canon of Sacreda 1€ out until sometime during the beginning of the second millennium. gradually determined the canon: ths offal ncomplete group of inspired texts, the Ci

~ ost inspired writings of the New Testament.

'bi | 1 i Chapter Four 135 iN . ih :

LL a = "= y OF THE CHURCH THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES | TANISM (156 -200s) OSI e ae ! ocalyptic movement founded by \4 ¥ | a | .

A meeicyrret® FE wie + Minor modem day Turkey) | y 1 i as » Montanus in Phrygia : pak private revelations made aie bbl : ha if is .

Prelyih aiez ; Riots ee rked closely with two female ~ Saag AP ARPEDIOIITTY FSM Tope F y r e te de 9) er ae Soe snd Maximilla. Montanus' central San | ae ro re "aed se deol en ts 0%0%.: s t y ~~ nners misCd ¢ } —_ :

, ¥ srr ¥ * 'weg le hj s> ° a - iz es the new, heavenly kingdom was ona. % - "

; ae , Bette % Ware 'ee nef Tei LT ee PcpNe Was ne email town in Phrygia (the je im —'oo | ee oat AAS is wt A LCi avg. about to begin in Pepuza, a smal town" -y);he knew

4 eee y exact location of this town is lost to history):

'= _ 7 asp puree OS ae ©) 2 , et £& i (al Latte Med he outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon =, | \> _ oP os a a } } — * b 5, f\ enkgornat 'ob : id that Christians who had , » :

Vi him. Montanism also held ta apne a ; ; fallen from grace could never beae Because [ig "yr a liev ) were Montanus and his followers eg She a rarss Vliciad Connell 4a taIO .

| directly inspired by the Holy Spin | | authority of the Church PART | \] 5 appeared in North Africa, where Py e ie The movement also appeared in Nort &: eh Th E Cal Co C S its most famous adherent was the Christian thinker x iS cumenl un | | Tertullian, who rejected Catholic Christianity after d ee | having been one of its greatest apologists for many

; n order to meet the challenges posed by the various heresies, the Church convened several In its African form, Montanism placed a high j , ecumenical councils, the first being the First Council of Nicaea, in 325. Altogether, there have

We | value on the ascetical life. It forbade second marriages, " a"

4 y been twenty-one ecumenical councils throughout the history of the Church (the Second Vatican | hl enacted stricter fasting disciplines than the Church, =) me fs Council, 1962-1965, being the most recent). The first six councils addressed the various fe .

. and rejected flight from persecutions (Gas, TJ Christological heresies that have been examined in this chapter in an effort to provide a true

| Montanism is rightly understood as one of the first wal (= theological answer to the question, "Who is Jesus Christ?" The word "ecumenical" comes from the | apocalyptic movements in Christianity that claimed tO ontanists believed that the "New Jerusalem" toretold by Greek word olkoumene, meaning "the whole inhabited world. Ecumenical councils bring bishops

| ipersedethe Church because of its direct inspiration St. John in Revelations would descend to earth on ahillin under the leadership of the pope together from all over the world to discuss central issues of supersede the Church because of its dire 9) ; rm The Moctanist prophase p p gz | ae a a ele Sere , Pepuza, Phrygia. The Montanist pr required everyone by the Holy Spirit.

Its ai aa match of the New to acknowledge their utterances as the true work of the the Church.

Jerusalem on earth in Pepuza is also unique Holy Spirit Current canon law in the Church grants the power to convene a council only to the papacy. The ; pope governs the council and he alone has the power to accept or reject the decrees passed by it. bi DOCETISM (30s-100s) If the pope should die during a council, as happened during the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s, the council is halted until the election of a new pope, who then decides whether to continue pop Docetism, yet another Gnostic heresy the council as well as the selection of the topics it considers.

; \ me, hae a rising Irom the presupposition of the Besides ecumenical councils, members of the Church hold a number of other types of councils. A ~/ . corTupt nature of matter, maintained that :

. ne . is ae 4 aa diocesan council is often called a synod, and it is a meeting of a bishop, representatives of the ; | e Sueat rs YY a ee a clergy, religious and laity in which matters of diocesan Church discipline and procedure are as fe aoe ert be pain of cruc ia discussed. A provincial council is an assembly of the metropolitan archbishop with his suffragan le =e ei Sas , ae of the heresy eee bishops, while a plenary council summons all the bishops of a nation. What distinguishes an .

. come e Gr eck word dokesis, Sa €cumenical council is that it convenes all the bishops of the world, and its teachings are regarded

| y, } SpPcaldance or semblance. It often taugh as having the highest authority. An ecumenical council's definitions regarding tenets of faith and We | ia |

, '| cle someone else (c.g. JudasST morals are held to be infallible, if infallible pronouncements are the intentions of the pope and the | | .

2. er of Cyrene) miraculously switche bishops. Furthermore, the resolutions and conclusions of an ecumenical council must always be

Hi | i ' iy places with Christ just before the crud approved by the Supreme Pontiff.

H : fixion and suffered death in Christ's as bi ; place. Many of the Apologists, including The first seven councils are recognized by both East and West. However, Eastern Orthodox i!

Hi} | | St. Ignatius of Antioch, wrote ail Christians do not recognize the ecumenical nature of any of the councils held in the West after 787

| ¢ : against this belief because they did not participate. At the time of the Reformation, the mainline Protestant bodies

1] i ' a3 recognized at least the special status of those first seven councils, though later Protestant churches | a | "ocetism held that the human form of Jesus as well as often gave no s ial h } . his crucifixion was an illusion +4 Sp€Clal recognition to them.

—t SL = — = a HISTORY OF THE CHURCH THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES ———— CONCERN OF COUNCIL >) = The Church Fath | | coowenwawe | wean | ___SONCER OT = e Church Fathers

Arianism and the Ni ; 1 Nicaea as, - —!

Divinity of the Holy Spirit ' number of great and holy leaders arose to lead the Church, explain the Faith, and mee | 2 Constantinople! ee d Mary as Mother of God = hel challenges posed by the different heresies. They are known as the Church Fathers.

| | ee ee Net eee —_] This title and some of their names have already appeared in previous chapters. This chapter will . itism (specifically the Eutychian form) —| on several of them. The Church Fathers shared the following characteristics: orthodoxy in Monophysitism (sp m) focus pias | tae —— doctrine, holiness, notoriety, and antiquity. The title "Church Father" is not conferred by the | The Three Chapter: Cont ote Nestorataay | Church; it is simply a traditionally held title. While no definitive list exists, the Church Fathers are

Monophysitism, and imperial-papal relations | typically divided into two groups: Latin (West) and Greek (East) Fathers. The Golden Age of ; | Monothelitism; admonished Pope Honorius|

| the Church Fathers was from 320 to 461. St. Isidore of Seville (ca. 560-636) in the West and 6 Constantinople III | perce = St. John of Damascus (ca. 655-ca. 750) in the East are generally regarded as the last significant

7 Nicaea II | 787 _| Iconoclasm Church Fathers.

| Photian Controversy: potential East-West schism; The study of the Church Fathers and their many writings is known as patristics. The writings ofthe

| | 8 Constantinople IV 869-870 deposed Patriarch Photius i) Fathers provide a unique opportunity to learn and appreciate the wealth of the earliest Christian

— tradition. Because of their proximity to the teachings of the Apostles, the Fathers' clarification and | 1123 _| Investiture Controversy: simony; Clerical Celine interpretation on Scripture will always serve as a standard reference point for Church teaching.

Arnold of Brescia's (twelfth century heretic i The following is a list of ten important Church Fathers:

| who condemned all clerical material possession) | 1ChLatorani! teaching and criticism of the Church; put an CHURCH FATHERS Process for papal elections (only cardinals);

| a a | aan 1179 | condemned Albigensianism/and Waldensianism St. Ambrose of Milan St. Athanasius | 12. Lateran IV Transubstantiation of the Eucharist; annual St Bliguetine OF FUPPGs ST BASIL THE GREATS | | Penance; suppression of Albigenses; crusades

Vienne 1311-1312 | Suppression of the Knights Templar "Denotes a Doctor of the Church i | | — (Names in all capitals indicate the Three Cappadocian Fathers.)

| 16 Constance 1414-1418 | Great Schism of the Papacy; condemnation of Jan Hus"

} p 17 Basel-Ferrara-Florence | 1431-1445 | Reform ae A Doctor of the Church (Doctor Ecclesiae) is a specific title A) | and union with the East i} granted by the pope to those whose development of ne i Lateran V 1512-1517 | Reform of the Church, especially discipline (failed) | theology and personal sanctity are exemplary. This tradition

Trent (54541969 | P — began in the Medieval period and continues into the present.

} | rotestantism and reform | Currently, there are over thirty Doctors of the Church. The | | | Vatican | 1869-1870 | Papal infaliblity; condemnation of various Gaal last three Doctors proclaimed in the twentieth century

'ey — were St. Teresa of Avila and St. Catherine of Siena by Pope | | 1962-1965 | Renewal of the Church in the modern world wg :

Paul VI in 1970, and St. Thérése of Lisieux by Pope John | TORE Were ies deca cc, . _ ~<Sea Paul II in 1997. A complete list of Doctors may be found on py aA Aa oeKalicl in Rome, Carthage, Alexandria, and other cities. These coult

1) Oo ecumenical councils and thetasaa! Their decisions did not carry the same weight a | f | are not included as solemnly defined tenets of faith.

/ The study of the Church Fathers and their wit = Z many writings is known as "patristics."

Chapter Four ———— —— a ; ———— .

— a ; i; oie { "_ ——, —_ no | — , URCH FATHE .

Teri (60-< iH] | THE GOLDEN AGE OF THes PO ue CHURCH OF ROMAN AFRICA —— . oe 258) | TO FIFTH CENTU f = W i ) | "A ate!

; lots ve=e a te EY H lit = 've A a yh hi ~ / ace e e,0"6 ee < = e. e —e i ry "oe sone a | ee ieee CL) ® SecaVenera (= a/"® ladrum | | nt =.

T A N 1A s ea se L2 e | y = J vf. v a i Sa ee et ee a Theveste (we = ae @e e | "= miro & NO, wh yet f.cae) "alae oie | | A .

RL a Veen Cr ole Ve A a el ae + s s /@ d | '

= Catholic and Donatist churches is rs :

250km a ca bens We i v Martin of Tours Ce i: at) od ao a.

1h H © Portiers ty ' o Sdz 150 miles eens a ay <a | | Hilary of Poitiers (Bishop 353) Lion Hudson ple/ Three's Company :| ' é& Te ee ee . i | j .

~ s } | | abe = a ox ( BLACK (Snes "7

| | | Pes * Cassian of Marseiles (d.\435) se i .

_ Ind ecumenical council, 381, against ( }:

| | Q Lston eae / ~ Myiain 0 Oren { Ie ectmricat unclean , ELIS e LE | | f r 'NG Hadrancoo!s \ 4th ecumenical 451.

+Neocaesarea ¢ ; | Leo | (the Great,Pope 440s i ss A ple qnore Arde :

] of Hippo} fonePelagians) F , _ \ - | ; | | Mme AN Soe. ae Gree Me E A bil | | | (©)ot rsaiem Bishop 340 | v4 \ HY i | @ | I .

| i Athanasius (4.373) Church Father with date e '

— omy so dita (Patriarch 412) asa : tl .

500 ken | @ Ecumenical council with date Ss hands: 8 (4373).

