Title: CHAPTER 4 The Church Fathers And Heresies The Popes, the Church Fathers, and the Ecumenical Councils, led by the Holy Spirit, guided the Church through the treacherous waters of heresy.
1CHAPTER 4The Church Fathers And HeresiesThe
Popes, the Church Fathers, and the Ecumenical
Councils, led by the Holy Spirit, guided the
Church through the treacherous waters of heresy.
2CHAPTER 4The Church Fathers And Heresies
- The persecutions endured by the early Church were
followed by a series of heresies that rocked the
Church to its foundations. - From the beginning, many Christian thinkers used
Greek philosophy and tradition to help explain
Christian truths. - Over the course of the third to fifth centuries,
Popes and bishops led the Church through a number
of Ecumenical Councils addressing new
controversies and developing new theological
traditions.
3CHAPTER 4The Church Fathers And Heresies
- The Athanasian Creed that emerged expresses the
Catholic belief in the three Divine Persons of
the Blessed Trinity and the Incarnation of God
the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity. It
emphasizes the equality of each of the three
persons of the Trinity. - The Creed begins and ends with an anathema (a
condemnation) on those who do not accept it. - Each sentence, word, and phrase of the Creed was
carefully selected in order to adequately express
the Catholic Faith. While some of these terms
may seem difficult to understand, members of the
early Church suffered torture, exile, and death
in order to preserve and transmit the
unadulterated Deposit of Faith.
4PART IEarly Heresies
- St. Thomas Aquinas defines heresy as a species
of unbelief, belonging to those who profess the
Christian Faith but corrupt its dogmas. - Orthodox Catholicism derives from the Deposit of
Faith (the sum of all truths revealed in Sacred
Scripture and Sacred Tradition, and entrusted to
the care of the Church). - Heresy derives from the same Deposit of Faith,
but denies or alters some part of it. - A person may enter into heresy in one of two
ways - Material heresy entered into through ignorance
of the truth, or misunderstanding or
incomprehension of some aspect of the Faith.
This species is merely a mistake that needs
correcting. - Formal heresy freely choosing, with full
understanding of the teachings of the Church, to
hold doctrines that are contradictory to those of
the Church.
5PART IEarly Heresies
- The first heresies were particularly dangerous
because they attacked the figure of Christ
himself. - Greek philosophy spoke of the logos, a term used
by St. Paul referring to God the Son.
Neo-Platonic thought taught that the logos was
the most exalted creation of the Father, rather
than God himself. - They also viewed the material world as inferior
to the world of ideas. - Therefore, these heresies denied the divinity of
Jesus, and de-emphasized, if not denied, his
humanity. They made Jesus inferior to the
Father, and set the stage for Arianism, the worst
crisis that the Church would ever endure.
6GNOSTICISM
- Gnosticism comes from the Greek word gnosis
meaning knowledge. It refers to a heresy in the
early Church that taught that salvation came from
knowledge. - Gnosticism taught that secret knowledge had been
given to a few. It pitted the Demiurge, the
creator god of the material world, against the
remote and unknowable Divine Being. Therefore,
the material world was against and inferior to
the spiritual world.
7GNOSTICISM
- The redeemer was sent by the Divine Being to
release the divine sparks, found among some
people, so that they could return to the Divine
Being. This was only possible if the individual
understood the secret knowledge and practiced the
Gnostic rituals. - Gnosticism rejected the Churchs teaching
regarding both Christs human and divine nature.
It taught that Jesus did not inhabit a human
body, nor did he die on the Cross. - The principle of finding the light within oneself
through pagan ceremonies is the essence of New
Age religions.
8MARCIONISM (144-400S)
- Tradition teaches that Marcion was excommunicated
by his father, a bishop, on grounds of
immorality. Going to Rome, he started his own
Christian community AD 140. This heresy grew into
one of the greatest threats to orthodox
Christianity and lasted well into the fifth
century. - Adopting the idea from Gnosticism, he taught that
the God of the Jews was the Demiurge. He believed
that Christ was sent from the God of Love, who
has no connection to the law, to bring about the
destruction of the Jewish God.
