Introduction to Select Lectures in Church History

21 February 2007

Ann T. Orlando

Introduction to Class

Introductory remarks Importance of Church History for me Review Syllabus

Requirements Structure of course Course Web Site

Primary sources Where are they? How to read them

Periods of Church History Background to Ignatius of Antioch

Importance of Church History(or why I love Church History) Gives me the context for the theological answers

that have been developed and taught by the Church Often, can’t appreciate the answer without knowing the

question Example: Jesus Christ whom we confess as one person

with two natures Gives me an appreciation for importance of Catholic

Church in Western civilization Gives the examples of holy men and women for me

to follow

Requirements

Class attendance and active participation. Each class will consist of two parts;

Reading of one page papers and discussion by class Lecture

The 1 page paper every week; should focus on the primary source readings.

The paper should start with a one sentence thesis statement, followed by supporting arguments that answers the paper topic question.

Structure for Each Class Period One page paper will be read by class-

member; followed by class discussion of readings

Break I will lecture on what the readings cover for

the coming week I will review readings for coming week Primary Sources and CCC NEXT week See syllabus for example

Texts for Class

Augustine, Confessions, trans. Chadwick Handouts or web accessible readings

Ignatius of Antioch Benedict of Nursia Thomas Aquinas Martin Luther and Ignatius Loyola

CCC

Primary Sources

Different, multiple sources each week; should be focus of papers Reference ancient works using Book/Chapter/Paragraph numbering

(e.g., Luke 1:1-4) Read everything critically

What issues is author addressing; how important is the historical circumstance to those issues

Who is the audience What is genre of the work (homily, thesis, poem, letter, Biblical

commentary) Caution using Web Resources

Anybody can put anything on the web and claim that it is ‘authoritative’

Many ancient works, especially early Church Fathers, are available, but in older translations

Maintenance of a web resource is still on an individual basis; no guarantee that information will be well maintained

What this class is NOT

This is not a class in Church History Not a systematic study of the major strands in

Church History Not an analysis of historical developments;

each lecture self-contained.

So, What is it?

Reading a few important, classic works in Church History

Historical background of the reading will be discussed

Historical and theological significance of the reading will be emphasized

Importance of reading will be emphasized through use of the CCC

Terminology: Periods of Church History Patristic: 100 ~ 700

Rise and Fall (in West) of Roman Empire Ignatius of Antioch, Augustine

Early Medieval: 400 ~ 1000 Rise of Islam, Rise of Europe Augustine, Benedict of Nursia

High Middle Ages: 1000 ~ 1300 Crusades, Popes and Kings, Rise of Universities Thomas Aquinas

Late Middle Ages and Reformation: 1300 ~ 1600 Fracturing of Christendom in West; Fall of Roman Empire in East Martin Luther and Ignatius Loyola

Beginning of Modernity and the Enlightenment: 1600 ~ ?? Separation of Church and State Rise of science, decline of faith

Background to Ignatius of Antioch Height of Roman Empire Early developments in Christianity Martyrs Early heresies

Rome

Traditional founding date of 753 BC Started as a Republic ruled by Senate Punic Wars, conquers and destroys Carthage 202

BC Maccabees ask Rome for help against Seleucids

160 BC Julius Caesar conquers Gaul 80 BC Augustus defeats Anthony and Cleopatra (last

Ptolemy ruler of Egypt) at Actium in 31 BC; Roman Empire established

Roman Empire existed in some form between 31 BC and 1453 AD

Second CenturyRoman Emperors The Five ‘Good’ Emperors: The Antonines (98-180)

Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius Good because the Empire prospered with excellent

government Until Marcus Aurelius, each Emperor adopted a suitable

successor rather than relying on a son But not so good for Christians; continued practice of

sporadic persecution Also not so good for Judaism; Trajan and Hadrian both

pursued wars against Jews

Map of Roman Empirefsmitha.com/h1/map18rm.htm

Roman Society

Roman religion was a public, civic obligation; NOT a way to have a personal relationship with Divine ‘mystery religions’ became very popular in 1st through 3rd Century Roman Society

(Cults of Mithra; Isis and Osiris; Dionysius) Anyone who did not offer sacrifice for the good of the state was considered an atheist

Roman Emperor increasingly was a general who was ‘adopted’ by current Emperor (Augustus).

Cult of Roman Emperor as god in his lifetime was started by Nero Roman household was composed of patron (father) and clients (wife, children,

slaves, business associates dependent upon him) Father had complete control of clients Adoption was very common Owning property was far more prestigious than commerce

Excellent road and mail system throughout the Empire Note that the most Latin (least Greek) part of the Empire was North Africa

Development of Rabbinic Judaism During the First War with Rome 66-73 AD, the Sadducees,

Essenes and Zealots were destroyed Destruction of Temple in 70

In 117 AD the Emperor Trajan destroyed the Hellenistic Jewish community in Alexandria; after this the Greek (or Hellenistic) Jews seemingly either converted to Christianity or rabbinic Judaism

Second Palestinian War, Bar Kochba rebellion, 132-135; after this war, Romans did not allow Jews into Jerusalem