——S ) f) Patriarchate —— \ A) 'a \ or es ab / Important church Antony (270 he ' m™ 300 miles \ Cnurcl x "mm Boundary of the Roman Empire iD Nts ke ew | eres is bénnisi ee Aa ©1997 Lion Hudson ple/ Three's Company = pona %y St. Athanasius (ca. 296-375) oastbgommunity) Vili .

Chapter Four 141 Hy HISTORY OF THE CHURCH Li THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES | ee = THE APOSTLES' CREED I believe in God, the Father almighty, / creator of heaven and earth. / I believe in Jesus

, Christ, his only Son our Lord. / He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit / and | . born of the Virgin Mary. / He suffered under Pontius Pilate, / was crucified, died and was

| -" buried. / He descended into hell.

/ On the third day he rose again. / He ascended into G a . heaven, / and is seated at the right hand of the Father. / He will come again to judge the | "al living and the dead. / I believe in the Holy Spirit, / the holy Catholic Church, / the | . Sak communion of saints, / the forgiveness of sins, / the resurrection of the body, / and the life

Tyas | everlasting. Amen.

| <— 4% i .> £ Though bearing their name, the creed was not written by the Apostles. However, the contents of > \ ry to Nace > the creed are based upon the New Testament and may be rightlyjudged as a profession of faith in .

,) Fs \\ \ At "" the Apostles' teaching. Exact authorship and date do not exist, but its first reference comesfrom \ \ | St. Ambrose around 390. The Apostles' Creed was only recognized in the West, where it has

| : ie ; x been traditionally associated with the baptismal rite. It is also sometimes used at Sunday Masses | /a\ \ YW H for children.

\ _ | The Apostles' Creed is based upon a baptismal creed used especially in Rome, known as the Old | | \ ' \ asd Roman Creed. Thus, the Apostles' Creed has a particular association with the Church of Rome,

| | = <a which facilitated its adoption in the West. It follows the baptismal command of Jesus in Matthew 28:19 ("baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"). This is

| ST. AMBROSE OF MILAN why the creed is divided into three sections: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Besides ae ae | Although the elements of this world constantly beat upon the Church with crashing

. cetera of the Reformation era churches also accept the Apostles'

Creed as a | sounds, the Church possesses the safest harbor of salvation for all in distress. (from a Pp :

| letter by St. Ambrose, "Ambrose of Milan') ST. JEROME | St.

Ambrose of Milan (ca. 339-97) was born in Trier, Germany, close to the frontier with the | For if, as Paul says, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God, and if the man who | barbarians. He was the son of the Praetorian Prefect for Gaul. St. Ambrose studied law, becaméa does not know Scripture does not know the power and wisdom of God, then ignorance of lawyer, and eventually governor, based in Milan. Upon the death of Milan's Arian bishop around

Scripture is ignorance of Christ. (St. Jerome, from the Prologue to Commentary on Isaiah) ; 373, the people clamored for St. Ambrose to succeed him. Though from a Christian family,

St. Ambrose was only a catechumen, and he initially resisted accepting the office. Eventually, he St. Jerome (ca. 345-420) led a very interesting life. Born in Strido in Dalmatia, near Aquileia,

; acceded and was soon baptized, ordained, and installed as bishop.

St. Jerome traveled and lived throughout Italy, Gaul, northern Africa, the Holy Land, and || | St. Ambrose was a zealous defender of the Church's independence from the state. He both

Constantinople. His two enduring passions were the ascetical life and scholarship. counseled and, at times, condemned decisions of the emperors. St. Ambrose supported Emperor

St. Jerome spent four to five years in the Syrian desert leading an ascetical life with companions, | Sahat ae to rset e Altar of Victory, a powerful symbol of pagan influence on the and while there he learned Hebrew, which would prove vital for his future work of translating

=r ihaeaesAa sis SP bs house ! Rome. Later, he threatened Emperor Valentinian l Scripture into Latin. St. Jerome never stopped advocating or living a penitential life even when he

| * 1een sanction if he restored it. In 388 St. Ambrose forbade Theodosius from lived in cities. From 382 to 385 St. Jerome served as a secretary to Pope St. Damasus I. After 386 nL «8 4 Synagogue that had been destroyed in a riot in Callinicum. he spent the last years of his long life in Bethlehem as the head of a new monastery where he

| | St. Ambrose took a courageous stand against Emperor Theodosius in 390, excommunicating and continued his scholarship. i } | Ssea cae *aeers a for slaughtering 700 village ea

Being of a cantankerous and passionate character, St. Jerome, with righteous indignation, was | sher pe iacibee ice:Laat fener ae -ae one of Theodosius 7 ic known to insert himself and his sharp pen into the important issues and heresies of his day.

| | by St. Ambrose. let alone receiving Holyae oiea from oe eecea Nevertheless, his most important work was undoubtedly the translation of the Bible from the | | . of a cross in normal clothes in te eaeneaa ore oreae : ise iGnail Sparen ces into Latin, known as the Vulgate, which is still the normative text in the Church

| months of penance and public sper Aeineccs Aas a ere of the time. z. ay.

: the Vulgate, the Scriptures were for the first time brought into 4 uniformtranslation for mh a As Bishop of Milan, St. Ambrose ae Y pardoned the emperor.

Speeple of the Western Empire. The name Vulgate comes from the Latin vulgus, "common," as | i | fSuswne edenake Saiie an ardent ©pponent of the Arian heresy, as well 458 es written in the common language of the people of the day. St. Jerome translated the Old

. eben aoe niet sageaged monasticism, facilitated theological exchanges wil cane from Hebrew, the Psalms from the Greek Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old j which he composed pian . " reek, and incorporated hymns into the liturgy, a number of estament). He translated the New Testament from Greek and revised what had been already

Mis feast day is celebrated on December 7. translated into Latin. His feast day is celebrated onSeptember 30.

; | \ 142 Chapter Four SSS ———— } | | Chapter Four 143 a os RCH THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES HISTORY OF THE CHU —_ — : ietchitbtbiediee fees ses a | Churches recognize, but which the Protestants do not. (Protestants refer to these books as the | | Apocrypha ) The RSV was the first ecumenical Bible produced with Catholic, Protestant,

P ; — Orthodox, and Jewish scholars. The RSV has been lauded for the beauty of its English usage and aon | \ idiom, and has been used as the source for biblical quotations in this text. There is a Catholic

~ edition with all the deuterocanonical books as well.

' | * The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) appeared in 1989. Though remarkable because it | | | . translates all the poetry of the original texts into English poetry as well, it was not approved for '

Church liturgy. This translation uses gender neutral language as often as possible in the text (some | scholars have argued perhaps more often than appropriate), and it also updated the language of ' the RSV by eliminating archaic forms ("Thee," "Thou" and verb forms like "wast"). This translation, in .

| as well as the RSV, NAB, and the Jerusalem Bibles, bears the Jmprimatur, Latin for "let it be .

| ty printed." The Jmprimatur is granted by a Catholic bishop to assure the reader that nothing therein | | | - . is contrary to Catholic Faith or morals. ri | > . r ~ ) - . ij a 'on =

{ | THE CANON OF SCRIPTURE Hl ' a is word "canon" comes from the established finally that the deuteroie ] ; N a Greek kanon, which means "reed" or canonical texts were divinely inspired i!) |) ee - / , "measuring rod." As it applies to the writings and were to be included in the Un i | .

Scriptures, the canon is the authoritative Old Testament.

SD list of writings included in the Bible and While the councils listed above were not ha ' proclaimed by the Church to be divinely ecumenical councils, the Second Council | if With St.

Jerome's Vulgate, the Scriptures were for the first time brought into a uniform translation for the people of the Western Empire inspired, During the first few centuries of of Nicaea (787), itself an ecumenical ! ii) the Church's existence, all the books of council, formally ratified the same canon the Bible were not universally accepted as of Scripture established at Rome, Hippo I TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE being divinely inspired. and Carthage. This canon, which consisted

The Church knew that an authoritative of the twenty-seven books of the New .

It is widely believed that St.

Jerome's Vulgate translation is most faithful because he h d . canon of Scripture would have to be Testament and forty-six books of the ay hea ieee (asiés ted cemeossetess Bate cscraape aah acai arin established, and so she convened a series

Old Testament, was reaffirmed again at manuscripts of the acai! languages see no longer exist. The Douay-Rheims (1582-1609) of synods and councils in the latter part of the Council of Florence (1335) and the | translation into English was based upon the Vulgate the fourth century in order to settle the Council of Trent (1545). Protestants, i The issues involved in translating are manifold, and deeply affect the text that is produced. A high issue. The Synod of Rome in 382 collected however, do not currently recognize the he i > H i school student who reaches a certain proficiency in a foreign language understands that the twenty-seven books into theNew "deuterocanonical" books of the al different ways ideas and issues are understood in one language are not necessarily the same asi

Testament and forty-six into the Old Old Testament as being part | !

" another, Obviously, the process becomes even more crucial in translating a text, such as the Bible Testament. of Scripture, i on which people will ground their religious faith. The Church teaches that the books of the Bible

However, after the Synod of Rome, | ! are divinely inspired, and that even those books written in different ages by different authors if the Scriptural character of the Old | several languages enjoy the status of God's Word. This issue would become particularly important

Testament deuterocanonical texts Pope St. Damasus | (37th Pope; :

| : the time of the Reformation, but St. Jerome had already set the standard for translation of the (from Greek deuteros meaning Neca hc Bible with his Vulgate second") was still contested. secretary. St. Damasus ordered | | Other app:

1 Cathol These consist of seven books:

St. Jerome to correct and translate | oo be. >ved Catholic translations into English use the original sources. includi lem Tobi i i into Latin the Septuagint (a Greek | Bible and the New American Bible (NAB) a = pay = Original sources, including the Jerusal

"a a Judith, Baruch, Sirach, version of the Old Testament) and for American liturvie< today merece eo eter Of which has become the standard translation

'sdom, and 1 and 2 Maccabees, the New Testament, thus providing Tl, .

SERIES (Ody, Except for the Gospels. as well as certain parts of Esther and the Western Church with its authoritative | i The Revised Standard Version (Rev Daniel.

, edition of the Scriptures, the Vulgate. This vie Wht ER tate.

| pon the King James Bible otherwise known as the A :

; (393) and Carthage (397 and 419), liturgical language at Rome the Protestant King James Bible th Satya as the Authorized Version (1611). Though basedof

. deuterocanonical texts +t ca #8 "OV was given Church approval when it also included the | | o OSS OF the Old Testament that the Orthodox and Cathoilt oO pter F — = —_ _ _—— ——— —— = —_—__ ——____ — E ee Sa _ ff ; } .

THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES | | SS .

| ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, THE GOLDEN MOUTHED .

' ul worl i wr ha irciy tame uf at a :

; ve d forced him to returnto Antiochto recuperate : jj ~~ mn Ff 56 he wa rdained a priest u Ant nh. where ne t. Paula passed the last twenty years - \ | '

He a Wrote the celebrated trearise Or the Priesth se she began Rome witt .

J / netanrir nie in ZOR Sr Tahn Oh tro '

Uv St Severe austerities going to ' o™ pa . noun . ain :

| x mes a day singing the psaims rst © pat MIN al lay ty ns nstanty pie tor t } t ner life, best oo" xm with the Er pre Eu Riad wl (twice ha [ Joh npie and rustic: and except —_ nished.

Hi y returned from his first pe i¢ "

{ | _ — ee ——— — Ell = HISTORY OF THE CHURCH THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES | | = ee = —— — —— a a il AS i] IV | \\ :

~ Hit] ies of the Fourth :

/ o nd Fifth Centuries .

