Transcript Chapter 5: Class Lecture Periods 1 & 8

Chapter 5: Class Lecture
Periods 1 & 8
Joseph Varco
SJHS Ecclesiology
Adapted from “The Catholic Church,” by Carl Koch
Timeline
• 300-350
– Constantine legalizes Christianity through Edict of Milan
– Council of Nicaea condemns Arian heresy; writes Nicene Creed
• 350-400
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Basil develops his monastic rule
Ambrose is made bishop of Milan
Jerome translates the Bible into Latin.
Ambrose forces Emperor Theodosius into public repentance
• 400-450
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Church settles on books of Christian canon
Augustine writes the “Confessions”
Rome falls to the Goths
Augustine writes “The City of God”
Patrick begins missionary work in Ireland
Leo the Great becomes Pope
• 450-500
– Council of Chalcedon affirms Jesus’ human AND divine natures
– Pope Leo negotiates peace with Attila the Hun
– Western empire falls
Monasticism
• Sought to find truth and meaning in the silence of
the wilderness
• Precedence:
– Moses had encountered God / burning bush on
deserted mountain
– Ezekiel had taken refuge on Mount Horeb
– Jesus went to desert to fast and pray, where tested by
satan
• Etymology
– Greek word “monos” meaning “alone” or “single”
– Main focus of hermits = contemplative prayer
Antony of Egypt
• One of the earliest hermit
– Moved to the desert in 270
– At age 18, both parents died
• Became well-loved and respected
– Attracted crowds  entered life of hermitage
Basil’s Rule
• Early monasteries were eccentric
• Basil:
– 4th century bishop
– sought to establish standardization
– Well educated in Constantinople and Athens
– Became a hermit in Asia Minor
– Developed a “rule of life”
• Main purpose of a monk was to “seek God in their
heart by listening in the silence of prayer”
Jerome
• 4th century monk
• Lived as a hermit, but grew up as a pagan in
northern Italy
• Educated in Latin and Greek in Rome
• Served as secretary to the pope.
• Translated Christian Testament and Psalms into
Latin from the original Greek and Hebrew
– Eventually, he translated the entire Bible into Latin 
Latin Vulgate (Latin was common language of the
west)
• Is contemplation as necessary today as it was
2000 years ago?
• Thoughts on monasteries / monks today
• What was the significance of the Latin
Vulgate?
• What was Basil/s contribution to monastic
life?
Ambrose
• In 300’s, Roman Empire is still divided into
East and West (separate rulers for each)
• Council of Nicaea in 325 rejected Arianism,
but it is still very much alive
• Western Emperor made an Arian bishop of
Milan
– People protested
• Ambrose, the governor of Milan, was baptized,
confirmed, given Eucharist, and ordained a bishop
instantly
Ambrose
• Experienced administrator, lawyer, and
governor
• Ambrose: sold gold and jewels to ransom
people held captive by Goths
• Arians tried to take churches from Ambrose
• Ambrose spoke of keeping church and state
separate
• Ambrose used his power to sway public
decisions, such as executions, etc.
Augustine
• Born in North Africa
• Dropped out of school at 16 due to poverty
– Eventually became a teacher
• Became a Manichaean
– One god created good and another created evil
• No responsibility for his sins
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Heavily influenced by Plato and Ambrose
Wrote “The Confessions,” his autobiography
Baptized at 33 and created a monastery
Elected Bishop of Hippo 4 years after ordination
Focused efforts on the Pelagians and Donatists
Donatists
• Christians who had their own churches in
Africa for almost 100 years.
– Claim: denying one’s faith (in cases of torture,
execution, etc.) is unforgivable.
– If a bishop did this, all his sacraments were invalid
• The validity of a sacrament depended on the
legitimacy of the bishop administering it
Pelagians
• A person can get to heaven without the
special inner help of God
– ie: no grace is necessary
– If you work hard enough, you guarantee you get
to heaven
• Augustine’s response:
– “The grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord
must be understood as that by which alone men
are delivered from evil, and without which they do
absolutely no good thing.”
Augustine, Part 2
• In 410, Rome falls
– Goths in the south, Franks in the northwest,
Vandals in Spain and North Africa
– Christianity is the scapegoat – how could God
allow it?
– Augustine’s response: “The City of God”
• Written over 12 years
• History is an ongoing struggle between two realities:
“City of God” and the “City of Man”
– City of God = Faith
– City of Man = Rome falling
Post 410
• Church fills the governance void left by fall of
Rome
• Leo the Great (Leo I)
– Elected in 440
– Well-known orator
– Began using title of “Pontifex Maximus” (Supreme
Pontiff)
• Previously used by Roman emperors
• Etymology:
– “Pope” derived from Greek word “pappas” or father
Peace and the Papacy
• Pope Leo I asked to intervene with Attila the
Hun
– Leo I travels 200+ miles to a military camp and
convinces Attila to stand down (no records of the
conversation)
• Pope Leo I intervenes again 10 years later with
the Vandals
Incarnation
• Incarnation: the belief that Jesus is both God
and man becomes a new issue of dispute
– East: Jesus has divine nature, but not a real
human nature
– Patriarch of Constantinople fatally injured
– Pope Leo convenes Council of Chalcedon in 451
• Jesus has 2 natures
– Split: Coptic and Jacobite divisions
Conflict
• Bishop of Rome was pre-eminent among all
bishops
– Patriarch of Constantinople was secondary
– Leo objected to elevation of Patriarch to Papal
status
• Would result in interference from Eastern Emperor
References
• Koch, Carl. “The Catholic Church” Saint Mary’s
Press.