The Pharisees were the group out of which rabbinic Judaism grew in the 2cd and 3rd C CE. They reestablished contact with the Mesopotamian Jews and their theology; rejected use of Greek philosophy and parts of the OT written in Greek, not Hebrew

Hellenistic (Greek) Jewish theology was taken over, preserved and used by early Christian theologians, especially in Alexandria

ChristianityEnd of First Century Christianity spread through missionary activities to urban

centers, especially with large Diaspora Jewish populations Remember, when Paul writes Romans, he is writing to a

predominantly Jewish Christian community that he did not found; he writes to introduce himself and his theology to Christians already in Roman

Christianity appeared to most outsiders (and some who considered themselves Christian) like another form of Judaism

Nero used Christians as scapegoats for fire in 64 AD Jewish Christian community was small Execution of Peter and Paul probably took place during this time

Rome quickly became the ‘capital’ city of Christianity Place where Peter and Paul died Capital of Empire “No one” left in Jerusalem

ChristianitySecond Century Further distancing from Judaism

Example: when to celebrate Easter: on Sunday or Passover? Converts increasingly have no previous contact with Judaism

Important centers of large Christian communities and learning: Rome, Alexandria, Antioch

Christianity offers itself to everyone, including women and slaves Notable for care of poor, widows, sick (ministry of deacons) Notable because Christians are unconcerned with conventional

societal patterns (Church more important than family) Notable for willingness to die rather than sacrifice

But there is not one type of Christianity One of earliest ‘heresies’ is docetism; Jesus only appeared to be

human Another contested issues is that God the Father of Jesus is not the

Creator of OT What literature written in 1st and 2cd C about Jesus is canonical Who has authority to teach

Most Profound Experience of Church in Second and Third Centuries: Persecution Why did Romans persecute Christians?

Because Christians would not honor Roman gods Civic duty to worship gods

Could also participate in other religions, but had to worship gods

Christianity appeared ‘new’ In antiquity, what was old was honored (Judaism)

Christians seemed to be threat to social order ‘Impiety’ not only not worshiping gods, but Church more

important than family or Empire Most persecutions were local, sporadic

Persecution of Decius c. 250 and Diocletian ealry 300s were Empire wide

Christian Responses to Persecution 1. Intellectual: Apologies written to justify Christianity

to Roman authorities 2. Facing torture and death without apostasy; often

even looking forward to martyrdom eagerly as a proof of solidarity with Jesus

3. But, if you believed that Jesus only appeared to be human (docetists), then there seemed little reason to be a martyr yourself

4. Some did not have the courage when accused, and so apostatized and/or paid others for their libelli

1. Response to Persecution:Apologies Type of literature that often had the form of a legal

defense It was intended for a highly educated pagan (i.e.,

philosophical) audience; often drew heavily on philosophical concepts to explain Christianity

Tried to establish antiquity and respectability of Christianity

It tried to show that Christianity was not to be feared, but encouraged good citizenship

St. Justin Martyr wrote two Apologies; Tertullian wrote an Apology

2. Response to Persecution:Martyrdom and Christianity Martyr comes from Greek word for witness Did not actually have to die to be a martyr,

but to suffer for faith (slavery, prison, mines) Note: Romans tried to avoid creating

Christian martyrs; accused were given several opportunities to offer sacrifice

Martyrs

Real desire to prove the totality of Christian faith (e.g., Origen On Martyrdom)

Those who died were (still are) considered heroes of the faith Pilgrimage to place of burial Remembering their sacrifice in “Acts”; Peter (Quo vadis);

Perpetua and Felicity; Justin Martyr Those who suffered but did not die (also known as

confessors) were popularly considered able to forgive sin of apostasy Problem for 3rd C bishops

3. Response to Persecution:Docetists (Gnostics) Heavily influenced by Platonism

Believed that Jesus was God, and therefore could not suffer

Physical was not important; one should try to rise above the physical to the spiritual

Martyrdom had little value Knowledge (gnosis) of faith was a secret revealed

by God to individual, not taught and open to all Docetists were bitterly fought by ‘orthodox’

Christians, especially bishops

4. Christian Response to Persecution:Apostates (or Lapsed) Very often, after persecution subsided,

apostate wanted to return to Church Some sought forgiveness from martyrs Some Churches refused to allow them to

return; Church only for pure: Donatists Some wanted them to be rebaptized Church needed a uniform policy

Ignatius of Antioch, d. 112

Seven letters to churches in Asia Minor and Rome; among most important early Christian writings

Note importance of suffering (opposed to docetists)

Note importance of Bishop Eucharistic references Remember when he talks about being eaten by

beasts, this is not metaphorical, but factual

Church Organization

Bishops, presbyters (elders, priests), deacons Based on Biblical divisions

Bishop as leader very early on (Ignatius) Bishops selected by presbyters and people; confirmed and

ordained by local bishops in area Presbyters primary mission was to help bishop

teach, assist at liturgy Deacons run the ‘business’ of Church; feed poor,

manage Church property and cemeteries; assist Bishop at Easter vigil baptisms

Assignment

Ignatius Letter to Romans CCC: 2473-2474 Write 1 page paper suggestions: role of

bishop; importance of martyrs