Gfrh centuries saw a golden age in the history ol the Church. Persecutions had 3 1? ech had ever seen, The newfound freedom from the fear of per : cu i oa: fora greater *

| ( ras : rh Ne sear the Cl rch This not only pavec the Way Tor great theological and , \ a \; | i] ItWarG CA} ~ se ae nened the door for new heresies and for one of the Most

_ a ae att ee f the Church. Moreover. this same freedom of Christian EXPression sah Bales:

Bs pal ns sle for the entire hierarchy of the universal Church to meet jp COMES Earth and fifth centuries comprised the Church's teaching on Trinitarian and ) ve ese of the fourth and fifth centuries compris and | | wie ytraordinary sanctity :

> - | pa ; | Z ae x '

'a tr E, Among the many causes of these heresies, inaci I ate interpretations or the Gospels coupled with a ff ?

Y imprecise philosophical explanations played asignificant role. The intervention of the Church ledts le + ' f iad ; > f } sith y rae tarmninair Af -the (hi

/ explain the mysteries of Faith wit ccurate terminology. After the Church gave an authoritative I r ris: i inswer, tl roups who nevertheless adhered to false teaching were known definitivelyas y aa . hi the Alexandrian s c h o o ! fromm clit. oe oom This did not, however, keep some members 0 ene the neresies of M nophysitism and Monothelitism, which - goa, Nest miter t we : ses ees ther hand, in de fense of Christ's human nature { faci ; I '

} i l eC Anfi nhene Sch a l .

_ «~* The Antiochene School w a s based i dee eo oa \ ate — \ I Ant Sing '

: a a_i = | ee ASEESE CO TOCus More on the literal and histoncd al Ro a HISTORY OF THE CHURCH THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES | s. In its theological language and ceca ceod withinthe was vital for the Church to give clarity on the issue of Christ's divinity since the whole deposit of meanings of theey isolate Christ's human and divine natures to the jetriment Of the Faith depended on Christ being divine.

Bnilochene pea the Person of Christ. St. John Chrysostom and Nestorius arethe mos, long career advocating the heresy identified with him, Arius died suddenly in 336 in the | unity of the two natures in {i r being one of the great Church Fathers; the latter,

After a long ' d the city's new patriarch and taking possession famous figures of this school. the forme streets of Constantinople, just before being named the city'snew pi sa famous fig f that see. As will be seen throughout the Church's history, disobedience to the teaching aut nity a number of Christological heresies. as well as dogmaticay of the Church will often mushroom into a crisis for the entire Church. Had Arius remained

| renee oesee)Churci's response to these troubles. The first of these heresies, obedient to his bishop in 320, one of the worst theological firestorms in history could have been naeseieoe perhaps most infamous:ae avoided. eee id SIES The Church as a whole was to become intimately involved in the matter. Arianism found apes

CHRISTOLOGICAL HERE following, and eventually seeeate thesie Eastern Church, part ofthe Western church, and the | ic tribes. Its impact was large and lasting.

ARIANISM (Fourth Century) Germanic t pa Es The whole world groaned and marveled to find itself ist (St. Jerome, fe Dialogue

THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA Against the Luciferians, quoted in "A meditation for Pentecost,' America, vol. 186 no, 16, | May 13, 2002) The whole world has gone Arian; then it is Athanasius against the world.

| Arius (ca. 250-336) was a priest in Alexandria who studied in Antioch. He was an extremely (St. Athanasius on the pervasiveness of the Arian heresy) charismatic individual and attracted huge crowds of listeners and devotees on account of hi

St. Athanasius (ca. 296-373) marshaled the necessary orthodox | intellectual and rhetorical gifts. He was ordained a priest in 310 and became a pastor of a parishih

Avs forces to defeat the Arian heresy in the Church. His task was Alexandria.

His study of Origen and Neo-Platonism together with his familiarity with Gnosticism wy not easy, but St. Athanasius was a persistent and fearless man prepared the way for his erroneous interpretation of Christ's relation to the Father. d f who would not besilenced, When almost the entire Eastem

| Using Neo-Platonism and scriptural passages, Anus claimed that Jesus Christ is neither Godnop i Church had fallen to the Arians, St. Athanasius still raised his equal to the Father. For example, certain passages of the Gospel of St. John clearly maintain that S voice to testify to the truth. Even after at least five forced exiles,

Christ was sent by the Father and only did the will of the Father. Arius erroneously interpreted he was not deterred. The process by which the Church

. passages such as these to mean that Christ was not equal to the Father. r determined her own teaching regarding the divinity of Christ

Nevertheless, Arius argued that Christ was an exceptional creature and was raised to the level of , took time, and it was a road with many Ewists and turns. This

'Son of God" because of his heroic fidelity to the Father's will and his sublime holiness. Neo: v/ @% ' was not Just an academic dispute. Rather, it was a fight for the .

Platonic thought held that God is a radically transcendent supreme "being" whose natureis ae heart and Sat ChristionitY: The ftiSHS Seal SHS 08 at incommunicable.

This belief is certainly consistent with Christianity. However, the neo-Platonic hh | their disposal—threats, beatings, exile, even murder—to gain the | God was absolutely One, and neo-Platonists could not conceive that anything emanating from the lad we' upper hand.

One could be equal to the One. This is at the root of the Arian heresy and its denial of Christs i} yy The Emperor Constantine pushed for a General Council at divinity, This issue of the relationship between God the Father and God the Son was resolvedby

Nicaea in 325, He was anxious to promote unity in the Empire the Church, as is well addressed in the Athanasian Creed: "He is equal to the Father in his divinity

I } through a general adherence to Christianity, which was then | / but inferior to the Father in his humanity" (n. 31). Christ. according to his divine nature, is equalto

St, Athanasius marshaled the necessary divided over Arianism. Constantine even paid for the traveling the Father, and, according to his human nature. he is inferior to the father. It would takea few orthodox forces to defeat the Arian heresy expenses of the western Bishops to secure their involvement

| centunés to surmount all the theological difficulties connected to Arianism. ie and resolve the problem promptly. At the Council of Nicaea,

Aims reduced Jesus Christ to the status of a creature of the Father, although above every creature Constantine eeened Ee Hirst 2Sores and prayed the important role of peacemaker pelvis aS | in dignity and perfection. The Son of God. the logos, was created before the world began and two factions, Arian and Catholic, though it is doubtful that he understood all the subtleties involved bi | Served as a vehicle to bring the rest of creation into existence. This here xtremely in the discussions on the divinity of Christ.

| | serious threat to Christianity because the rejection of Chr é divifiley ieee a This was the first of the great ecumenical councils that would be convened over the next few rejection of virtually all of the Church's central asics eeeva ae ee cent delibe ee d mak b he beliefs of th vitae'

Redemption SE is risen Paracas 'a' tenets, specially her doctrine on the Trinity andthe centuries to veuDerate, pray, and make pronouncements a outthe beliefs o the Church in light of ip the Church would A teaa was responsible for ushering in the greatest doctrinal crisis that contemporary heresies. The ecumenical councils of the first eight centuries are held in the .

Meade dada w& unt the sixteenth century.

Areeee because they brought together bishops from the entire Christian world, East and Hi | | .

SN aie) = uP the "uspicions of certain Catholic faithful. the bishop of Alexandria— . 5 edna Nicaea opened with 250 bishops present and ended with 318.

M a | bee nee lundred other North African bishops —asked f > 'on ofhis This First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325) was especially meaningful since only twely thoughts on Christ's divinity. A synod of African bist a Seder ne ed explanations prior, the R Empire had d tolerati Christiani 7 "300" octane; | | urged Arius to recant his teachings but he ref 'ee condemned Arianism in the yeas persecuti qe eee ee Fa Tends Pe Serves 5 oa nearly 300 years of ) | | his ideas spread throughout the East < ay: used, leaving Egypt to settle in Caesarea. Eventually

: ions. There were many bishops in attendance w o bore physical scars that they had | St to such an extent that the Church's unity was in great peril sulered for their Faith during the persecutions under Diocletian, the worst of all the persecutions.

{|} 150° Chapter Four a aS — :

| ee from person. Although a philosophical analysis of person and substance is beyond thea of | vin " this book, suffice it to say that a person responds to the individuality (the "who") of a natura ; roe | » whereas substance and nature define essentially what the being is. For example, what am I? Iam pei aman (my nature and substance). Who am I? 1 am Joe (my person).

The Church, through her teaching and interpretative role under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is | | . the final arbiter of all such matters regarding the terminology used for her statements. Two camps

| a P ys emerged from the Council of Nicaea: the homoousians (meaning " identical ousia" and represent- ) .

Vi Wee ' ing the orthodox position), and the homoiousians (meaning "similar ousia and representing the | | | »~fa' dad . '

Arian position). Though the council concluded with the Nicene Creed, Arianism still lingered in .

M <i. eA, BR het Tox! 8 ea various forms of Semi-Arianism, and later on re-emerged.

| M W | | Pon a) 7i 'ef cy n°é FFE cap ud 6 a f All but two Bishops signed the Nicene Creed, and these two were exiled by the emperor, who | | rare rat.

Ne| Sue bs Vintoe supported the creed. The Arian camp included Eusebius of Nicomedia (not to be confused with | 2 #.¢ " ~ ee hae =fWO > the Eusebius of Caesarea who wrote the first history of the Church, Ecclesiastical History), an | | | 77% Sa ig®e PH) 7; i a important bishop who was favored by Constantine's sister Constantia. Though Eusebius of | t| i .

Som Dj 4Va f;(7 at | ¢ f| Nicomedia signed the Nicene Creed, he had only signed under pressure from the emperor, and he | eli 4X ; hs aw a . (<= hk a a. was exiled within months for giving aid and support to the Arians.

Wil | } ie, be (iy i ne £2 vygL Vey " WR ge .

Emperor Constantine, however, reversed course in 328 and permitted Eusebius of Nicomedia and ya || MWe? Fi 'VTE FRR ST ee Y , Arius to return. Leaders of the Nicene party who supported the orthodox position were then

Fy Pail ] % forced into exile. This included St. Athanasius, who fled in 336 from his diocese in Alexandria to | | ar Z_ a | a py Trier. In 336 the emperor decided that Arius would be recognized as the bearer of the orthodox

) | ) | | q Sh ee dil:

MON position, when Arius suddenly died in Constantinople.

| \| | | % ; i ') ¥ ' a f A dizzying array of councils was convened in the East and West over the next twenty-five years.

