Church Victorious:

1
Chapter 3

• Church Victorious
• The Age of the Fathers
• 300-500 A.D.

2
Tetrarchy

• Roman Emperor, Diocletian creates tetrarchy
• Eastern Western
• Augustus 1
• Caesar 2
• Each center had a Caesar controlling the region
• The four were supposed to rule together

3
The New Roman Empire
4
Power Struggles

• Diocletian and Maximian Diocletians
  Self-Imposed Exile (305 CE)
• Constantius and Galerius from Caesares to
  Augusti
• Constantius dies his son Constantine assumes
  power as an Augustus
• Constantines rise is contested by Maxentius son
  of Maximian
• Civil War begins between Constantine and Maxentius

5
The Triumph of Constantine

• Battle at Milvian Bridge outside of Rome
  October 28, 312 A.D.
• Constantines Vision
• The Chi-Rho Monogram

In hoc signo vinces In this sign you will
conquer
6
Battle of the Milvian Bridge
7
Arch of Constantine
8
Constantine
9
Constantine as Sole Emperor

• Uneasy Peace between Constantine (west) and
  Licinius (east) 312-314 A.D.
• Licinius defeated at Adrianople (Balkans,
  northwest of Byzantium)
• Constantine extends Diocletianic program
• Sub-divisions of power
• Dichotomy between civil and military service
• Unwieldy bureaucracy
• Attempt to freeze society

10
Legalization of Christianity

• Occurs in 313 A.D. with the Edict of Milan
• Ending 250 years of persecution
• Judicial authority given to bishops
• Help maintain order
• Lords Day becomes Holy Day (321 A.D.)
• From Saturday (Sabbath) to Sunday (Sun god)
• Christianity using established Roman celebrations
• Imperial revenue subsidized the Church
• Constantine and successors gradually increase
  imperial support for Christianity

11
Edict of Milan

• Observing that freedom of worship should not be
  denied, but that each one should be given the
  right in accordance with his conviction and will
  to adhere to the religion that suits his
  preference, we had already long ago given orders
  to the Christiansto maintain the faith of their
  own sect and worship.
• Constantine and Licinius, 313 A.D.

12
Reasons for Church and State

• Linking the Empire and the Church offered several
  benefits
• Christianity had a growing population
• Organized system of control
• Endurance through persecution
• Could potentially help with stability
• Pax Romana
• If God was pleased then life in Rome would be
  good

13
Constantine and the Beginnings of the Christian
Roman Empire

• A Christian Empire Ecumenical Council at Nicaea
  (325 A.D.)
• Council called by Constantine to preserve order
  in the Empire
• Inauguration of Constantinople (Byzantium
  Istanbul)
• Built by Constantine in 330 A.D. as the new Rome

14
4 Great Councils

• 4th and 5th centuries 4 major councils
• Ecumenical Council
• Meetings of bishops called by the magisterium
  from which all decrees bind members of the Church
• 4 Great Councils
• 325 Nicaea
• 381 Constantinople
• 431 Ephesus
• 451 Chalcedon

15
Importance of Councils

• Ecumenical Councils became opportunity for the
  Church to clarify its teaching
• Important aspects of studying councils
• Controversies over Christian teaching have been
  part of Church history for a long time
• Councils provide a procedure for the Church to
  settle matters of conflict
• In the midst of conflicts, wise leaders will
  emerge who clarify and keep alive the Christian
  message
• The Christian message is not just about eternal
  life but is also concerned about temporal affairs

16
325 A.D. Council of Nicaea

• Nicaea Northwest Asia Minor
• First Ecumenical Council
• Called by Constantine ratified by Sylvester I
• First major meeting of the Church since the
  Council of Jerusalem
• Reason
• Discussion of Arianism
• there was a time when he was not
• Rejection of the divinity of Christ
• Super creature / not God

17
Nicaea (cont)

• Results
• Definition of the Father Son as homoousious
  of the same substance
• Coeternal, consubstantial, coequal
• Condemned Arius and Arianism
• First draft of Nicene Creed
• Key theologian
• St. Athanasius as a deacon would become bishop
  and doctor of the Church

18
381 A.D. Council of Constantinople

• Constantinople modern day Istanbul
• Second Ecumenical Council
• Called by Emperor Theodosius I
• Pope St. Damasus did not attend
• Eastern bishops only in attendance
• Reason
• Discussion of Apollinarianism
• Holy Spirit as a creature

19
Constantinople (cont)

• Results
• Confirmed results of Nicaea
• Affirmed the deity of the Holy Spirit
• Condemned Macedonius and Apollinarianism
• Final draft of the Nicene Creed
• Key theologians
• St. Gregory Nazianzen (presiding bishop)
• St. Cyril of Jerusalem

20
431 A.D. Council of Ephesus

• Ephesus south west Asia Minor
• Third Ecumenical Council
• Called by Theodosius II ratified by Pope
  Celestine I
• Reason
• Discussion of Nestorianism
• Role of Mary as Mother of God

21
Ephesus (cont)

• Results
• Condemned Nestorianism and Nestorius
• Mary as the Mother of Jesus and of God
• Theotokos God-bearer
• Affirmed two natures in the one person of Christ
  human and divine
• Affirmed the condemnation of Pellagianism
• Key theologian
• St. Cyril of Alexandria, Doctor of the Church

22
451 A. D. Council of Chalcedon

• Chalcedon north of Constantinople
• Forth Ecumenical Council
• Called by Emperor Marcian ratified by Pope Leo
  the Great
• Reason
• Discussion of Monophysitism
• One nature in Christ (divine)