9MARCIONISM (144-400S)
- The dualism of Law and Love is the main thesis of
his system. - He only recognized the writings of St. Paul
because of their teachings on the Law. He felt
the Apostles were blinded by the Jewish Law and
so rejected their writings, accepting only a
purified version of St. Luke. - Unwittingly, this heresy helped the Catholic
Churchs development of the New Testament Canon
of Scripture.
10MANICHAEISM (250s1000s)
- Manichaeism was the most developed branch of
Gnosticism. Founded by Mani (AD 216-276) it
taught the dualist conflict between darkness and
light. The heresy taught that Satan had stolen
light particles and placed them in the brains of
humans. The goal of Manichaeism was to release
this light so that it could return to its
original source. - Manichaeism borrowed heavily from St. Paul, and
its followers practiced strict asceticism. It
appealed to many Romans by demanding a stricter
moral life than Christianity, and by appealing to
philosophy. - St. Augustine was a fervent follower of
Manichaeism for many years. - Similar heresies, such as the Albigensians
(Cathars) appeared in the Middle Ages.
11MONTANISM (156-200s)
- Montanism was an apocalyptic movement founded by
Montanus based on private revelations. He taught
that a new, heavenly kingdom was about to begin
in Pepuza, a small town in Phrygia. - Montanism taught that Christians who had fallen
from grace could never be forgiven or redeemed.
It also placed a high emphasis on the ascetical
life. - Its most famous adherent was Tertullian.
12DOCETISM (30s-100s)
- Docetism, believing that matter was corrupt,
denied that Christ was truly human or that he
suffered the pain of the crucifixion. Its name
comes from the Greek dokesis meaning appearance.
It often taught that someone else miraculously
switched places with Jesus before the
crucifixion.
13PART IIThe Ecumenical Councils
- In order to meet the challenges posed by various
heresies, the Church convened a number of
Ecumenical Councils. - The word ecumenical comes from the Greek meaning
the whole inhabited world. - The first was in Nicaea AD 325.
- Altogether there have been twenty-one Ecumenical
Councils, the last one being the Second Vatican
Council (1962-1965). - The first six councils addressed Christological
issues providing theological answers to the
question, Who is Jesus Christ?
14PART IIThe Ecumenical Councils
- Types of councils
- Ecumenical Council A council for the entire
Catholic Church. At present it must be convened
by the Pope who governs the Council and he alone
has the power to accept or reject its decrees.
Its teachings on doctrine are considered
infallible. - Plenary council A council including all of the
bishops of a nation. - Provincial council An assembly of the
metropolitan archbishop with his suffragan
bishops. - Diocesan council A synod, or meeting of a
bishop with representatives of the clergy,
religious, and laity in matters of diocesan
discipline or procedure. - The first seven Ecumenical Councils are
recognized by both the East and West.
15PART IIIThe Church Fathers
- A number of great and holy leaders arose to lead
the Church, explain the faith, and meet the
unique challenges posed by different heresies. - These Fathers shared orthodoxy in doctrine,
holiness, notoriety, and antiquity. - While there is no definitive list of Church
Fathers, they are typically divided between the
Latin (West) and Greek (East). - The study of Church Fathers is known as patrology
or patristics. - Their writings offer an opportunity to learn and
appreciate the wealth of the earliest Christian
traditions. - Because of their proximity to the Apostles, their
clarification and interpretation of Scripture is
a standard reference point. - A Doctor of the Church is a specific title
granted by the Pope to those whose development of
theology and personal sanctity are exemplary.
16ST. AMBROSE OF MILAN
- St. Ambrose, the son of the Praetorian Prefect
for Gaul, studied law, became a lawyer, and
eventually became governor. - Upon the death of Milans Arian bishop, the
people clamored for St. Ambrose to succeed him,
although he was only a catechumen at the time. He
was soon baptized, ordained, and installed as
bishop. - St. Ambrose defended the Churchs independence
from the state. When Emperor Theodosius
slaughtered 700 people AD 390, St. Ambrose
excommunicated him and forced the emperor to make
public penance. The emperor was pardoned after
eight months of prayer and penance. - As bishop he was an ardent opponent of Arianism,
he encouraged monasticism, introduced hymns into
the liturgy, and facilitated theological exchange
with the east.