Ne is co 5Sa i rs When the councils functioned freely, they chose the Nicene Creed. However, when they operated | TCS os wi B E under duress (the bishops were at times threatened with exile or torture), the bishops — even

| | , ® as Bishop Hosius, and St. Hilary of Poitiers— sometimes signed Arian statements (Hosius was beaten Las ~~ and whipped when he was one hundred years old, and Pope Liberius, also in old age, was forced

: renounce the heresy and profess the Nicene Creed.

| | Sade NO nes Sad De Wea Gree Cal ven ite Waa Uy treet When Emperor Constantine died in 337, the Arian Eusebius of Nicomedia, who had become the | patriarch of Constantinople, baptized him on his deathbed. Of Constantine's three sons, one was

{| \The discussions and proceedings at Nicaea were held primarily in Greek, as Nicaea was Just eeeeBe Bak ae | | | | outside Constantinople in the East, and the Greek language was considered the language of Se ~ The East succumbed to Arianism under Constants aue sake! Gonstansih

| 1} i |i ii] learning of that penod. It was also the language of the New Testament. y A Sha % NY who controlled the West, was murdered in mega! Constantius everitnally th i} At the beginning of the council, the pope led and guided the councilsin their deliberations throu Mg RG . n\ became the sole emperor. The West soon also fell into heresy. Many

| Mm tS Heep ag Sieh oea a z ou Engel deli Si ile on A > \ forms of Arianism were found around this time including: (1) an extreme

) | i i al tatel Bsitsn HecheEe aSd 19 ios vas too old an ; ae 2 AS yz pe | } party called the Anomoeans (from the Greek anhomoios, meaning

| close friend of the emperor 1, ented rope ot. sylvester I, who happened to bea Ser a wey | dissimilar") who stressed the essential difference between the Father

Athanasius proposed a statement of Catholic helier CS so)ey = and the Son; (2) a Scriptural purist Party, known as the Homoeans

"aGIRO ee regarding the divinity of Christ that included i (Greek HOMOIGS, meaning 'similar") who rejected any use of the word

: substance." The Rett a8 Ve 'Ber Gad aoe which means 'of the same ESSENCE OF ities aioe ears ee because it does not appear in the Bible; and, (3) a variety which proclaimed more full 3: Ris POOH its solemn declaration of Catholic teaching

Constants Hie oe ene emi-Arian groups who stressed the differences and similarities i| me Cuneta: vine central truths of Christianity. ell ls in Nicomedia between the Father and the Son with the Greek term homoiousios i \| . cna Aa2-ee tool to better explain the mystery of Jesus Christ and uy :

("similar substance').

€ek terms carried vero '~) :

, ; + explaining Christian belief. For seaa esis very important meanings in terms of -ere oees and as in the East,weees in 359 at Seleucia and Ariminum

, | | hypostasis (literally *resporids to whom" aca it supplied valuable terms for : person, ventas es : i URES, and they approved an an statement. It was at this time that St.

| Philosophical words provided a language that done nes, u544 ('responds to what"). These sned and marvehed ee getementat the apparent triumph of Arianism: "The whole world

| | anguage that distinguished substance from person and natufe groaned and marveled to find itself Arian. it | Whi 152 Chapter Four :

— —S ———S —— eeSS i | Chapter Four | | | had , — Oe ||— =s HISTORY OF THE CHURCH q THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES — —eSeSeSe——-_—-—_—. i, :

| vor Constantius died in 361, and the Couneil of py"

: rs eet ugh ws shoe EmperrConi0° ST. HILARY OF POITIERS:

» " affemed the Nene Creed. The SemiArians re oon him by Emperor Jul "THE ATHANASIUS OF THE WEST that Arianism posed. After a sho Alexandria, where he labored for the remaining six Years of ; Apostate, St. Athanasius retumed to. ex 5. Athanasius wrote many books and tracts *

Impart to us, then, the meaning of the words of Scripture and the light to understand it, his life among his people. During his lifetime ue The Council of Constantinople (381) reaffimey with reverence for the doctrine and confidence in its truth....May we have the grace, in defense of the Nicene Creed and againstOE rs work. His feast day is celebrated onMay2 the face of heretics who deny you, to honor you as God, who is not alone, and to proclaim

| ene Creed, which was St. Athanasius life-long y2 this as truth. (St. Hilary of Poitiers, De Trinitate, Lib. 1, 37-38: PL 10, 48-49) the Nic | St. Hilary of Poitiers (d. ca. 375-367/8) was a Latin Church Father during the period of the Arian

| NOPOLITAN CREED heresy, and the leading Latin theologian of his day. St. Hilary ardently defended orthodox teaching THE NICENE-CONSTANTI against the Arians, and for this he is often called the "Athanasius of the West." Rather than merely

God, / the Father, the Almighty, / maker of heaven and earth, / of all that condemning all heretics without exception, St. Hilary tried to explain to some (especially many of I belleve i pete 11 believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, / the only Son of God, / eternally the Semi-Arians who were moving toward reconciliation with the Catholic Church) that often

/ God from God, Light from Light, / true God from true God, / many of their disagreements were merely semantic and that the ideas were actually the same. The pecan EtsB am in Being with the Father, / Through him all things were made, / author of many brilliant theological texts, St. Hilary was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope BI.

Ra down from heaven: / by the power of the Hol Pius IX in 1851; his feast day is celebrated on January 13. ae,pies eeerapeNiwa! eat man. / For our sake he was crucial under Pontius Pilate; / he suffered, died, and was buried. / On the third day he rose again

THE THREE CAPPADOCIANS / in fulfillment of the Scriptures; / he ascended into heaven / and is seated at the right , med of the Father. / He will come again in glory / to judge the living and the dead, / and The following three Greek Fathers were central figures in the defeat of Arianism in the East: his kingdom will have no end. / I believe in the Holy Spirit, / the Lord, the giver of life, /

St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nazianzus, and St. Gregory of Nyssa. Cappadocia lies on the | who proceeds from the Father and the Son. / With the Father and the Son he is worshiped

Anatolian Plateau on the eastern edge of Asia Minor. Today most of Cappadocia is part of Turkey. and glorified, / He has spoken through the Prophets, / I believe in one, holy, catholic, / and St. Basil became Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, and his brother St. Gregory became Bishop of | apostolic Church. / I acknowledge one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. / I look for the Nyssa. (A sister was also a saint, St. Macrina, and another brother becamea bishop.) St. Gregory of resurrection of the dead, / and the life of the world to come. Amen. aeoe son of ; bishop. The fruit of their life-long work against Arianism came at ee, , € Council of Constantinople (381) where it was decisively defeated. All three appear to have

The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed has its origins in the similar, though shorter, Nicene Creed been uniquely influenced by Ori :

: en, and all of th | which was the decisive document of the first ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325) in support ofthe | Holy Snide : haa Ot ReneS Be Sues ee aa orthodox Faith of the Church against Arianism. This longer form of the Nicene Creed came outol the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople (381). Though the creed was probably not © ST. BASIL THE GREAT | written at the council, it gained support in opposition to heresy. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan

| Creed appears to have been the baptismal creed in use in Constantinople at the time.

= ae Bie gas (<a.eek ae over Eastern Christianity as me '

Augustine does in the West.

Basil was on The chief differences between the Nicene and the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creeds are thatthe: whose parents had suffered under th 3 at pe chikties latter is longer in three disti laces:

: i sar Walaa tf Lee ng €¢ distinct places: (1) the second section concerning the Son; (2) the third:

He received an excellent educati hich h i section concerning the Holy Spirit; and i ACoA RSE oes | ng oly Spirit; and (3) the last section, regarding the Church, Baptism, the! of the Church. St. Basil is marked by his strong intellect combined

| forgiveness of sins, and the Resurrection. Also, the phrase from the Nicene Creed "from the with a d al holin ini i ili eS Besar or nek esac: echt!

. a key part of the discussion regarding the } the | | re : garding the homoousios, is absent inthe m ttled at N .

, ; os tle So eaten in 358, where he lived as a hermit The Nicene.

J : while working with St. Gregory of Nazianzus in i | -ShasNiece hate ; fs as the Profession of Faith on most Sundays:

= Gi Faith. St. Basil's ascetical life Sine example fortee ee | d 1¢ | ) in the Mass.

Bear in mi = eS iri ici ike j important because of its theologicalcaveseae the exact wording of the creeds » AS iu A | spirit of Eastern monasticism. Unlike in the West, monasticism in | unity that it provides throughout the Ce o heresy, historical continuity, and the a =| the East never fractured into new orders and rules but has

: g res remained together as an organic whole under St. Basil' ins Nicene and Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creeds represent an area of agr t and unity for wot As the Bish ane both East and West as the summation of the work of the fi

; amie: os va ae ine snob of Caesarea: St, Basil encountered opposition from | of the Reformation era churches alsteeesann rst two ecumenical councils. A numbet | ~ Ree the emperors and other churchmen regarding Arianism. He

Anglican churches. gnize its authority, particularly the Lutheran alld / IG | remained a staunch defender of orthodoxy against the heresies of | | . his time. His work as Bishop of Caesarea extended beyond the | fy intellectual realm of theological debate. St. Basil worked tirelessly

Thea . for clerical rights, and he saw to it that his priests were rigorously s and properly trained. As leader of a great diocese, he strove to i, EE ewe 154 Chapter Four ——— -— | Chapter Four 155 i) i (ue 1 | rr = a = wl et —_ CH :

| HISTORY OF THE CHUR THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES ee = J a f his most importan ds of the Christian laity. In one © C acts, oid sated eSoa service institutions was built up to serve the poor.

Bishop, a sama a | | was authored by him. It was the chief liturgy of the Eas Divine Liturgy of St. Basil wa tem Finally, the Divine ive centuries the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom becamemore

Churches, though in successl wine Liturey of St. Basil has also greatly influenced widely celebrated outside Lent. The Divine BY issal of the Catholi the pee of Eucharistic Prayer IV as in use in the Roman Missal of the Catholic Church,fi feast day is celebrated on January 2.

: jf ST. GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS, "THE THEOLOGIAN "

| | Different men have different names, which they owe to their percats OF themselves, Vile \e that is. to their own pursuits and achievements. But our [Sts. Basil ang Gregory of :

Ni | ; l/s Nazianzus] great pursuit, the great name we wanted, was to be Christian, to be called [of i} y : y j Christians. (St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Oratio 43, in laudem Basilii Magni)

1a) Vey ' a | St. Gregory of Nazianzus (329/30-369/90), like St. Basil enjoyed the benefits of a philosophic a.

Sai i education at Athens. He has often been given the title "The Theologian" because of his writings a WY a ¥ i il and teachings. Like St. Basil, he led a rigorous ascetical life and was elevated to the episcopacyat

| Dl byYe Sasima around 372.

= | Also like St. Basil, St. Gregory devoted much of his theological writing to the topic of the Holy Spirit. His Five Theological Orations expound upon the third Person of the Trinity.

| St. Gregory played an important role at the Council of Constantinople in 381. Through his . preaching in the city, he helped to bring the Arians back to the Nicene Faith. The emperor even

| appointed him Patriarch of Constantinople, but St. Gregory served less than a year before returning ~~ : a% to his native Cappadocia. He shares his feast day with his life-long friend St. Basil on January 2 em.

Sad , | ST. GREGORY OF NYSSA f :

| St. Gregory of Nyssa (ca. 330-ca. 395), the younger brother of St. Basil, planned an ecclesiasticd he et lrg uid in a Cyprus church shows Emperor Theodosius II exiling Nestorius and another

| | career after a short time as a rhetorician. Deeply opposed to the Arian beliefs. St. Gregory was eeeee | forced into exile by the Arian Emperor Valens, a fate common to many of his brother bishops who | espoused the Nicene Creed. inariani | Se crezenydtitens ee oe Apollinarianism was declared erroneous. The Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople (381)

~8 s ryu ie neo-Platonic philosophy in his theological work, which served as animportant specifically condemned this heresy, and the state prohibited adherence to it as well.

| see+apee Sora apes e popular title Theotokos for Mary. Theotokos is Greek | ly, "the one who i ") His | Macao) gave birth to God"). His feast day is celebrated on NESTORIANISM (ca. 351 -Ca. 451) | Nestorius became the Patriarch of C inop! i i AP | atriarch of Constantinople through the intervention of Emperor

| OLLINARIANISM (Ca. 360-381 ) eames I 426. In an attempt to escape Apollinarianism, Nestorius maintained that Christ was

| Apollinaris (ca, 310-300) is an Sainisabtos a .

