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Ante-Nicene Fathers Ante-Nicene, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers “A society with no grasp of its history is like a person without a memory ” Jonathan Hill Question How did the early church defend itself from erroneous teachings? Religious Contexts of Early Church Part Pagan Part Culture Part Christian Intermingling of these three factors, precipitated the rise of various speculative teachings, which sort to provide answers to the tough questions of life: The Rise of Manichaeism Mani (216-277 AD) - born into family of Elkesiates, which blended Christian and Persian teachings. - formed ideas in context of Mesopotamian-Persian intellectual world - doctrine formed in dialogue with Hellenistic culture & philosophies as well as various eastern religions & philosophies. - Strict asceticism - Missionary in outreach Essential Components of Manichaeism Manichaeism taught: Notion of spiritual and material dualism. Once a spirit, humans were tricked by a god of darkness (material being) and became confined in the flesh. Salvation is gained through Manichean formulas and ascetic practices. Essential Components of Manichaeism Taken from John Hannah’s Charts of Ancient &Medieval Church History Geographical Spread of Manichaeism The Rise of Gnosticism Gnosticism: Perplexing Questions How can the existence of creation be explained? What is the origin of evil? How can a holy God create a universe with sin? The Rise of Gnosticism Simon Magus , Acts 8 Valentinus - student of Simon - blended biblical stories with Platonic philosophical doctrines - taught that God is 3-fold mystery, emanating 30 orders of Aeons of heavenly worlds. Marcion ? Basilides - creation fundamentally evil - agent of creation, Ialdobaoth Essential Components of Gnosticism Taken from John Hannah’s Charts of Ancient &Medieval Church History Essential Components of Gnosticism Gnosticism taught: God is wholly transcendent - Revealed Himself by way of emanations. The transcendent God could not have created the world as it is contrary to His nature. World was created by Demiurge, an emanation of God Dualism - A radical dualism between the spiritual and the material. The World was created by Demiurge, hence matter is evil. Essential Components of Gnosticism Gnosticism taught: Docetism - Jesus “seemed” to be God. Soteriology- Man, a material being with an entrapped spirit which may be freed through gnosis, “secret knowledge”. Salvation by this secret knowledge. Sin is bondage to matter. Essential Components of Gnosticism Gnosticism’s concept of salvation: Taken from John Hannah’s Charts of Ancient &Medieval Church History Strands of Gnosticism Classes of Faith + Uber-spiritual “pneumatics” ( pleroma ) + Semi-spiritual “psychics” ( demiurge ) + Ignoramus “hylics” ( no chance of salvation ) Sharp distinction between ‘Law’ & ‘Gospel’ + the gnostic is “free from yoke of moral law” + “True freedom” Gnosis gained through “spiritual technologies” + emphasis on techniques, meditation, etc Asceticism + denial of the material The Rise of Marcionism Marcion (85-160 AD) - born as son of a Bishop in Sinope - was a dualist but he did not emphasize secret knowledge. Hence differed from ‘classical’ Gnosticism. - held that many of the teachings of Jesus Christ seemed incompatible with the God of the OT. - assembled his own ‘canon’ in 144AD - strict ascetic, forbade marriage because to him procreation was the invention of the demi-urge Essential Components of Marcionism Taken from John Hannah’s Charts of Ancient &Medieval Church History Gnosticism & Marcionism Compared Taken from John Hannah’s Charts of Ancient &Medieval Church History Essential Components of Marcionism Marcionism taught: Adopted a radical dualism akin to Gnosticism. NT God is spiritual; OT God is material. Christ is good but only spiritual, Demiurge was evil and creator of all that is material. Christ was not truly human, His resurrection is an appearance. The Rise of Marcionism “the chief importance of Marcion in the second century lies in the reaction which he provoked among the leaders of the Apostolic Churches. Just as Marcion’s canon stimulated the more precise defining of the NT canon by the Catholic Church, not to supersede but to supplement the canon of the OT, so, more generally, Marcion’s teaching led the Catholic Church to define its faith more carefully, in terms calculated to exclude a Marcionite interpretation” FF Bruce The Church’s Reaction Determining the Canon Developing the Creeds Defending the ‘true’ Church Systematising doctrine - theologia Systematising worship - liturgia Setting standards - ecclesia Defenders of the Faith Justin Martyr 100 AD - 165 AD Born Flavius Neapolis, to pagan parents in Samaria Searched through