17THE APOSTLES CREED
- Although the contents are based upon the New
Testament, and it is a profession of faith in the
Apostles teaching, the author and exact date of
the Apostles Creed are unknown. It was first
mentioned by St. Ambrose AD 390. - It is based on a baptismal creed used in Rome,
known as the Roman Creed, and for this reason it
was particularly accepted in the West where it
was always associated with the baptismal rite. - The creed is divided into three sections The
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
18ST. JEROME
- St. Jerome spent five years in the Syrian desert
leading an ascetical life with companions. It
was there that he learned Hebrew, which would be
vital for his future work. - Always leading a penitential life, he served as a
secretary to Pope St. Damasus I, and later spent
the last years of his life in Bethlehem as the
head of a new monastery. - Although a learned scholar and writing on many of
the important issues in his day, his most
important work was the translation of the Bible
from original sources into Latin known as the
Vulgate. - This version of the Bible is still the normative
text in the Church today.
19TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE
- It is widely believed that St. Jeromes Vulgate
translation of the Bible is the most faithful
translation because he had access to manuscripts
of the original languages that no longer exist. - The Douay-Rheims translation into English was
based on the Latin Vulgate. - The Church teaches that the books of the Bible
are divinely inspired. - After careful study, the Catholic Church will
grant its imprimatur (ecclesiastical approval) to
books, including translations of the Bible, in
which it finds nothing that is contrary to
Catholic Faith or morals. - At present there are five English translations of
the Bible which have been given an imprimatur
(ecclesiastical approval) The Douay-Rheims,
the New Jerusalem Bible, the New American Bible
(used in liturgies), The Revised Standard Version
(those editions which have the deuterocanonical
books), and the New Revised Standard Version.
20THE CANON OF THE SCRIPTURE
- The word canon comes from the Greek meaning
reed or measuring rod. - As applied to Scriptures it means the list of
writings that have been included in the Bible and
proclaimed by the Church to be divinely inspired. - The Synod of Rome (AD 382) found 27 books of the
New Testament and 46 books of the Old Testament
to be divinely inspired. - However, the status of seven books of the Old
Testament were still disputed. These books,
called deuterocanonical, were written in Greek,
rather than Hebrew, and were included in the
Jewish Septuagint (Greek translation of the
Hebrew Scriptures) that was used by the early
Christians. - The Councils at Hippo (AD 393) and Carthage (AD
397 and 419) established that the
deuterocanonical books were divinely inspired and
were to be included in the Old Testament. - The Ecumenical Councils of Nicaea II (787),
Florence (1335), and Trent (1545) ratified this
decision.
21ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, THE GOLDEN MOUTHED
- St. John Chrysostom studied law in Antioch and
later theology in the influential Antiochene
school. - First deciding to be a monk he spent eight years
following the Pachomian Rule with the last two
spent as an anchorite or hermit. - Returning to Antioch due to ill health he was
ordained a priest AD 386. - He became a renowned preacher and earned the name
Chrysostom, which means golden mouthed. - His sermons captured the deep spiritual meaning
of Scripture without excluding their literal
sense.
22ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM, THE GOLDEN MOUTHED
- He combined this biblical meaning with
real-world, practical application to the
Christian life. - He also wrote a book on the importance and duties
of a priest. - Against his wishes, the emperor named him
Patriarch of Constantinople AD 398. - Preaching against moral laxity, including that in
the imperial family, made him unpopular with the
empress who twice had St. John Chrysostom removed
as patriarch and banished.
23PART IV Heresies of the Fourth and Fifth
Centuries
- The fourth and fifth centuries AD saw the ending
of persecutions and the rise of great Church
leaders. - The new found freedom led to the rise of great
theological and doctrinal developments, but also
to the rise of heresies. - Ecumenical councils made pronouncements on
Trinitarian and Christological beliefs. - Some of the causes of these heresies were
inaccurate interpretations of the Bible and
imprecise theological explanations. - The two great centers of theological learning
were Alexandria and Antioch.