€ unity of a divine Person and a human person in an effort to emphasize his full divinity and full | | thinker, loyal to the Church, couldeae aieamare and conscientious ree humanity. He attempted to eliminate the title Theotokos (bearer of God) to avoid falling into Church's authority. Apoliinaraneeeee S| heo ogy by refusing to accept Apollinarianism. The term Theotokos had always before been used in orthodox circles, and it was

| but his unguided fervor led him into heresy. Onjginally nee especially against the Anans. éalning acceptance in popular culture as a devotion to Mary. (In 1969 Pope Paul VI declared the | around 360, he was a close friend of St Abensciis cirut and raised to the episcopacy nen of Theotokos (Mary, Mother ofGod) to be observed in the West on January 1, a holy day of Though he affirmed that Christ had a human bod

* Ree Nestorius professed that though Mary was the Mother of Christ, she was not the | mind and will in Christ asaHieaee y, Apollinaris denied the existence of a humal ols of God. Nestorius defended his rejection of this Marian title by his doctrine that Jesus

| low that Christ did not Ive a eomolate sia Natio against Arianism. Therefore. it would fol hrist is the result of the union of two separate persons, one man and one God. teaching that Christ is true God and isa eure T his is incompatible with the Churchs

The orthodox position taught that Jesus Christ is one Person with two natures, human and divine int 8 with councils in Rome from 374-360.

St. Cyril of Alexandria described the relationship of the two natures as the Hypostatic Union a | nls ee iW 156 Chapter Four ———S = - ' | | HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES j nical Counci ae : aly accepted by the Church atthe Fourci that reer GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR: doctrine that was formally don was a declaration of Catholic teaching that reaffirmedjh. i (451). The RerRt Se ee Creeds and rejected Nestorianism. i APOSTLE OF ARMENIA icene and Nicene-Co : a ead i i '| and Pope St, Celestine rejected as heretical the estimawenaesSO ata

Most of the faithful of the Church in Armenia also broke away over this issue of Monophysitism. es mi .Rohe Pope St. Celestine also charged St. Cyol

Lee oe bis: With 'the but it is not in full communion with the other Oriental Orthodox churches. (There is, however, a Neto a hedes "Legates delivered to Nestorius, the P aertachy Ofee PIC. 2 Set of twelie segment of Armenians that is still in communion with Rome with its own eastern Catholic rite of onis on DeCeRber 7 430. Nestorius was asked to repudiate his teachings wj hun the Chaldean tradition.) Armenia has the distinction of being the first nation to officially become

LedSe Christian in 314. Bishop Gregory the Illuminator (ca. 257-337) brought Christianity to the Armenian i us did not recant, Emperor Theodosius Il called the Third Ecumenical Council a king Tiridates III (king 228?-330), which initiated the Christianization of the Armenian people. This ee ints following summer, where the council condemned Nestorius' teachingsang. model of baptizing the king followed by the general population was a model often emulated in the | Rane ies as the true Mother of God (Theotokos). The piceea Zz decision, and decades and centuries following.

So overjoyed were the people over Nestorius was removed as patriarch and sent to amonas ' bes" this pronouncement that they carried the council fathers on their shoulders in great jubilation

POPE ST. LEO THE GREAT In 435, the emperor ordered Nestorius' books to be burned, and in 436 Nestorius was banished to Feypt ohare he died.

—— Pope St. Leo I (d. 461) consolidated papal power through a variety of a, ":\ means based upon Jesus Christ's strong endorsement of the papacy hie kad ' transmitted through the New Testament. (Mt 16:18: "You are Peter,

MONOPHYSITISM (400s - 600s) (|B anc on this rock I will build my church") With the firm conviction of | Monophysitism claimed that there is only one nature in Christ, and not two, as the definition ofthe

Ay re / God's will and authority behind the Chair of St. Peter, he secured a | Council of Chalcedon (451) would state. The name is derived from the Greek monos (alone, single)

Pa << rescript from Emperor Valentinian III that acknowledged papal and physis (nature) that together mean "only one nature." This concept was developed in the ud \ jurisdiction in the West.

Alexandrian school, and may be understood in part to be a reaction to Nestorianism. It was 4way (trae St. Leo also took very bold positions vis-a-vis the barbarian invaders.

| of preserving the theological teaching of Christ's Divinity—the human nature of Christ wouldbe inh, which will be discussed in more detail in the following chapter. His "incorporated" into the Divine Nature. This particular heresy took on a various number of forms leadership regarding the heresies of the time and dealings with the baring and attracted those who rejected the two-nature definition given at Chalcedon. barians, as well as his administration in the Church earned St. Leo the title "the Great." His

One of these erroneous doctrines was Eutychianism, initiated by Eutyches. Eutyches (ca, 378-454) pontificate gave great moral authority and prestige to the papacy. was the head of an important monastery in Constantinople. He held that there was only one

St. Leo's writings in Latin have been lauded for their clarity and precision, particularly at a time nature in Christ after the Incarnation, and he denied that Christ's humanity was identical with that when the response to heresies required the use of precise language. St. Leo did not speak Greek ofa man. For Eutyches, Christ's nature had the unique quality of beingjoined to the Divine Nature and had to rely on translations to communicate with the East. This absence of acommon language

| He claimed that the human nature of Christ was, as it were, absorbed into the Divine Nature asa contributed to a strained relationship between the West and the East. In addition to being drop of water is absorbed into an ocean. His friendship with the influential eunuch Chrysaphius at considered a Father of the Church, St. Leo has also been given the title Doctor of the Church, and | the court of the emperor seems to have offered him some protection, as well as a hearing before his feast day is celebrated on November 10. ae a ee the Great, before his teaching was finally condemned at the Fourth Ecumenical

| CeumaefCacten (es), MONOTHELITISM (600s) | | Sait a steeped in the heretical challenges threatening the Church. His support was

Monothelitism is th :

; y all sides involved in the Monophysite controversy. At the Council of Chalcedon (45i) onothelitism is the doctrine that professes the existence of only one will in Christ but still

| whose primary task was handling Monophysitism, St. Leo's legates spoke first, and his Tome (44 maintains that he has two natures. The name is derived from the Greek monos (alone, single) and | =aes as the orthodox position by the ecumenical council. It declared that Jesus Christ was thelos (one who wills). This heresy originated not with a churchman, but with the emperor. The | the God-man. one Person with two natures, Thereafter it was said, "Peter has spoken throusil lam bce of Monothelitism were proposed in 624 as part of a conciliatory document to reconcile the The cumulative effect of Arianism, Arolivarpaniats Aeeomeee ak ncaa onophysites with the Church. Emperor Heraclius supported the document. Heraclius' pretremendous weakening of the unity of the Empire in the East. Man Christ as 2 ee et Emperor Justinian I, had deeply wounded the unity of the Empire by persecuting the | of the emperor and his attempts to force theological rity i" ae

SmR Ni onophysites, and Heraclius sought to repair that damage. At that time the Empire was facing a from the Church and became known as members of the Gari rofis = ae TOKEbe pn Persian threat, and Heraclius wanted the Empire to be united religiously to face the | several groups adhered to the one nature heresy of Monaph no ce : urch. aed ett Asia Minor and Palestine, which bordered Persia, were at odds with each other because

Orthodox, the Abyssinians (Ethiopian Orthodox), snd the : P pas the Coptic a of these religious controversies, and the emperor needed to know that the entire Empire would

| aovedea declarations of faith between he orate Buch ma ae Kees3fee work together to defeat the Persians. He thought that Monothelitism would help to maintain unity. ve concluded ; urch an ese | uded that they no longer hold (0 the Monophysite hehe

Seat Sergius of Constantinople approved the formula, though Sophronius (ca. 560-638), the .

| atriarch of Jerusalem, opposed it. Patriarch Sergius then wrote to Pope Honorius to clarify the .

~ "i ss——= —— i tH | \ Chapter Four ei ty Pe Gea aleWe :

; —e | ti a I HISTORY OF THE CHURCH THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES ius' handling of the matter and used the term "one Will" ip by " reply, which the patriarch ant emp ils at Constantinople in 638 and 639 ya) , known as the Ecthesis in 638. Two subsequent counc Church, The local Cound aaa 9, though,

Pelagianism advocated a theological position in which man can be redeemed and sanctified not ecumenical, accepted the Ecthesis for the actiof the Monophysites.

OnvurTmed thay without grace. Specifically, it denied the existence of original sin as well as its transmission into the Patriarch Sergius had successfully won over ¢.nu

; * human family. According to this opinion, the sacraments are superfluous since salvation and However, the next three papal successors (0 Honorious —Severinus, John IV, and Theodorej_

| holiness could be solely achieved through mere human endeavor. all condemned Monothelitism and the Ecthesis aepears, =aof the Church

This heresy was started by Pelagius, an English monk, who attracted several other defenders of (680-681) —the third at Constantinople —condemned the : athematizedPop these positions. They included Celestius and Julian of Eclanum; the latter engaged St. Augustine in Honorius.

| a bitter and protracted debate that ended only with the death of St. Augustine in 430.

Pope Honorius' use of the term "one will" in an MGMT Jone _= ie been cited ;Sa Pelagius and Celestius were repeatedly condemned at two councils in Carthage and Milevis in 416, example of papal fallibility. However, his private reply to aRa SESF ie

Eastern lur and they were eventually excommunicated by Pope St. Innocent I (410-17). The Council of does not meet the conditions for infallibility. In this case Serene a pea a doctrine mr the Carthage of May 1, 418 issued a teaching that adopted St. Augustine's positions on the Fall and entire, universal Church, nor was it the popes intention to descend into theo ogical details On the original sin, which subsequently became the teaching of the Church. Emperor Honorius

"wills" in Christ. He could very well have meant simply that Christ's will was in faithful Conformity denounced the Pelagians on April 30, 418. with the will of His Father. The incident does indicate, once again, that the other churches,even a4 f what b. f Pelagius, but Cel aled to Nestorius fi rt i the patriarch in Constantinople, would appeal to the papacy to settle theological questions,

__ Nothing is known of w at ecamMe O clagius, ut Ce estius appealed to esto us for support in - ; ; 429 with the hope of gaining favor with Pope St. Celestine I. The Council of Ephesus (431) iSet Monothelitism appealed t us BaDiesee substituted the word will" for condemned Pelagianism yet again. Though this heresy still had some following in Britain, it

Riises Church developed precise terminology when referring to willand nature made clear eventually died out. However, the issues surrounding the Fall, original sin, and grace reappeared

| | ae Hiiaenee eer.none ee kbaeoeFsre Person during the Middle Ages and again at the time of the Reformation (sixteenth century).

