ASF MIDTERMS

• History of the Church

  1. Foundation of the Church

  2. Christians are persecuted

  3. Four Early Church Councils

  4. Medieval Church And Reformation

  5. Reformation And Church Counter Reformation

  6. Church Counter-Reformation

  7. Modern Church
• Foundation of the Church

  After the ascension of Jesus, the Pentecost occurred in AD 33, marking the descent of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the church. The apostles and disciples began evangelization and conversion, with people accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior and being baptized. The early Christians lived in unity and charity, putting everything in common under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
• Persecution of Christians


  Persecution of Christians under the Roman empire started from the 1st century until 313, when the Edict of Milan ended the persecution. Reasons given for the persecution included treason, rumored crimes, illegal assembly, introducing an alien cult, cannibalism and immorality. Notable persecuting Roman emperors included Nero, Decius, Diocletian, Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, and Domitian.
• Despite the persecution, the early Christian church continued to grow in numbers, which was seen as a mystery guided by the Holy Spirit. Tertullian said "the blood of martyrs is the seed of Christianity".
• Edict of Milan


  The Edict of Milan by Emperors Constantine and Licinius gave Christianity legal status and a reprieve from persecution, but did not make it the state religion.
• Edict of Thessalonica


  The Edict of Thessalonica by Emperor Theodosius made Nicene Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
• Four Early Church Councils

  1. Nicaea (325) - formulation of the Nicene creed

  2. Constantinople (381) - dogmatically defined the Divinity of God the Holy Spirit

  3. Ephesus (431) - declared Mary as Mother of God

  4. Chalcedon (451) - affirmed that Christ had two natures, divine and human, except sin, and was true God
• Medieval Church


  • Theocracy in Europe, with Church and State as one, and Feudalism as the social order. The Church provided religious guidance and served as the government. Monasticism was prominent, with the Church hierarchy of Pope, Cardinals, Bishops/Archbishops, Priests, and Monastic Orders.
• The Church made notable contributions during the Medieval period, including in education, medicine, and the arts.
• Reformation


  The Protestant Reformation was a 16th century European movement aimed at reforming the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, led by figures like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Zwingli.
• Church Counter Reformation


  The Catholic Church responded to the Protestant Reformation with its own reforms and efforts to counter the spread of Protestantism.
• Miniatures are examples of the practical application of arithmetic, astronomy, music, and geometry subjects
• Monastic and cathedral schools laid down the foundation of the university learning systems
• The Protestant Reformation was a major 16th century European movement aimed initially at reforming the beliefs and practices of The Roman Catholic Church
• Clergy abuse caused people to begin criticizing the Catholic Church
• Grave abused on penitentials were prevalent among the clergies
• Greed and scandalous lives of some clergies created a split between them and the peasants
• The split was more over on doctrines than corruption
• Martin Luther and companions (Protestant churches) - Religious issues turned into political issues. Many monarchs sided with him
• King Henry VIII (Church of England or Anglican) - Political issues to religious issues
• Counter-Reformation


  Period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation
• Counter-Reformation


  1. Initiated to address the effects of the Protestant Reformation

  2. Comprehensive effort composed of apologetic and polemical documents and ecclesiastical configuration as decreed by the Council of Trent

  3. Not actually a form of direct counter attack against Protestantism but more on the personal /internal conversion of the church
• Reforms of the Counter-Reformation

  • Foundation of seminaries for the proper training of priests in the spiritual life and the theological traditions of the Church
  • Reform of religious life by returning orders to their spiritual foundations
  • New spiritual movements focusing on the devotional life and a personal relationship with Christ, including the Spanish mystics and the French school of spirituality
  • Latin became the official language of the church
  • The sacred liturgy or the mass is in Latin
• A primary emphasis of the Counter-Reformation was a mission to reach parts of the world that had been colonized as predominantly Catholic and also try to reconvert areas such as Sweden and England that once were Catholic but had been lost to the Reformation
• Key elements of the Catholic Reformation


  • The founding of the Jesuits
  • The formation of the papacy
  • The Council of Trent
• Saints like Ignatius of Loyola, Charles Borromeo, Philip Neri, Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Francis de Sales among others lived a life of examples. Instead of attacking the doctrines of the church, they reformed the church by living the gospel principles/values of Jesus
• Ecclesia semper reformanda - The church who is need of constant reform
• The First Vatican Council, commonly known as Vatican I, was the 20th ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, convened by Pope Pius IX to address contemporary issues
• Dei Filius


  A substantially condensed version of the schema on Catholic doctrine that deals with faith, reason, and their interrelationships
• Pastor Aeternus


  Deals with the pope's power
• The decree states that the true successor of St. Peter has full and supreme jurisdiction over the entire church; that he has the right of free communication with the pastors of the entire church and their flocks; and that his primacy includes the supreme teaching power, to which Jesus Christ added the prerogative of papal infallibility, which keeps the pope free from error when he speaks on matters pertaining to faith and morality
• The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as Vatican II, was the Roman Catholic Church's 21st ecumenical council, proclaimed by Pope John XXIII on January 25, 1959, as a method of spiritual renewal for the church and an opportunity for Christians separated from Rome to engage in a search for Christian unity
• Contributions of the Second Vatican Council

  • Opened the Church's windows onto the modern world
  • Updated the liturgy
  • Gave a larger role to laypeople
  • Introduced the concept of religious freedom
  • Started a dialogue with other religions and ecumenism with other Christian denominations
• Saint Augustine


  • Father and doctor of the Church
  • Belong to the ancient church (1st to 5th century AD)
  • Holiness of life
  • Great contribution to the data of theology (literatures) of the church
  • Proclaimed by the church
  • Orthodoxy of doctrine- consistent to the teachings of the church
• Doctor of the Church

  • Holiness of life
  • Great contribution to the data of theology (literatures) of the church
  • Proclaimed by the church
  • Orthodoxy of doctrine- consistent to the teachings of the church
• What the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about the Church's origins and historical development receives a very rich elaboration in Saint Augustine's teachings
• Saint Augustine distinguishes two aspects of the Church: the Church as a spiritual reality and the Church as an institution
• Saint Augustine attributes the origins of the Church to God's invitation to men to enter into communion with himself
• Saint Augustine speaks of God's three-fold "visitation" of humanity: the first age before the law, the second age under the law, and the third age of grace
• Saint Augustine demonstrates that even those who lived before the coming of the Messiah had the possibility to be saved