24PART IV Heresies of the Fourth and Fifth
Centuries
- Both appealed to Apostolic founding and
traditions in defining the theology of the
Incarnation and the Trinity. - The School in Alexandria gave special status to
the divinity of Christ and the unity of his
person, along with an allegorical exegesis of the
Scripture. - The Antiochene School focused more on the literal
and historical meaning of Scripture and tended to
isolate Christs human and divine natures.
25CHRISTOLOGICAL HERESIESARIANISM (Fourth Century)
- Arius (250-336) was a priest in Alexandria who
had studied in Antioch. - He was charismatic and attracted huge crowds of
listeners and devotees. - Arius claimed that Christ is neither God, nor
equal to the Father, but rather an exceptional
creature raised to the level of Son of God. - This heresy was especially dangerous because it
denied the divinity of Christ, therefore
effectively denying the most central beliefs of
Christianity, including the Trinity and
Redemption. - This heresy found a wide following, and
eventually spread to the entire Eastern Church,
part of the Western Church, and the Germanic
tribes.
26THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA
- St. Athanasius (296-373) marshaled the necessary
orthodox forces to defeat the Arian heresy. - Even when almost all of the Eastern Church had
become Arian, St. Athanasius remained firm and
would not be silenced. - The Emperor Constantine pushed for a General
Council at Nicaea in 325 to settle the issue of
Arianism and to bring unity to the Empire. - This was the first of several Ecumenical
Councils. - Pope St. Sylvester I, who was too old and infirm
to travel, led the council through his legate
Bishop Hosius of Cordova, Spain. - St. Athanasius proposed a statement using the
Greek term homoousios which means of the same
essence or substance. This term was accepted
and the result was the Nicene Creed.
27THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA
- With the Arian view defeated, all of the bishops,
except for two signed the agreed Creed. These
two were exiled by the emperor. - Unfortunately, the Emperor Constantine reversed
his decision, permitted the return of the exiled
bishops, and forced the leaders of the Nicene
party into exile, which included St. Athanasius. - Before the Emperor Constantine died AD 337, he
was baptized on his deathbed by the Arian
Patriarch of Contantinople. - The East soon succumbed to Arianism and the
heresy even spread to the West.
28THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA
- Different forms of Arianism included
- (1) Anomoeans who stressed the difference
between the Father and the Son - (2) Scriptural purist who rejected the word
homoousios because it does not appear in
the Bible. - (3) Several semi-Arian groups who stressed
differences and
similarities between the Father and the Son with
the Greek term homoiousios (similar
substance). - Later the Council of Paris affirmed the Nicene
Creed and St. Athanasius returned from exile.
This Nicene Creed was reaffirmed by the council
of Constantinople (AD 381).
29THE NICENE-CONSTANTINOPOLITAN CREED
- The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed came out of
the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople
(AD 381). - It is longer than the Nicene Creed in three
distinct places - (1) The second section concerning the Son
- (2) The third section concerning the Holy
Spirit - (3) The last section concerning the Church,
Baptism, the forgiveness of
sins, and the Resurrection.
- This Creed is recited on most Sundays as the
Profession of Faith following the homily in the
Mass.
30ST. HILARY OF POITIERS THE ATHANASIUS OF THE
WEST
- St. Hilary of Poitiers was a leading Latin
theologian of his day. - He ardently defended the orthodox position
against the Arians, and so is called The
Athanasius of the West. - Rather than condemning all heretics without
exception, he often told semi-Arians who were
moving toward reconciliation that their arguments
were merely semantics and that their ideas were
actually the same.
31THE THREE CAPPADOCIANS
- St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nazianzus,
and St. Gregory of Nyssa spent their lives
working against the Arian heresy. - Their work bore fruit in the Council of
Constantinople (AD 381) when Arianism was
decisively defeated.