= € other human, As | ie: the case in the previous Christological heresies, Christ's humanity, as well as his divinity, was

ST AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO theologically called into question.

| I sought a way to gain the strength which I needed to enjoy you [God]. But I did not find | it until | embraced the mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who is

| DOGMATIC AND SACRAMENTAL HERESIES above all, God blessed for ever. (St. Augustine, Confessions, BookVII) | | DONATISM (311411 ) St. Augustine (354-430) was perhaps the greatest Father of | | Baumis : a the Church. He fulfilled many roles: pastor, penitent, monk,

| petaSee of sacraments celebrated by priests and bishops who had formerly, ~~ preacher, bishop, teacher, and theologian. He is one of the | of sates eahate ; ee cs Church in Africa began around 311 when Bishop Caeeilian i ea! greatest theologians of the Catholic Church. For almost a | oe Te alee y bishop Felix of Aptunga, who had been a traditor during Diocletians | thousand years, he was the dominant figure in Catholic

| Roman persecutions ) The Bouse Christian who renounced the Christian Faith during the thought. No other theologian rivaled St. Augustine's imporof the sin of being a heedsis s rejected the validity of Bishop Caecilian's ordination because

. a tance until the thirteenth century when St. Thomas Aquinas | opposition to the legitimate one cresy gets its name from Donatus, who was a bishop electedin es | \ would make his mark.

| Moreover tie Dotter esis hea fiee | \ Born in Thagaste in Northern Africa (modern Souk-Ahras, | | and even from those who Near :sae of the saints must remain holy and freefrom sit

/ \\ } Algeria) to a pagan father and a Christian mother, St. Monica, ; | | incapable of validly easter eea Priests and bishops, the Donatists maintained, Wale

St. Augustine lived a dissolute life for many years before | | joined them because her ince ee re Indeed, the Donatists re-baptized persons whd

>| coming to the Faith. St. Augustine received a good education hae | Donatists went so far as to jdentify the aint ¢ Sacrament valid except in their own circle. The e in the Latin classics and in rhetoric, though his Northern

| ! a | St. Augustine was their chie € Church with only themselves.

African accent was often mocked in Rome.

Hive fe) ; ; in tue minister of every Sacrame:"pens developed the Catholic position that Christ is the '

| The intense attractions of both lust and heresy proved to be Wh | | sin. St. Augustine separated the issue of wo fee celebrating the Sacrament is in a stateob very powerful for St. Augustine. For this reason, even after TE efficacy of the Sacrament, Tthinéss on the part of the riest from the validity and , aa more than a thousand years, his conversion story has not | | p ty a ry | | The Donatists were finally suppressed by th \ lost its appeal. He once prayed, Lord, give me chastity and | | | | until Islam destroyed the Chasreht Ai Y the state in 411, though they were never fully defeated em) continence, but not yet (Confessions, Book VIILVII). At 17 at ih | ca in the seventh and eighth ceanniee rr he cohabitated with a woman, and they later had a son,

. he €odatus, who died in 389. Around the age of 20, St. Augustine also became deeply involved with vie | the heresy ofManichzism.

——— Wl 160 Chapter Four - \ | l,l | ee | at "q@-- :

L + o — a HISTORY OF THE CHURCH THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES Around the year 375, St. Augustine taught rhetoric in Thagaste. In 383 he moved to ee

. eventually Milan, where he continued his teaching career. St. Augustine underiveee | E AND THE PEAR TREE stress not long after arriving in Italy: he lost his belief in Manicheeism, and he separate | | ST. AUGUSTIN mistress after many years of being together. It was at this same time, however, that he found great

| | a " intellectual stimulation through a deeper introduction to neo-Platonic philosophy and the moving a '

: and edifying preaching of St. Ambrose. i, | > | In July 386, St. Augustine had a conversion experience while ina garden in Milan. He heard a voice

| | "— te from a young boy singing, "Tolle et lege" ("Take and read"). St. Augustine obeyed, picked up the | \ Scriptures, and turned to a passage without looking. In Romans 13:13 he found in St. Paul's words comfort and direction for his life: "Let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.

St. Augustine resolved at this time to convert to the Catholic Faith and to abandon his sinful lifeand | ' embark upon the road to holiness. From this point on, St. Augustine lived a life that is summarized

| | ~~ by his constant affirmation: "Our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee, O Lord" (Confessions, At the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday of 387, St. Augustine and his son Adeodatus were baptized by bil St. Ambrose, but misfortune followed swiftly. In 388 his mother St. Monica, who had prayed for her

| son's conversion her entire life, died, and Adeodatus died the next year.

I . | Then St. Augustine returned to Thagaste, where he established a ; { bi] monastic community dedicated to prayer and penance. In 391 he

WL) | was seized by the people ona visit to Hippo Regius and ordained aS Tar Af f a priest by Bishop Valerius. By 395 he had been ordained to the KY 'i episcopacy and became coadjutor for Valerius, and subsequently

- * i} succeeded Valerius as Bishop of Hippo. St. Augustine's ordination ; f \ . i , and elevation to the office of bishop were very controversial,

Augustine soughtto understand the reason he committed this sin, having especially in view of his former life. y a { | no inducement to evil but the evil itself

: ot. Augustine's writings are voluminous. They include a wide | ne reason that St. Augustine's work St. Augustine sought to understand the ipa OFte es ee eee in S.es cas

| Opeth Is such an engaging and reason he asharbinted this sin, having ue Srne eaeae does i pees: ie never greeny te | insightful book is the way he weaves "no inducement to evil but the evil itself."

Seginstis ys Donatists, Pelagians, and Arians—he also eeene i events from his life together with In this incident, he recognizes something eka from (pagan slbsekels SiGe amen ae PENCE

. i} reflections on human nature. One such fundamentally wrong with the deep Rome's enfeeblement and collapse. St. Augustine SEO. OS

. i] incident comes froma retelling of a impulses of human nature: "It was foul, important works are the Confessions and City of God, the latter

: a) childhood event. St. Augustine recalls how and| loved it. | loved to perish. | loved of which was his answer to the pagan charges and the barbarian iW} | | | | teSereae group of friends, my own error—not that for which | erred, invasions. Confessions is St. Augustine's autobiography of his life

| i ) a dateBisaeracess but the error itself." and conversion.

St. Augustine's ordination and elevation to ; | Feo Nem Aintling cocaom or's The event shows that any act of sin, no In City ofGod St. Augustine identifies two cities, one earthly and ins oftce oF bishop were very; controversial i | | that he did not steal the fruit because ha matter how small, reflects a person's the other heavenly. The earthly city reflects the world, and St. Augustine focuses on the failures of i han | was hungry, but because "it was not rebellious nature against God, turning the old Republic before turning to the Empire's situation under a Christian emperor. St. Augustine ti permitted." The satisfaction of stealing aeip Him. Because of fallen human bemoans the violence and evils present in the world. The Church, though made up of sinful

| } oe mn the "theft and sin itself" was dent Peedi concluded, people members, represents the forgiveness and hope that the heavenly city offers. Much of this text. in atl | i what he and his friends really desired, ang

> "tually inclined to sin and are all addition to St. Augustine's other contributions, helped to usher in the Medieval spirit toward il SO, after barely tasting the stolen fruit in need of the grace of Christ in order religion, the world, and the Church

| | themselves, he and his friends threw the '@ overcome this weakness and turn 'i a ; ; an remaining pears to some hogs. ourselves back towards God.

St. Augustine's theology included works that dealt with the Trinity, grace, the Fall and original | } sin, repentance, the sacraments, predestination, and atonement. St. Augustine's theology and Hl | writings came to be adopted as the official teaching of the Church. For instance. his discussion on | the relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit laid the essential groundwork for the addition of = ————— —— | 162 Chapter Four ee ————— — =— — a | | Chapter Four

| | feeS Cae mend aD eee the ways in which the Church-State relationship developed and shaped the | | re oe Pie eae. 8 ge Se Pips ia me in this relationship is the union of the throne of the Empire and the ee el i By ee) = Pah | £ MA Church. The dominant the p ee :

The -) SR ae altar of the Church. For political reasons, the State wanted religious unity and uniformity. tt Lh ae "ayy, eea Church in the East, influenced by the growing power of the patriarch of Constantinople pee

Vp, TBE "6 =| .a \ iy strong influence of the emperor, tended to accepta role for the Church which was subservient to | | NSS Th i até \yt . the interests of the State. This dual role of head of State and leader of the Church on the part of yy e =a» NZ a} 2 \ the emperor was called caesaropapism. The emperor played a major role in selecting the patriarch

=Fs J | Pe eit(ae)ee : of Constantinople, who in turn was beholden to the emperor.

| | | a——. _\ Je &Poy Z, "4 a J The papacy wanted a good, working relationship with the State, as it asserted its divinejurisdiction

@ Oe uy / ; over spiritual matters. As St. Ambrose demonstrated, the Church in the West did not allowanyone, | . im id Ss *) Gal / ot even emperors, to be above the Law of Christ.

| mete I7° £0)" an i If th | se, > = "oo Th Yet Constantine's abandonment of Rome left the papacy with temporal power in the West. 'the | ; tn. OM papacy had not taken up the reigns of temporal power in Rome and in the West. the barbarians

S | would have found absolutely no one to stop their attacks. When the State collapsed in the West, / the papacy was there to defend and preserve the Faith and culture of the people.

| a rea \ | While in a garden in Milan.

St. Augustine heard a voice from a young boy singing, "Tolle et lege,"

In St. Paul's words he found comfort and direction for his life .

) | the Filioque clause expressing the double procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the .

Son (cf. Chapter 7) to the Nicene Creed during the Medieval period.

| | St. Augustine's spirit for the ascetical life is found throughout his rule.

A number of monastic Ni) orders adopted his rule beginning in the eleventh century. They include the Augustinian Canons,

| | } the Augustinian Hermits and Friars, the Dominicans, and the Servites, as well as the Visitation and | ih | Ursuline nuns.

| | Though St. Augustine was bom shortly after the Edict of Milan (313), he lived in a tumultuous age Vii . for the Church and for Roman society. Intransigent heresies tore at the unity of the Church, and | . the Empire was well along the path to oblivion in the temporal order. As St. Augustine lay dying in ij Wa - the Se were destroying the city, and other Germanic tribes were invading throughout

| | | I i | ie ie ae The entire temporal, social, and economic order that St. Augustine knew was The Christogram symbol (Chi-Rho), which Constantine carried mi .

But Y ending. St. Augustine set the theological tone in the West, and his philosophy and into his battle with Maxentius, appeared on Roman coins after the Hie . theology dominated Christian thought for some ht | nf Savor ot olen (318) i} | Mi when Scholastic "int hundred years, until the thirteenth century,

. sticism and St. Thomas Aquinas would j ic of St. Augustine. St. Augustine's fence dao Mod emerge. enriching the Philosophy and theology

| s Sustine's feast day is celebrated on August 28, 164 Chapter Four a a a | Chapter Four = = HISTORY OF THE CHURCH L THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES | ' the Edict of Milan (313), though Licinius was

-363, emperor 361-363) was the nephew of Constantine the Great and the cousin of Constantine andee aria 321 Licinius began a persecution directed rhficae 337-361). When Julian was only five years old, his father, brotherseae

. ar ee =erae and in 324 he openly declared war against Constantine. Licinius was for his half-brother Gallus), and male cousins were all executed as the Flavian dynastic line 'h OOPS Sie tee s r e us toleration throughout the Empire. stantine the Great was purged. Julian was subsequently entrusted to the pagan eunuc

| defeated, thus making possible religio nansien ius of Ni dia, the Arian bishop who baptized Constantine the Great. As . d Christianity as the years passed. Through law and his oyp

Mardonius and Eusebius of Nicomedia, P Va snc Constantine increasingly supporte hes were freed from taxation, individual churches Wer

Julian increased in years, he became attached to the pagan school in Athens, the city where he an actions, he set the tone: eyeand aieete was forbidden, and crucifixion as a state forg,:

St. Gregory of Nazianzus were classmates. pereies Se Caan himself withdrew from participation in the pagan rites and Julian became a Caesar in 355. In 361 he came into conflict with Emperor Constantius IT when

Sates rea; h a rors had always been connected.

