History 288 Home | Schedule of Readings and Assignments
Please note: What I am unable to cover on 28 September, I will cover on 5 October.
The Development of Christian Doctrine
What was the earliest Christian controversy?
New Testament controversies: gentiles into Christians: Acts 15: Council of Jerusalem, Galatians, justification
Who developed mainstream / catholic / orthodox Christian teaching?
Patristic Period, 100 to 451 or 604 or 749
Some Church Fathers: Irenaeus of Lyon (d. end of 2nd c./ early 3rd c.) vs Gnosticism;
Tertullian (d. 230), Trinity; Cyprian of Carthage (d. 258);
Jerome (d. 420), On Famous Men (De viris illustribus)
What is Christology?
Christological options
divine but not human (Docetism)
human but not divine (Arianism)
completely divine but partially human (Apollinarianism)
divine and human natures loosely associated (Antiochene school)
divine with a humanity absorbed into the divinity = one (divine) nature (monophysitism)
distinct but inseparable divine and human natures (Chalcedonian Christology)
What were the main Christological controversies?
Gnosticism > Docetism
anticipation of catholic Christology:
logos theology (Justin Martyr) vs. monarchianism
monarchianism: modalism / adoptionism
Irenaeus and soteriology; Tertullian: two substances (natures) in Christ, God: one substance, three persons
Arian controversy
Arius (ca. 250-336) of Alexandria, Arianism: "there was when he was not"
vs. Council of Nicaea (325), Nicene Creed, homoousios, Constantine
Cappadocian Fathers: Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory Nazianzus
Council of Constantinople (381)
Nestorian controversy
Antiochene vs. Alexandrian Christology, Council of Ephesus (431), Theotokos
Monophysite Controversy
Monophysitism vs. Council of Chalcedon (451)
Chalcedonian definition: Jesus Christ: two natures (divine and human) without confusion, change, division, separation
NB Key terms are underlined.