PAT 101 – NICENE & POST NICENE FATHERS

Lecture I What is Patrology?

 Patrology is derived from Latin word “Pater” which means “Father”

 Patrology is the science dealing with the life, acts, writings, sayings, doctrines & thoughts of the early fathers.

 Patrology focuses on ensuring the authenticity of these acts, publishing them and translating them in modern languages. Why Study Patrology?

 Leads us to a true understanding of through the works of the early fathers.

 Reveals to us the circumstances in which the fathers witnessed to .

 Helps us discover the fathers‟ dogma, doctrines & concepts concerning God, man, , , eternal life. Etc. Classifications of Patristic Writings Classification by Time

 Especially first 5 centuries can be classified on Time.

 First (Nicaea) separated fathers into 2 kinds:  Ante-Nicene – Simple Literature  Nicene & Post Nicene Fathers Classification by Language

 Greek (Eastern) Fathers  Majority of the fathers wrote in Greek.  Some also used their national languages such as Coptic, Syrian & Armenian.

 Latin (Western) Fathers Classification by Place

 Egyptian Fathers – School of & .

 Antiochenes Fathers – In Antioch ()

 Cappadocian Fathers – In (Asia Minor)

 Latin Fathers – In Europe Classification by Material

 Apologetic – defending the faith against critics.

 Biblico-exegetical – Interpretations/Explanations of the .

& .

 Letters.

 Liturgical works. Classification by Material

 Christian poetry & songs

 Dialogues

 Ascetic Writings

 Church canons

 Church History Chronological Outline of Patristic Literature

The Beginning of Christian Patristic Literature

Ante-Nicene Literature after St. .

Golden Age of the Eastern Fathers

Western Fathers (4th and 5th Centuries)

Writings after the Outline of Patristic Literature

• Canonical Legislation & liturgical Formulas. Beginning • Writings of . • Apocryphal Literature (separated from of canonical books). Christian • Acts of the Patristic • Works of the Apologists – Defenders of Literature the faith. • Beginnings of Heretical Literature • Beginning of Anti-Heretical Literature Outline of Patristic Literature

• Writings of the early fathers of the School of Alexandria. Ante- • Writings of the fathers of Asia Minor, Syria & Nicene Palestine. • Beginning of the western Literature by Minucius, Felix, Hippolytus of , etc. after St. • The African christian Fathers such as Irenaeus , St. , Arnobius of Sicca & Lactantinus • Other writings of the west Outline of Patristic Literature

Golden Age & • Egyptian Fathers such as St. Alexander who Eastern faced , St. Athanasius the Apostolic, St. Serapion, St. , Fathers St.Theophilus., St. Cyril the great. • Foundation of the monastic movement in enriched by the writings of those who Council of practiced or recorded monastic life. Nicea (325 • Cappadocian Fathers writings ex. St. Basil AD) – Council the great, St. Gregory of , etc. of Chalcedon (451AD) Outline of Patristic Literature

Golden • Writings of the fathers of Asia Minor: Age & of Nicomedia, Asterius the Sophist.. Eastern • Writings of the fathers from Antioch & Syria: Eusebius of Caesarea, Eunomius of Fathers Cyzicus, Acacius of Caesarea. • Christianity and Manichaeism (religion founded in the 3rd centruy): John Council of Chrysostom, Diodore of Tarsus, Theodore of Nicea (325 Mopsuestia, Mark the . AD) – Council • Church Historians of Constantinopole: Philip of Chalcedon Sidetes, Socrates, Theodoret of Cyrus. (451AD) Outline of Patristic Literature

• St. Hilary of Pitiers. • Anti-Arian Writers: Eusebius of Vercelli, Western Maruis Victorinusetc. Fathers • St. of Milan. • St. . • The writers of Gaul (Western Europe); (4th & 5th Eucherius of Lyons, Eutropius, Hilary of Centuries) Arles • Italian writers; Fortunatius of Aquileia, Maximus of Turin, Zosimus, Celestine I, Leo. Outline of Patristic Literature

Writings • The Great Miaphesite Fathers: St. after the Severus of Antioch, St. Timothy of Council Alexandria & St. Philoxenos of Mabagh. Chalcedon • The Egyptian Fathers in the . The Apostles‟

 A brief summary of the principal doctrines of Christianity.