Julian's army refused to join the emperor for the Persian campaign. Civil war was averted only | oer ne aeoee. was to found the city of Constantinople on the site ofthe because Constantius died of natural causes. Julian was then immediately promoted by the military aeSiaSeeMay 11, 330 the city was officially dedicated under Christian and to the imperial throne. ee nae ChASenntn be was dedicated to the protection ofMary under the title of Theotokos

The title "Apostate" (one who willingly renounces his faith) has been given to Julian ase | | The city's natural defenses protected it for over a thousand years until it fell to the Ottoman Turks though he was baptized a Christian, as emperor he tried to de-emphasize Christianity. Julian in 1453.

= not persecute the Christians, but he sought to re-establish paganism on equal footing with | After Constantine moved the capital of the Empire

Christianity and to strip pyieeseass of thesi = that to Byzantium along the Bosporus Straits in 330, 44, (neil on, Constantine the Great andhis successor had granted. b economic, cultural, and linguistic power shifted. The [eas so.

Julian took several steps to achieve these ends. He pushed to rePA | ruling city of the Roman Empire did not speak Latin

; NS ~ establish pagan worship throughout the Empire, and this included Vat | but Greek. Byzantium, as the new Eastern Empire

= ee the development of an elaborate pagan liturgy and organized his as came to be known, was wealthier and more heavily

~ =>ar . pagan religion in imitation of the Church's ecclesiastical and y | populated and looked upon Italy and the West as ' sacramental structures. Julian himself lived a very ethical life, to E.

: backward and poor. During that period, knowledge —a , which he was committed in order to raise the moral tone of | of the Greek language was becoming less common

\ pagans in the Empire. The curriculum in the Empire's schools was / !

| in the West, adding to the cultural breach between . paganized (there was probably no system of general education PJiNG | East and West. Not until the Renaissance did the .

. for the society: these schools were for a select few of the West take a renewed interest in Greek and the . privileged classes for the perpetuation of the bureaucracy). Julian

| \\\ | access to the great body of ancient knowledge it : revoked the financial exemption and benefits that had been given

\ provided. to the Church by his predecessors. He wrote many tracts in \ | On his deathbed on May 22, 337, Constantine was

"a support ofpaganism and in opposition to Christianity and imposed .

| | baptized by an Arian bishop. The Church in the East ' harsh sentences on his subjects because of their faith. Finally,

Tie Rharahery arestealsh rafiriak proclaimed hima saint; the Church in the West had = Juliangenerated great confusion in the Church when he permitted — «winged Victory ofSamothrace," was the | | not concurred. Constantine did not embody the ae | exiled heretical bishops to return.

The AC a ce | totality of the Christian principles necessary for such = j .

Julian also had to deal with the Persian threat. On June 26, 363, he ona globe, with expanded wings, and a | an important position as emperor, though Conae was struck by an arrow while on a campaign in Mesopotamia, and 'fof laurel in her outstretched hand."

| | Stantine does carry the title "the Great" in the West. pi *a he died the same day. A story has it that Julian's last words were "Vincisti Galilee" ("Thou hast

| i a convicted and executed his oldest son 'gt a "Faas conquered, Galilean!" referring to Jesus Christ, who was from Galilee). But this story has been vie Hl} <n-rae iis sa!ae a oe having been y ; > discredited as fiction written by Theodoret, the Bishop of Cyrrhus (ca. 393-ca. 457).

] C r } f a) ; | Eiger neence sai Beeaves us y poe dullan had been viewed in anegative way in much of the Empire, especially in the East where the int | aspects, Constantine freed the Chunety eat vis

1ee largest numbers of Christians dwelt. Succeeding emperors moved to progressively reduce We | persecutions she had known for three avanca x paganism to oblivion, and to re-grant the special status of Christianity. Jovian (emperor 363-364),

We | years through his persuasive enactment of the Edict . ar the immediate successor to Julian, returmed to Christianity the rights Julian had stripped from it.

| | of Milan in 313, "Sane Gratian (Western emperor 375-383) gave up the insignia of the Pontifex Maximus because it was

Wi) = a Pagan and he considered it unbecoming for a Christian ruler. (The title was later Christianized in | | | irene privlaimed a saint by the Ey the fifteenth century and taken over by the papacy as a title of honor.) He also removed the Altar

| inthe Westerse as "the Great =a > "+a? ess from the Senate house, and stripped the pagan priests and the Vestal Virgins of their

166 Chapter Four a es , ———————— — ; | .

Chapter Four 167 | —_—_ . i} HISTORY OF THE CHURCH THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES | ff -_ <a i } " y IN;WE ¥ '

THRONE AND ALTAR | ' Ny. 1 is NA! (;- = It seems worthwhile to frame the discussion of throne and altar in order to see the ways in which Hh | . i byieiP { Uj | the emperors made use of their power to influence the Church. The involvement of the temporal

| site} v WAG. los | power in spiritual matters of the Church was a defining aspect of Byzantium, and the tug of war | aa between kings and popes in the West especially during the Medieval period.

W e | — wD a) f Constantine and his three sons, as well as subsequent emperors, set a pattern of imperial intrusion | | | | i ( . y into the affairs of the Church. The Eastern emperors carried the greatest power even when they

| ie Wg did not rule the entire Empire, for it was divided permanently between East and West after mee Zt ii) eee. s ; \| BP hi eh RYE |4 Emperor Jovian's death in 364.

= ; poe tax | ryve Fo ls |= In this chapter alone, there have been many examples of the emperor interacting with and | ) so Ot et r | i a ae directing the Church:

| oh eee i Py | tie | yi 1. Constantine the Great took an interest in and influenced the convening of the .

| | pera desea fee. i f Br a Nee i Council of Nicaea (325) and the suppression of dissident bishops; , + | ean A rr 'at a af :

Niitaedcke core ean ox pL ae eee %$48: "a4, 2, Julian the Apostate (emperor 361-363) reasserted paganism and suppressed | | ai ah ay y er re Gy 4 +f OE '

| Ah whi Rin=e a:&¢)hy SSws ' the Church; | | | re oe 7 sul Ny ; * ——~ iu?

Mey A = rtsoy S-Ni tel es 3. The Western Emperor Honorius suppressed the Pelagians in 418; Deu sab b a, \ Q * ie ( iN ) ; | Pe apntah (gee, ia 2 ok a at ee Oe 4. Theodosius II called for the Council of Ephesus (431): and i | | ¢ a , xs we = oY ; "

: heor ie i °F, i = Te You & 5. Heraclius (emperor 610/611-641) instigated Monothelitism and authorized the .

| ak Pee i i yy Hs . i> } a | os | | 4"

= DS Ecthesis in 624.

' oh" Fa~ Wp ; | | es / | | The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) set aside the union of throne and altar The Church experienced a moment of freedom : and hope with the Edict of Milan in 313, but this | by no means meant that the situation in the iin THEODOSIUS I THE GREAT (379-395) dite \ At Church was relaxed over the next two centuries. atta Po The Church was convulsed by one theological

Theodosius I cemented the union between the Church and State with his 39] decree declaring { Y ppt he * controversy after another, any number of which | Christianity the official religion of the Empire. Heresy became a legal offense before the state om a } threatened to destroy the Faith. Only the provii] pagan ales Was outlawed, and, essentially, all other forms of paganism as well. Clearly, this was

: LYpe Ji 5 dential leadership of the popes, the Church | | | aes ed moment in the history of the Church, Within eighty years Christianity emerged from ' heVan Py fm Fathers, and the ecumenical councils under the He is Sees pasar tt had ever known to official toleration under the Edict of Milan and finally to yoy, Lap) G24 J | influence of the Holy Spirit guided the Church

| hile aa Us OF oficial religion of the Empire.

= through the treacherous waters of heresy that W P i | Shetg : Byee of triumph for the Church, it has also been a topic greatly contested by &d i threatened Re sink her at any Eine: The proclamnin wats.

"ne phrase "union of throne and altar" refers to €veryone within a given state (usuallya , = ation of Christianity as the official religion of the i | 1] Ba = re the rulers —having the same religion. This union of throne and altar became the pV.» \ .

N \ < Empire in 391 by Theodosius I the Great ina: i!

| | ae a eenonshlp between the Church and State until it was Officially set aside at the Second sca NS .

) urated a new era in Christianity, one filled with the i} | atican Council (1962-1965), The union of throne and alt sed -casioned GOA JS | Promise of evangelization, as well as with the many crises for the Church over # 'tar posed many challenges and occasioné are | nises for the Church over the centuries, 5 (o~ —== dangers of temporal meddling in the affairs of Being a persecuted minority forced Chris OS ENS the Church.

. botide bf solitons y forced Christians to rely authentically on their faith and to forge deep State IF cat ow these same values of sactifice and lox , ROX) BAW A ne ML | the State. If carried our Gormecti Ha'ea cc and love were officially being taken up by Rea Me We) aes ) Hi | | possibility to evangelize the Rae ee Provided the Church with an extraordinary aK PA i), aa | .

TS Outs j ae : iot Py —— ih also find its voice and values co-opted. In ahs aie of it. However, an established religion can

Emperor Theodosius | the Great declared Christianity the official ; it seems that a close conne nHcin be ~~ Si any Case, given the historical circumstances of that ef. religionof the Empire in 391. Above: The image of Theodosius

| the = Seninection between Church and State was necessary vies tmoessed ona 4th cestury sliver plate Chapter Four a a a —_———_—_—= | | Chapter Four

. a ee = OO = ; ———————————™ HISTORY OF THE CHURCH > THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES 4— a UPPLEMENTARY READING VOCABULARY S ll ly fathers at Nicaea. For, as w St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Letters on the seea creed is sufficient both aree ANATHEMA CAESAROPAPISM Appolinarian Controversy eedae of godliness and for the repudiation

A ban solemnly pronounced by Refers to the dual role of head of State and Do not let the men deceive themselvesand of all heretical false teaching. We shall s — ecclesiastical authority and accompanied leader of the Church in which the temporal others with the assertion that the "Man of the not presuming to approach the unapproach. by excommunication Birren ownane= Sere P Lord" as they [Appolinarians] call him, who able; but we confess our own weakness and ANOMOEANS re ae es witeceee: aa ther, Lord and God, is without human ho would'r } ; East, influenced by the growing power of the Sea fe d the man from the so shut out those who would reproach us for From the Greek anhomoios, meaning patriarch of Constantinople at the hands mind. For we do not sever ; igating things beyond th , ores tae ae | Godhead but we lay down as a dogma the riaiat Sg = ¢ human sali dissimilar," this sect of Arianism stressed of the emperor, tended to accept a role for the unity an2 identity {of persons}, who of old

We confess then, then, our Lord Jesus Christ, an essential difference between the Father Church in which it was subservient to the was not man but God, and the only Son the only begotten one ofoeee God and Son in the Trinity. interests of the State. before all ages, unmingled with body or and perfect man of a rational soul and body,

| sivthine cocait but who in these last begotten before all ages from the Father in his APOCRYPHA CHRYSOSTOM days has assumed manhood also for our Godhead, the same in the last days, for us and Old Testament books recognized by the Moniker of St. John Chrysostom meaning salvation; passable in his flesh, impassible in for our salvation, born of Mary the virgin,

Catholic and Orthodox Churches, but not "golden mouthed," it refers to the saint's his Godhead; circumscript in his body, according to his humanity, one and the same by Protestants. extraordinary preaching skills. uncircumscript in the Spirit; at once earthly consubstantial with the Father in godhead

APOLLINARIANISM CHURCH FATHERS dh ly, tangible and intangible, compreand consubstantial with us in humanity, for a Oe | aadeuests Raph Payor are ion of two natures took place.