32ST. BASIL THE GREAT
- St. Basil was marked by his strong intellect
combined with a deep personal holiness and keen
administrative abilities. - He lived as a hermit and his ascetical life set
the example for the structure and spirit of
Eastern Monasticism. - Unlike the west, Eastern Monasticism never
fractured into new orders and rules, but has
remained together as an organic whole under St.
Basils Rule. - He worked to see that priests were rigorously and
properly trained, and worked to care for the
material and spiritual needs of the laity. He
developed a system of hospitals and social
service institutions to serve the poor. - He authored the Liturgy of St. Basil which is
still used in the East during Lent, and its
influence is seen in the Eucharistic Prayer IV
used in the Roman Missal. - As bishop St. Basil encountered opposition from
the emperors and other churchmen regarding
Arianism.
33St. Gregory of Nazianzus, The Theologian
- St. Gregory received a classical education in
Athens. - He has often been given the title Theologian
because of his writings. He devoted much writing
to the Holy Spirit. Through his preaching in
Constantinople, he helped to bring the Arians
back to the orthodox Faith. - Like St. Basil, he led a rigorous ascetical life
and became a bishop in Sasima around 372.
34ST. GREGORY OF NYSSA
- St. Gregory, the younger brother of St. Basil,
was forced into exile because of his deep
opposition to Arian beliefs. - He utilized neo-Platonic philosophy in his
theological work. - He defended the popular title of Mary,
Theotokos, which is Greek for Mother of God, or
more literally the one who gave birth to God.
35APOLLINARIANISM (ca. 360381)
- Apollinaris ardently supported the orthodox
position, especially against the Arians, but his
unguided fervor led him into heresy. - Though he believed that Christ had a human body,
he denied the existence of a human mind and will
in Christ as a defense against Arianism. - Therefore, it would appear that Christ did not
live a complete life as a man. - This is incompatible with the Churchs view that
Jesus was true God and true Man. - Beginning with councils in Rome from 371380
Apollinarianism was declared erroneous.
36NESTORIANISM (ca. 351 ca. 451)
- Nestorius became the Patriarch of Constantinople
AD 428. - In an effort to escape Apollinarianism, Nestorius
maintained that Christ was the unity of a divine
person and a human person. - He attempted to eliminate the term Theotokos,
teaching that Mary was the mother of Christ, but
not the Mother of God. According to Nestorius,
Jesus is the result of the union of two separate
persons, one man and one God. - The orthodox position is that Jesus is one Person
with two natures, human and divine. - St. Cyril of Alexandria described the
relationship of the two natures as the Hypostatic
Union. This doctrine was accepted in the Fourth
Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon. - The Third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus (431)
declared Mary as the true Mother of God.
Nestorius, who refused to recant, was exiled.
37MONOPHYSITISM (400s-600s)
- Monophysitism claimed that there is only one
nature in Christ. - The name is derived from the Greek monos (alone,
single) and physis (nature). - It was a reaction to Nestorianism, attempting to
stress Christs divinity, with Christs human
nature being assumed into his Divine nature. - One version, Eutychianism, was initiated by
Eutyches who taught that Christs human nature
was absorbed into the divine, like a drop of
water is absorbed into the ocean. - Pope St. Leo spoke through his legates in the
Council of Chalcedon (451) declaring that Jesus
Christ is the God-man, one Person with two
natures. It was declared, Peter has spoken
through Leo.
38MONOPHYSITISM (400s-600s)
- The cumulative effect of these heresies was a
weakening of the Roman Empire, and the creation
of splinter Christian groups in the East. - Recent common declarations of faith between the
Catholic and Coptic, Ethiopian, and Syrian
Orthodox Churches have concluded that they no
long hold a monophysite position.
39GREGORY THE ILLUMINATOR APOSTLE OF ARMENIA
- Bishop Gregory the Illuminator (257337) began
the Christianization of the Armenian people. He
did so by first converting the king, Tiridates
III, and then the people. This model of
evangelization would be followed in the centuries
to come. - Armenia enjoys the distinction of being the first
nation to officially become Christian AD 314. - Unfortunately, most of the Armenian people broke
away from the Church over the issue of
monophysitism, although a segment is still in
communion with Rome and has its own Eastern
Catholic rite.