different - Stoic, Aristotelian, Platonic - philosophies. Found them wanting. Converted to Christianity. Moved to Rome and established a school there Foremost apologist of his day - directing it to the emperor and Roman Senate Justin Martyr 100 AD - 165 AD Penned treatise against Judaism, Dialogue with Trypho In his two apologies, addressed to Antoninus and the Roman Senate respectively, he sought to convince them that Christianity embodied the best of Hellenistic philosophies. In his writings, he presented the Logos as Divine. Justin Martyr 100 AD - 165 AD 1st Apology : refutes accusations raised against Christians; presents and justifies Christianity; describes worship, baptism, Eucharist 2nd Apology : shorter postscript to first Dialogue with Trypho : records Justin’s two-day conversation with a learned Jew; sole example of an apology directed at Jews to present Jesus as fulfillment of Law of Justin Martyr First Christian thinker to seek reconciliation between faith & reason Holds the claim that there are traces of truth found in pagan philosophies. However it is only Christianity which contains the truly rational creed. Employed the Greek concept of Logos to bridge the gap: the reason why Logos became incarnate was to teach humanity truth and to redeem humanity from the power of Satan. Irenaeus of Lyons 115 AD - 202 AD Native of Smyrna Disciple of Polycarp apostolic link: John-Polycarp-Irenaeus Moved to Gaul and became bishop of Lyons in 178AD Feisty apologist. Best known for his monumental Against Heresies , 180AD which is a detailed attack against Gnosticism. In the work, he formulated foundational principles of Christian theology Irenaeus of Lyons 115 AD - 202 AD Argued that Jesus is fully divine and fully human. In his Proof of the Preaching Apostolic, he summarized Christian beliefs & doctrines Emphasized the importance of the episcopate, Scripture and tradition. of Irenaeus of Lyons Regarded as the first great theologian; “Father of Christian Theology” Quest for orthodoxy, three things: - catholic church whose leaders drew authority from teaching the same doctrines as the apostles. - catholic church whose Bible is comprised of both testaments - catholic church whose Bible is interpreted in light of the apostolic preachings summarized in the early creeds of Irenaeus of Lyons Emphasized God’s purpose to draw humanity into unity with him through divinization (sanctification) God progressively unfolded his purpose from Old Testament to Incarnation Concept of Recapitulation ( recapitulatio ): The organizing principle in Irenaeus' view of the redemption history is the two Adams - Jesus is the second Adam Clement of Alexandria 150 AD - 215 AD Born Titus Flavius Clemens Probably Athenian by birth, well versed in Greek philosophy Was converted as young man and sought Christian teacher; settled at Alexandrian Catechetical School under Pantaenus; Persecution under Septimius Severus forced him to flee in 202. He wandered the eastern Mediterranean area and died about 215AD. Clement of Alexandria 150 AD - 215 AD More sympathetic to the Gnostics Saw that various philosophies may be viewed a preparatio evangelica, ie useful in preparing people for the reception of the Gospel Adhered to Alexandrian tradition of allegorical interpretation. Interpreted Scripture allegorically; taught that maturity comes with understanding parabolic sense. Clement of Alexandria 150 AD - 215 AD His extreme allegorizing led to highly abstract “elitist theology” Bordered dangerously close to a docetic Christology. Synthesized Christian thought and Greek philosophy Justin synthesized to call pagans to Christianity; Clement, to show Christians truth in philosophy Paved the way for the church to accept the relationship of faith and reason Hippolytus 170 AD - 235 AD Probably the most important Roman writer of the 3 rd century Held on to a stricter ethics compared with his more “pastoral’ colleagues Condemned Callistus, bishop of Rome 217-22, over doctrine and discipline; became rival bishop He continued to attack bishops Urban (222-30) and Pontianus (230-5) Died in exile 235 Hippolytus 170 AD - 235 AD Refutation of All Heresies : An important source of information about Gnosticism and Montanism Apostolic Traditions : An important source of information about liturgical practices of early church Origen of Alexandria 186 AD - 254 AD Born Origen Adamantius to Christian parents in Alexandria His father Leonidas, a Christian teacher, was martyred during reign of Septimius Severus Studied under Clement of Alexandria and succeeded him. Known for his treatise on Christian platonism, On First Principles He died during the Decian persecution, 254 Origen of Alexandria 186 AD - 254 AD Perceived that Scriptures
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