Th ES Founded by Apollinarius a the fourth century, Great, holy leaders who have come hensible and incomprehensible; that by one union of two nature place. lherefore this heresy denied the existence of a human

; | and the same [Person], who was perfect we confess one Christ, one Son, one Lord. mind andawill te Canes forward to lead the Church, explain the Faith,

| | man and also God, the entire humanity fallen According to this understanding of of the : and meet the unique challenges posed by through sin might be created anew. unconfused union, we confess the Holy APOSTLES' CREED different heresies.

| | If anyone does not believe that holy Mary is Ma aes the mother of God because God A statement of belief of the Apostles based

DEMIURGE | the Mother of God, he is severed from the € Word took flesh and became man and upon the New Testament. It is derived Gnostic creat.

; or god of the ; | Godhead. If anyone should assert that he from his very conception united to himself from a baptismal creed used especially in aera | passed through the Virgin as through a the temple he took from her.

Rome known as the Old Roman, and it is DOCETISM | channel, and was not at once divinely and : therefore associated particularly with the Derived from the Greek word dokesis, meaning

| humanly formed in her (divinely, because John cans Il,eit: Mater, 42.2-3 Church of Rome. appearance, this Gnostic heresy maintained without the intervention of man; humanly,

Mary believed in the fulfillment of what had ARIANISM that Jesus did not die on the cross but was | | because in accordance with the laws of been said to her by the Lord. As Virgin, she spared by someone else who took his place gestation), he is in like manner godless, If believed that she would conceive and bear

| Third and fourth century heresy founded by , | any assert that the manhood was formed and a son: the "Holy One," who bears the name the Alexandrian priest Arius. It denied Jesus'

DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH | afterwards was clothed with the Godhead. of "Son of God," the name "Jesus" ("God divinity, claiming that Jesus is neither God nor Doctores Ecclesiae, a specific title given by the | he too is to be condemned. who saves"). As handmaid of the lord, she equal to the ee a rather an exceptional pope to those whose development oftheology

; remained in perfect fidelity to th creature raised to the level of "Son of God" and personal sanctit | The C y to the person ape Pp ctity are exemplary.

| :pelos Ephesus, The Formula and mission of this Son. As Mother. *believing because of his heroic fidelity to the Father's

| We will and obeying..." she brought forth on earth will and his sublime holiness.

DONATISM 4 wul state briefly what we are convinced the Father's Son. This she did, knowing not ATHANASIAN CREE Heresy that rejected the sacraments | of and profess about the God-bearing virgin man but overshadowed by the Holy Spirit.

: celebrated by clergy who had formeDy and the manner of the incarnation of the sai nes ) A statement of Faith that the Church still betrayed their faith.

| begotten Son of God—not by way of addition C e h "With Gesdeeel StS WHOSEAES but in the manner of a full statement, even as cee ie Si reverence: neers oe we have received and possess it fist ena aa— ancient times the Blessed Virgin Greek word for appearance. Referred to heresy

| scriptures and the tradition of the holy fathers, re as been venerated under the title which claimed Jesus only appeared to die on adding nothing at all to the creed put forward

: _God-Bearer' In all perils and needs the the Cross.

| aithful have fled to her protection."

Chapter Four —— — | | | i ) ll Ht See ee Le EAE i if {!

= ee TL leet HISTORY OF THE CHURCH THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES eo = | VOCABULARY Continued VOCABULARY continued | HOMOOUSIOS ECUMENICAL COUNCIL oe:

MONTANISM NESTORIANISM . j reek word oikoumene, Greek word meaning "of the same substance'

Founded by Montanus in the second century, Founded in the fourth century by Nestorius, Derived from the G r Y ry by "the whole inhabited world, IBLE he believed that due to an outpouring of the the Patriarch of Constantinople, this heresy meaning INFALL iy CHES Ecumenical councils bring bishops and others Free from error, Ecumenical councils'

Holy Spirit upon him, he knew that a new, maintained that Christ was both human and titled to vote from all over the world to * d j ; heavenly kingdom was imminent. One of the divine but was not himself fully human or fully en definitions on Faith and morals are considered ; } ; :

; | discuss central issues of the Church. They are free from error, or infallible, if that is the first apocalyptic heresies, his followers lived a divine. Instead, he believed that Christ was a presided over by the pope and issues decrees intention of the pope and bishops in union very austere life rejecting second marriages union of two men, one human the other divine. which, with the approval of the pope, bind

; and flight from persecution. all Christians.

LOGOS Sr VGH PELAGIANISM + An ambiguous Greek word with a multitude of MONO aga ; Heresy denying original sin and the need for FILIOQUE . we meanings that include: word, account, meani

From the Greek monos, meaning "alone," and grace in man's salvation. According to this | Latin word meaning "and the Son,' itis reason, argument, saying, speech, story ania physis, meaning "nature," this heresy claimed heresy, the sacraments are superfluous since

| used to express the double procession of the ath Laide Gospel of St. John utilizes th that there is only one nature in Christ and that salvation and holiness can only be achieved

| | Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son. s :

His human nature is "incorporated" into the through human endeavor.

| St. Augustine's discussion on the relationship word's complex meaning, referring to the Divine Nature. of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit laid the Person of Jesus, the Son of God and a member

QUICUMQUE VULT | essential groundwork for the addition of the of the Blessed Trinity, as the Jogos.

MONOTHELITISM "Whoever wishes [to be saved]," opening of Filioque clause to the Nicene Creed in the MANICHAISM | Heresy claiming that Christ has two natures but _'the Athanasian Creed.

Heresy founded by Mani in the 3rd century.

. paegee > THEOTOKOS | GNOSTICISM An elaborate form of Gnosticism, it involved | NEO-PLATONISM Literally "bearer of God," often translated

| | Derived from the Greek word gnosis the relationship between light and darkness, School of philosophy which held that the "mother of God." Used since the early | ("knowledge"), the name refers to one of the Dae that through rituals and sharing logos was a created being, not the Supreme centuries of the Church, this title ofMary was

| principle tenets of this multifaceted heresy, eir knowledge believers could regain the Being. Platonic philosophies, in general, viewed defended by the Council of Ephesus in 431. namely, that salvation may be achieved through __ light stolen by Satan and hidden in the brains the material world as less perfect than the | knowledge. In the second century, Gnosticism, of hun thus freeing the light to return to world of ideas. Thus, besides denying Christ's

VULGATE which had eastem origins and influences from _ ts onginal source. Manichzeism heavily true divinity, many early Platonic heresies

First translation of the Bible from its original | Persia and India, very successfully perverted borrowed from the Scriptures, especially from greatly deemphasized Christ's humanity, if not languages into Latin by St. Jerome. the meaning of Christianity and its symbols, To the writings of St. Paul. Mani incorporated openly denying it.

| prove its authenticity, Gnosticism co-opted the Many of St. Paul's arguments and imagery | Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, and to support his own teaching concerning the | | | erected an entirely new cosmological structure

Struggle between darkness and light. that challenged the intent of Christianity. enrey MARCIONISM The refusal Founded by Marcion in the second century,

| Hagaie or more truths of he borrowed the Gnostic idea of a Demiurge, | es gees s tahea for Catholic belief, Calling this force the jealous and vengeful God i) | OR eete to those of Law, According to Marcionism, the God

\ * Wo) Me peeks k aith, but corrupt of Jesus Christ, the true God, has no law and | i .

| cy s sent to bring about the demise of the \ cat q ys .

| HOMOEANS (SABELLIANS) Demiurge. He renounced all Jewish influence at he be a From Greek homoios, meaning "similar" this eh Church, believing that the God of the a i .

| sara Purist party rejected the use of €stament was the evil Demiurge.

S Not used in the Bible.

\ ae k | | | 172 Chapter Four ———...ee === ————— 1) —_ ee i if | i Chapter Four 173 . | i"

| : a |||) ee a PS —— | TORY OF THE CHURCH THE CHURCH FATHERS AND HERESIES ) HIS | STUDY QUESTIONS PRACTICAL EXERCISES 1. A creed is an official statement of 12. aes -ears at isbic of 1. Check out a local bookstore's religion and 3. What might be some reasons why the belief. What two points of belief does EODE OLees What d hi ie . philosophy sections. How many books on pope has authority over the ecumenical the Athanasian Creed emphasize? hte A i .

"finding the light inside yourself" or other New councils? If another ecumenical council were really mean?

; d be the 5 ange cals salma remit ot | | Age movement texts oa Ree find ae eis called peedwhata you think would b Gaseiclann?

13. Which regional churches form the you think so many ees Toknate to the topics for discussion +} Oriental Orthodox Church, and why did New Age movement hae aac 4. Think of reasons and examples of how the 3. What role did asceticism play a a3 they separate from the Catholic Church? between these "self-help" solutions and union of the throne and altar might cause i Gnostic heresies: i i aaa a oa d 14. How did Pope St. Leo | increase papal

PreityfheOa eee conflict between the Church and the state.

Who has the power to start, change, an power?

| | end an ecumenical council?

2. Conduct research on one of the over 5. Who is a "Church Father" and what are thirty Doctors of the Church, and prepare

| the five characteristics of a Church 16. How did St. Augustine answer the . a three minute oral report after conducting

| Father? challenges posed by Donatism? the research.

6. How and why did St. Ambrose stand up 17. Describe St. Augustine's background.

) to the very powerful emperor Theodosius Why would his ordination as bishop have | | in 390? been particularly controversial with the FROM THE CATECHISM | ists?

7. List two translations of the Bible discussed Samana | in this chapter and specific information 18, What do the words "tolle et lege"

| about them. mean, and what is their significance in 465 The first heresies denied not so much 688 The Church, a communion living in the | For snr io5e fon Geicoorth ves St. Augustine's life?

Christ s divinity as his true humanity (Gnostic faith of the apostles which she transmits, is the | : ry.

Docetism). From apostolic times the Christian place where we know the Holy Spirit:

| nown 19, What topics did St. Augustine address in . faith has insisted on the true incarnation of :

What was Arianism, and why was two of his best-known works, Confessions God's Son "come in the flesh" (cf. 1 Jn 4: 2-3; a ei aan asueEres | Arianism sucha threat to Christianity? and City ofGod?

| 2 Jn 7). But already in the third century, the eae Tradition, to whieh Bs Church 10. Who convened the Council of Nicaea in 20. When and by whom was Christianity .

Church in'a'counelll at Antiogty liad tp ra i Peae bia | 325 and what was the council's outcome? declared the official religion of the | —SEel of Samosata that Jesus Christ is =oe s Magisterium, which he empire? n of God by nature and not by adoption.

; | 11. What oe poset Union and when The first ecumenical council of Nicaea in 325 — in the sacramental liturgy, through its i| | was it adopted confessed in its Creed that the Son ofGod is words and symbols, in which the Holy | "begotten, not made, of the same substance

Spirit puts us into communion with A (homoousios) as the Father", and condemned Christ; | é \ | Arius, who had affirmed that the Son of God

— in prayer, wherein he intercedes for us:

| Fe ae fo See things that were not and — in the charisms and ministries by which .

| \ DS 130, 126) er (Council of Nicaea I (325):

— in the signs of apostolic and missionary .

| t pi t Augustine is one of the greatest .

€ us theologians of the Catholic Chur i"

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