40POPE ST. LEO THE GREAT
- Pope St. Leo (d. 461) did much to consolidate
papal power. - The origin of this authority is based on the
words of Christ, You are Peter, and on this rock
I will build my Church. - With a firm conviction of Gods will, Pope St.
Leo secured a rescript from Emperor Valentinian
III acknowledging papal jurisdiction in the West. - His strong leadership in dealing with heresies,
his dealings with the barbarian threat, and his
administration of the Church earned him the title
the Great.
41MONOTHELITISM (600s)
- Monothelitism is the doctrine that professes the
existence of only one will in Christ, but still
maintains that he has two natures. - It name comes from the Greek mono (alone, single)
and thelos (one who wills). - The heresy originated with the emperor as a way
to reconcile the Monophysites with the church and
to bring unity to the empire. - Patriarch Sergius of Constantinople approved the
formula and wrote to Pope Honorius to clarify the
matter. - The Pope approved of Sergiuss handling of the
matter and used the words one will in his
reply, which the emperor and Patriarch used in an
official document.
42MONOTHELITISM (600s)
- Two councils in Constantinople (not ecumenical)
accepted this formula. - The Popes use of the term one will in this
private letter to the Patriarch is often used as
evidence against Papal Infallibility. - However, it does not meet the conditions for
infallibility as the Pope did not define a matter
of doctrine for the entire Church, nor was it his
intention to descend into theological details. - It does show evidence that the other Churches,
including the Patriarch of Constantinople, would
appeal to the papacy to settle theological
issues. - Later, the Church developed precise language in
defining its position that Jesus had two natures
(human and divine) and two wills (human and
divine).
43DOGMATIC AND SACRAMENTAL HERESIES DONATISM
(311-411)
- Donatism rejected the validity of the Sacraments
celebrated by priests and bishops who had
betrayed the Faith during persecution or who had
in other ways sinned. - They identified the true Church only with
themselves and even rebaptized those who joined
their sect. - St. Augustine was their chief opponent.
- He developed the Catholic position that Christ is
the true minister of every Sacrament, even if the
person celebrating the Sacrament is in a state of
sin. - St. Augustine separated the worthiness of the
priest from the validity of the Sacrament. - The Donatists were suppressed by the state AD
411, but were never fully defeated until Islam
overran the Church in Africa in the seventh and
eighth centuries.
44PELAGIANISM (late 300s-431)
- Pelagianism taught that man can be redeemed and
sanctified without grace. - It denied the existence of Original Sin, as well
as its transmission to the human family. - The Sacraments were superfluous since salvation
could be obtained by human effort. - These views were condemned at the councils of
Carthage and Milevis AD 416 and AD 418 the Pope
excommunicated its founders. - These issues surrounding the Fall, Original Sin,
and grace reappeared during the Middle Ages and
again at the time of the Reformation.
45ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO
- St. Augustine (354430) was perhaps the greatest
Father of the Church. He was a pastor, penitent,
monk, preacher, bishop, teacher, and theologian.
No other theologian rivaled his importance until
St. Thomas Aquinas. - St. Augustine was born to a pagan father and a
Christian mother (St. Monica). He lived a
dissolute life for many years before converting
to the Faith. During this time he cohabited with
a woman with whom he had a child and later became
deeply involved with the heresy of Manichaeism.
46ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO
- Upon moving to Milan he found great intellectual
stimulation in neo-Platonic philosophy and the
preaching of St. Ambrose. - After a conversion experience he resolved to
become Catholic and to abandon his sinful life.
He and his son were baptized. However, he soon
suffered tragedy as his mother, who had prayed
for her sons conversion her entire life, died,
and his son died the following year. - He returned to his birthplace in North Africa
where he established a monastic community and
lived a life dedicated to prayer and penance.
