Word Dwelled Among Us Handout (27 Sept)

Statue of Peter Preaching. (date unsure).

Here is the handout for the class that will take place on 27 September. Please note the links throughout the handout that will take you to some excellent websites containing relevant primary source material.

CH1A03 Christian History I

27 September 2010

THE WORD DWELLED AMONG US:

ORTHODOXY, CANON & INTELLECTUAL CHRISTIANITY

“No other religion had so high an ideal of an inclusive community of love. Yet, as we are to see again and again in the course of our story, no other religion has had as many divisions and as many bitter controversies between its adherents.” LaTourette,History, 1:119.

I. Persecution

            A. Nero & The Fire of Rome (A.D. 64)

B. The “Lesser” Persecutors

C. The Wraths of Decius & Valerian

II. The Threats

A. Greek culture

B. Gnosticism

C. Marcion

D. Montanism

E. Novationism & Donatism

III. The Thoughts & the Thinkers

A. Becoming Catholic & Orthodox

B. Apostles Creed (this link incl all versions & an article related to gnosticism)

C. Other Ideas

i. Apostolic Succession

ii. Purgatory

iii. Easter Controversy

iv. Trinity

v. Deity of Christ

D. Irenaeus

E. Tertullian

F. Clement of Alexandria

G. Origen

IV. The Formation of the BibleA. The Canon

i. Old Testament

ii. Why the delay?

iii. Need for written works

iv. Agrapha

v. Parallel Literature

B. Process of Canonization

i. Paul

ii. Gospels

iii. Acts & the “Double Duty”

 C. Criteria

i. Apostolicity

ii. Canon of Truth

iii. Spirit Attestation

iv. Catholicity

v. Chronology of Composition

vi. Use in Worship

V. The 4,5,6

4 Terms

1. Rule or Symbol of Faith: A collection of statements designed to test a Christian’s knowledge of the faith. Today it is known as the Apostles’ Creed.

2. Gnostic: Catch-all term for those who believed that a secret knowledge (gnosis) would set humans free from evil matter to be re-united with divine spirit. Often believed that the God of the Bible was an evil sub-deity & Jesus shared secret knowledge with only one of His disciples.

3. Apologist: Someone who wrote in defense (an apology) of the Christian faith.

4. Diatessaron (ca. A.D. 160): compiled by Tatian simply means a harmony of the Gospels. It is important because this early edition harmonizes the standard four gospels, this argues for the early view of them as a whole unit.

5 Events

1. Montanist Movement (A.D. 156-220): Also known as the “New Prophets” tried to return the church to the NT emphasis on prophecy & an active Spirit. Their harsh morality & inaccurate prophecies led many to reject them.

2. The Criteria for Canonization: What a book needed to be in order to be considered appropriate for inclusion within the Scriptures. (Canon means “Measuring Stick”)

3. Muratorian Canon (pre-A.D. 190): Recognized the NT as we have it without Hebrews, James & Peter’s Epistles.

4. The Easter Controversy: Should Easter be celebrated on Sunday or whatever day of the week the Jewish Festival of Passover fell?

5. Trinitarian Theology: How the early Christians wrestled with monotheism in the wake of their understanding of Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit.

6 Names

1. Marcion (d. A.D. 160): Gnostic that rejected the OT and believed that Christianity had been compromised by Judaism. He used a canon of Paul’s writings (minus the more Jewish ideas) and the Gospel of Luke (likewise redacted).

2. Tertullian (A.D. 160-225): North African Church Father. Used his brilliant legal mind to write against “modalism” (the idea that the Father, Son & Holy Spirit are not distinct). Became a Montanist in later life.

“Praxeas served the devil in Rome in two ways: expelling prophecy and introducing heresy, evicting the Spirit and crucifying the Father.”

Tertullian “Against Praxeas”

3. Origen (A.D. 185-254): Oversaw Alexandria & treated difficult scriptures allegorically.

4. Hippolytus (A.D. 170-236): Roman theologian. Recorded the Apostolike Paradosis (Apostolic Tradition); it included and early form of the Apostles’ Creed.

5. Papias (A.D. 60-130) Apostolic church father, wrote about the origins of the Gospel.

6. Irenaeus (A.D. 130-200): Church Father. Among other things defended Eastern Christians in the Easter controversy.

© James Robertson 2010