23
Chalcedon (cont)

• Results
• Condemned Eutyches and Monophysitism
• Declared Christs two natures unmixed, unchanged,
  undivided, inseparable
• Key theologian
• St. Leo the Great, Doctor of the Church

24
Results of the Early Councils

• As a result of the early councils, the Church was
  able to shape and clarify much of its theology
• Led to more consistency of belief within the
  entire Church
• Specific statements regarding the essence of the
  Trinity, Christ, and Mary
• Clear statements of belief held by the Church
  today
• Demonstrated the presence and guidance of the
  Holy Spirit
• Guiding the Church, then and now, to minister to
  all its people

25
Western Roman Empire Falls

• Major Causes
• Relocation of the capital to Constantinople
• Rome left as an imperial afterthought
• Weak Roman forces left to defend a large
  territory
• Visgioths
• Germanic tribe, first to lay siege to Rome
• Vandals
• Destructive nomadic tribe adopted Arianism
  persecuted mainstream Christians
• Huns
• A tribe originating in China one of the last
  barbarian groups to invade Western Europe

26
Aftermath

• Bishop of Rome as Emperor of the West
• The power vacuum allowed the bishop of Rome soon
  called the Pope to assume more power and
  authority
• St. Damasus (366-384)
• First used the term Apostolic See to connect his
  authority to that of the Apostles, specifically
  St. Peter
• Claimed that the East sent Sts. Peter and Paul
  because Rome was destined to be the center of the
  Church
• Paved the way for Leo the Great to take over

27
Leo the Great

• The Rising Influence of the Papacy
• The office of Pope became important due to Rome's
  fall in 410 to the Visigoths
• He provided leadership
• Put the papacy in the spotlight
• Became pope in 440
• Began to use the title "Pontifex Maximus"
  (Highest bridge maker)
• used by Roman emperors to show their role as high
  priest in the pagan religion
• Pope was an earlier title from the Greek "pappas"
  father
• Leo changed that due to his position as spiritual
  father and state official.
• Leo makes peace with Attila the Hun

28
The Fathers of the Church

• Fathers of the Church
• Designation for Church leaders during the early
  centuries of Christianity whose teachings
  formulated Christian doctrine
• Eastern Fathers
• St. Athanasius, Gregory of Nyssa, St. Basil, St.
  Gregory of Nazianzus, St. John Chrysostom
• Western Fathers
• St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St.
  Gregory the Great

29
Augustine

• Bishop of Hippo (354-430 A.D.)
• Born in North Africa or Roman Africa
• Father Roman Official
• Mother Monica who was a Christian
• Augustine had a mistress and a son, Adeodatus
• Manichaean
• One God created good another created evil
• No one was responsible for his/her sins

30
Augustine (cont)

• The Influence of Plato and Ambrose
• Plato argued that there existed a world beyond
  what we see - the ideal realm where perfection
  exists. DUALISM - having both body and spirit.
• Romans 1313-14 141 - motivates Augustine to
  convert to Christianity.
• The Confessions, Augustine's Autobiography
• At 33, he is baptized by Ambrose
• Returned to North Africa and founded a monastery,
  made a priest, 4 years later made a bishop.

31
Augustine vs. Donatism

• Donatist-
• Donatus, Bishop of Carthage in North Africa
• Any apostate could never be forgiven
• Disloyal bishops did not perform real sacraments
• The validity of the sacrament rested solely on
  the worthiness of the bishop
• Augustine disagreed
• It did not allow for the God's grace to work
• Augustine A sacraments validity comes from
  God working through weak and sinful people.

32
Augustine vs. Pellagianism

• Pelagianism
• (named after monk Pelagius)
• Issue Grace or God's power vs. work/human
  efforts for salvation
• Pelagius said that people could be saved without
  God's grace
• We need to work hard enough
• Why? Because Pelagius reacted against moral
  laxity that was rampant in the empire.
• Augustine said we are separated from God due to
  Original Sin as told in the story of Adam and
  Eve. So . . .
• Human nature tends to sin. But . . .
• God's grace helps us overcome the tendency to
  sin.

33
Augustine and the Fall of Rome

• The City of God
• 410, Rome falls to the Barbarian Goths. Once
  again the Christians were blamed because their
  God did not save the city.
• Augustine responds with his greatest work, The
  City of God
• History ongoing struggle between two realms
• City of God and City of Man

34
Monasticism

• Quest for holiness begun in North Africa
• Movement - great contribution to the Church and
  society
• Mono
• Greek word meaning alone, single
• Monasticism
• The movement of people away from the world to
  pursue holiness
• New way to live the Gospel
• Following example of Christ going into the
  dessert

35
St. Ambrose (339-397)

• Son of a Roman official became a governor of
  northern Italy in Milan
• In 374, the bishop of Milan died leaving a
  vacancy the people shouted for Ambrose who was
  not even a baptized Christian
• Became the mentor to St. Augustine

36
St. Jerome (331-420)

• Assigned the task of translating the Bible by
  Pope Damasus at the age of 50
• Need for a Latin edition to compliment the common
  language of the West
• Took roughly 15 years to finish the task
• Vulgate
• Derived from the same Latin root as vulgar
  which originally meant of the common people
• Also responsible for establishing monasteries in
  and around Jerusalem

37
St. Basil (329-379)

• Father of Eastern Monasticism
• wrote a rule on how to live a life of prayer and
  quiet with other people
• rule was needed because too many people were
  doing excessive penance and fasting
• Basil encouraged his followers to pray in
  silence, serve the poor and sick, and study
• In the eastern church his rule is still followed

38
Two Levels of Meaning