Upon a visit to Hippo, he was seized by the
people and ordained a priest by the bishop. Four
years later he became a bishop.
47ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO
- St. Augustine was a voluminous writer who
addressed all of the major heresies of his day
Manicheans, Donatists, Pelagians, Arians, and the
pagans. - His theology addresses the Trinity, grace, the
Fall, Original Sin, repentance, Sacraments,
predestination, and atonement. - St. Augustines theology and writings came to be
adopted as the official teaching of the Church. - A number of religious orders adopted his rule in
the Middle Ages. - By the time of his death the temporal, social,
and economic order of the Roman Empire was
ending. - His writings set the theological tone in the
West, and his philosophy and theology dominated
Christian thought for some eight hundred years
until the advent of Scholasticism and St. Thomas
Aquinas.
48PART V Christianity Official Religion of the
Roman Empire
- For political reasons the state wanted religious
unity and uniformity. The Church in the East,
influenced by the growing power of the Patriarch
of Constantinople under the strong influence of
the emperor, tended to accept a role of the
Church which was subservient to the interests of
the state. - The dual role as head of state and leader of the
Church on the part of the emperor was called
caesaropapism. The emperor played a major role in
selecting the patriarch who was then beholden to
the emperor.
49PART V Christianity Official Religion of the
Roman Empire
- In the West as well, the papacy wanted a good
working relationship with the state. However, the
Church in the west did not allow anyone, even the
emperor, to be above the law of Christ. - When Constantine abandoned Rome, it left the
papacy with temporal power in addition to its
spiritual power. When the state collapsed, the
papacy was there to defend and preserve the Faith
and culture of the people.
50CONSTANTINES ASCENDANCY
- After the Edict of Milan, Constantine and
Licinius ruled the Roman Empire. - AD 321 Licinius began a persecution of bishops
and clergy, and AD 324 he declared war on
Constantine. Licinius was defeated and religious
toleration was enjoyed throughout the Empire. - Constantine freed the Church and priests from
taxation, individual churches were permitted to
receive donations, work on Sunday was forbidden,
and crucifixion as a punishment was ended.
51CONSTANTINES ASCENDANCY
- Constantine founded the city of Contantinople on
the site of the Greek city of Byzantium. It was
dedicated to the protection of Mary under the
title of Theotokos and survived for over a
thousand years until it fell to the Ottoman Turks
in 1453. - In moving the capital to Constantinople, the
economic, cultural, and linguistic power shifted.
The east was wealthier and more heavily
populated. It looked upon the West as backward
and poor. - On his deathbed Constantine was baptized by an
Arian bishop. The East declared him a Saint.
Although the West did not concur, he was given
the title the Great.
52JULIAN THE APOSTATE
- Julian (332-363) was the nephew of Constantine.
He became Caesar in 355. The title Apostate
(one who willingly renounces the Faith) has been
given to Julian because, though he was baptized a
Christian, as emperor he tried to de-emphasize
Christianity. - Although he didnt persecute Christians, he
promoted paganism placing it on an equal footing
with Christianity, and attempted to strip the
Church of all of the privileges with which it had
been granted by Constantine. - The Emperors following Julian moved to reduce
paganism to oblivion and re-established the
special status of Christianity.
53THEODOSIUS I THE GREAT (379-395)
- Theodosius I cemented the union between Church
and state with his AD 391 decree declaring
Christianity to be the official religion of the
Empire. - Heresy became a legal offence and pagan sacrifice
was outlawed. - This union of throne and altar became the
standard relationship between Church and state
until Vatican Council II. This union posed many
challenges and occasioned many crises for the
Church over the centuries.
54CONCLUSION
- The Edict of Milan brought about a moment of
freedom to the Church. However, the Church was
convulsed by one theological controversy after
another for the next two centuries. - Only the leadership of the Popes, the Church
Fathers, and the Ecumenical Councils under the
influence of the Holy Spirit guided the Church
through the treacherous waters of heresy. - The proclamation of Christianity as the official
religion of the Roman Empire by Theodosius I in
391 inaugurated a new era in Christianity.
55The End