 Written in the „Beginning of the Christian Patristic literature‟ stage of Patristic Literature.

 Written after Apostolic age.

 All it‟s articles express the faith of the Apostles.

 Considered by the western church as the basic of her . Creeds History– Baptismal Creed

 “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16). A starting point of setting a creed.

 Baptismal Creed - Proclamation of the faith in a brief & simple form.

 Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Christ is the Son of God.“ (Acts 8:37).

 Confession of faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God was sufficient for converts to be baptized. Creeds History – ICHTHUS (ΙΧΘΥΣ)

 Hellenistic (Greek) world Creed.

 Classic Greek for „fish‟ & initials of „Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour‟. Added „Saviour‟ to baptismal creed.  Iota (i) is the first letter of Iēsous (ησοῦς), Greek for Jesus.  Chi (ch) is the first letter of Christos (Χριστóς), Greek for "Christ" or "anointed".  Theta (th) is the first letter of Theou (Θεοῦ), that means "God's", genitive case of Θεóς, Theos, "God".  Upsilon (u) is the first letter of huios (Υ͑ ἱός), Greek for Son.  Sigma (s) is the first letter of sōtēr (Σωτήρ), Greek for Savior. Creeds History – Heresy

 Bodies and all material as evil and created by Satan.

 Denies reality of incarnation.

 Christ had a heavenly body different from our body. He never suffered nor was crucified.

 Necessity for a creed to emphasize the reality of incarnation, suffering, crucifixion, resurrection & ascension in every worship.

 Thus the Apostles’ Creed. Apostles‟ Creed Text

 I believe in Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;

 And in Jesus Christ, His Only Son, our Lord:

 Who was conceived by the , born of the Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;

 He descended into Hades, the third day He rose from the dead;

 He ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; Apostles‟ Creed Text

 from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

 And I believe in the Holy Spirit;

 the holy Church; the communion of ;

 the forgiveness of sins;

 the resurrection of the body;

 and the life everlasting. The

 Lord‟s instructions to the gentiles through the twelve apostles.  One of the oldest documents of Christian antiquity.  Oldest source of ecclesiastical (church) law.  Highly esteemed in the early church in Egypt, Syria and Palestine.  F. L. Cross (Divinity professor, University 1944- 1968) states that the discovery of this work as a guide of an educational teaching and church order is the most important in the field of Fathers‟ literature in the last hundred years. Didache – Author

 Not attributed to a specific editor.

 Summary of the Lord‟s teachings to the Apostles through their evangelism to the Gentiles. Didache - Date

 Dated to the second half of the first century because:  Refer to the stability of the Church – realized at the end of the apostolic time.  Most quotations derived from the according to St. Matthew – not collated before 90 AD.  Does not deal with attitude of Judaism – first problem that faced the church in apostolic age.  Collated close to the Apostolic era because:  Very simple language – fitted that period. Didache Discovery

 Discovered in 1837 AD by Philotheos Bryennios – Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Nicomedia.

 Discovered in the Jerusalem Codex (11th-century Greek manuscript dated to1052 or 1056 A.D.).

 Published in 1883. Didache - Contents

 Ecclesiastical rituals of the time.

 Instructions on the organization of communities.

 Regulations pertaining to liturgical functions.

 Divided in four sections:  Christian Behaviour 1 – 6.  Liturgical & Sacramental Life 7-10, 14.  Disciplinary Regulations 11 – 15.  Parousia (Coming) of the Lord. Didache - Samples

Be watchful over your life; never let your lamps go out or your loins be un-girt, but keep yourselves always in readiness, for you can never be sure of the hour when our Lord may be coming. Come often together for spiritual improvement; because all the past years of your faith will be no good to you at the end, unless you have made yourselves perfect.