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8th Grade Religion
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The Patristic Period
c. 100 - 500AD
• Extends from the death of John to around the time of the collapse of the Roman Empire
- called Patristic because "pater" is the Latin word for "father“
- during this time the Church fathers wrote and preached
Important events of the Patristic Period:
* @ 196AD - the Didache
- "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles“
- oldest surviving written catechism
- has three main sections: - Christian ethics - sacraments and rituals - Church organization
• @ 292AD - Emperor Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into East and West
- under Diocletian Christians were persecuted, almost to the point of elimination
• @ 313AD - Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan
- the practice of Christianity was made legal by this document
- over time, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire
TERMS:
1. hermit - a person who lives a simple life of poverty, alone in prayer and sacrifice
2. monk - lives alone, but joins other monks in sacrament and prayer
3. heresy - a false religious teaching
4. heretic - a person who teaches or believes a false teaching
5. dissension - strong disagreement
6. apostasy - total desertion of one's religion
7. schism - division within the Church
8. ecumenical - pertaining to the whole Church
9. synod - a meeting of local bishops
* After Roman persecution had stopped, the
Church had to deal with a series of heresies.
- The Arian heresy questioned the divinity of Jesus, and later, the Holy Spirit.
- an ecumenical council was called in 325AD in Nicea. This was the Council of Nicea
- every Catholic bishop in the world was invited
- the bishops composed the Nicene Creed, expressing the divinity and humanity of Jesus
- in 381AD, the Council of Constantinople expanded the Creed and defined the nature of the Holy Spirit
• In 431AD, the Council of Ephesus was held
- Nestorius was spreading a heresy that questioned the role of Mary
- at the Council of Ephesus the bishops declared that Mary was the Mother of God
• The challenge of these heresies helped the Church:
- clarify beliefs in the Creed - establish the challenge of the scripture - establish rituals of the sacraments
• Thinkers and teachers during this period were the Church Fathers. They include:
- St. Athanasius - defended Jesus' divinity against the Arian heresy
- St. Basil - worked to improve the relationship between the East and the West
- St. Ambrose - bishop who defended against heretics; he brought St. Augustine into the faith
- St. Augustine - bishop of Hippo; became a great Christian writer (doctor of the Church)
- St. Jerome - translated the bible from original languages into Latin. His bible was called the Vulgate