Download Chapter 2: The Church Fathers and Heresies

Chapter 2:
The Church Fathers
and
Heresies
The Founding of
Christendom
(Christ + Kingdom)
Post-Edict of Milan
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Constantine favors
Christianity: builds the early
great basilica churches, taxexempt status, privileges for
the clergy, etc.
Fashionable to convert to
Christianity.
Mixture of authentic believers
and opportunists wanting to
gain favor with the Emperor
and his court.
Flavius Valerius Aurelius
Constantinus Augustus
(272-337)
New Rome
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Hagia Sophia
(“Holy Wisdom”)
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Moved the capital of the
Empire to Byzantium in 324.
Renamed it: Constantinople
Left an “administrative
emperor” in the West.
Two lines of emperors.
Executed his son Crispus, his
long-time companion-in-arms.
Had his wife Fausta boiled
alive in her bath.
Growth of the Church
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The Edict of Milan in 313
makes it possible for
Christianity to spread much
more rapidly in the Empire
than before.
During the Roman
persecutions, the Church had
to deal with an external
enemy.
During peaceful times, the
Church must deal with an
internal enemy:
Heresy!
Heresy
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Definition: a corruption in the doctrines that have
been divinely revealed by God (the Deposit of Faith)
A heretic is a person who is guilty of heresy.
It is a sin against the virtue of Faith.
Heresies have tried to destroy the work of Christ
accomplished for our salvation.
Catholics have a serious obligation to always believe
what has been revealed to us by God in its entirety.
We are not free to pick and choose those teachings we
like or don’t like.
Heresies of the
th
th
4 and 5 Centuries
Intro
Two competing schools of theological study:
1. Alexandria (Egypt)
2. Antioch (northern Palestine)
Theology: the science of the truths of the Faith
concerning God and His works.
 Alexandria: emphasis on the allegorical sense
(symbolic meanings) of Scripture and the
divinity of Christ (Christ is God).
 Antioch: emphasis on literal (historical) sense
of Scripture and Christ’s humanity.
Arianism
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Arius (250-336) was a priest in
Alexandria who studied in Antioch.
Extremely charismatic figure who
attracted hundred to hear him
preach.
Using neo-platonic philosophy and
the scriptures, Arius taught that Jesus
Christ is neither God nor equal to
the Father.
Christ is a perfect being, but not
God.
This heresy did not take into account
that Christ is both God and Man,
divine and human.
Reactions to Arius’ Teachings
The Bishop of Alexandria, along
with 100 North African bishops,
asked for a detailed explanation.
320: Synod of African Bishops
condemned Arianism.
 They urged Arius to recant his
teachings, but he refused.
 Arius left Egypt and went to
Caesarea.
 His ideas continued to spread
throughout the East and were
leading thousands of Catholics
astray.
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Anti-Arian
Arianism mushroomed out of control in the East,
parts of the West, and among the Germanic tribes.
 Arius died in 336 in the streets of Constantinople
just as he was named the city’s new Patriarch
(Archbishop).
St. Athanasius (296-373) was the great champion of
orthodoxy (right doctrine) against the Arian heresy.
 Sent into exile 5 times, he never tired of teaching
the true doctrine of Christ concerning his divinity.
 He was the fearless champion necessary to defeat
so great an evil.
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Emperor Constantine the Great
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Constantine did not wish to see a
division of Christianity between
Traditional Catholic and Arian
(Heretical).
Pushed for a General Council at
Nicea in 325.
A Council is a meeting of bishops
under the approval and supervision
of the Bishop of Rome (the Pope,
and successor of St. Peter, the Prince
of the Apostles).
Constantine even paid for the
traveling expenses of some of the
Western bishops
Council of Nicea - 325
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Pope St. Sylvester I
(314-335)
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At Nicea, Constantine opened the
first session (meeting) and played
peacemaker between the
Traditional Catholics and the Arian
Heretics.
About 300 Bishops were in
attendance (later, 318).
Many bishops still had the scars of
Diocletian’s persecution!
Pope St. Sylvester I was too sick to
attend, so he sent his legatus
instead: Bishop Ossius of
Cordova, Spain.
Deliberations took place in Greek.
Results
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The Nicene Fathers championed the traditional teaching
concerning Christ: that He is “true God and true Man.”
St. Athanasius proposed using the philosophical term
homoousios (Latin consubstantialis), which translates
“of the same substance.”
Christ possess two natures: Divine (He is the 2nd Person
of the Blessed Trinity) and Human (He was born of the
Virgin Mary from the line of David)
The Nicene Creed was promulgated which teaches the
orthodox (right teaching) understanding.
The Council did not invent a new teaching about Christ,
but simply reminded everyone what the teaching had
always been.
Orthodoxy Suffers Persecution
Only 2 Bishops refused to sign the Nicene
Creed, and Constantine had them exiled
immediately.
 The Arian camp included Eusebius of
Nicomedia (Bishop), who was favored by
Constantine’s sister Constantia.
328: In a surprise reversal, Constantine allowed
Eusebius and Arius to return from exile!
 Leaders of the orthodox Nicene teachings
were forced into exile.
 St. Athanasius was one of them.
 Arius died suddenly in the streets of
Constantinople just as he was about to
become bishop of the city. Literally dropped
dead.
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St. Athanasius (Greek
“Immortal”)
Arianism Triumphs???
337: Constantine dies and was baptized
on his deathbed by the Arian bishop
Eusebius of Nicomedia.
 Of Constantine’s 3 sons, 1 was
Arian (Constantius II), the other 2
were orthodox Catholics.
 Constantius controlled the East and
later on the West when his brother
Constans I was murdered in 350.
 He favored the Arians and
persecuted the orthodox Catholics
for defending the Nicene Creed.
 At one point, the great majority of
bishops and priests in the Church
had become heretics!!!
“It’s not the world against
Athanasius…it’s Athanasius
against the world!”
athanatos:
“immortal”
296 - 373
Christ Triumphs!!!
361: Emperor Constantius dies.
 In the West, the council at Paris
immediately reaffirms the Nicene
Faith.
 Semi-Arians (Christ was of
“similar” substance to the
Father), distrusting the Arians,
returned to the orthodox
Catholic Church.
 St. Athanasius returned from
exile and continued to preach
against the Arians.
 Soon, without imperial help,
Arianism dies out.
Santa Croce - Rome
Appollinarianism
No mind or will
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Apollinaris (310-390) was a friend of St.
Athanasius and staunch defender of
orthodoxy.
He was a zealous anti-Arian.
Became a Bishop in 360.
However, he fell into heresy.
He denied that Christ had a human
mind and will.
If he didn’t, then Christ did not have a
true human nature.
“True God and True Man”
This heresy was officially condemned at
the Council of Constantinople in 381.
Apollinaris the Heretic