The Patristic Period The Patristic Period is a vital point in the history of Christianity since it contexturalizes the early

Christian information from the time of the death of the last Apostle (John) (which runs roughly about 100 A.D. to the Middle Ages (451 A.D. and the council of Chalcedon). It describes the cohesion between Judaism and Christianity and various theological points being sorted out. Most denominations find this period of church history vitally important on a similar scale. From Roman Catholicism to the Reformed Churches following Zwingli and Calvin, many basic Christian concepts are birthed during this age, which, for good reason, the church would continue to believe for all time as orthodox over and against all heretical sectaries. During the first two hundred years of this era the church was under persecution from various Roman emperors. It was heightened and at its worse with Diocletian (303 A.D.) who even persecuted his own wife and daughter for being Christians. Christianity became legalized as a religion in the era of Constantine (321 A.D.) which was the opposite side of the spectrum in relation to previous persecution. Various cities and geographical areas became of chief importance. The city of Alexandria emerged as a center of Christian theological education. The city of Antioch also became a leading center of Christian thought. Western North Africa gave birth to such men as Tertullian, Cyprian of Carthage, and Augustine of Hippo. The Patristic period is filled with theological importance on the development of Christian doctrine. Many of the debates of this time are housed in both theological and philosophical issues. Without a helpful understanding of both of these disciplines, the student of historical theology will find the patristic period difficult to comprehend cohesively. This period is characterized by immense doctrinal diversity and the age of flux. Many scholars refer to this age when the early church fathers are noted, however, it would be more appropriate to deem them the early church children who had begun working out Christian theology. Also, there was a major division in the church in terms of language. The eastern Greek-speaking and the western Latin-speaking church had both political and linguistic barriers to overcome. Overview of Key Theologians During the Patristic Period Justin Martyr (c. 100-165) is one of the greatest Christian Apologists writing against paganism. He provided history with an early example of a theologian who attempted to relate the Gospel to the outlook of Greek philosophy. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130-200) probably a native of Asia Minor, was elected bishop of the southern French

city of Lyons around 178. He is chiefly noted for his major writing adversus haereses (Against the Heresies) that defended the Christian faith against Gnosticism. Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-215) was a leading Alexandrian writer with a concern to explore the relationship between Christian thought and Greek philosophy. Tertullian (c. 160-255) was a major figure in early Latin theology who produced a series of significant controversial and apologetic writings. He is noted for his ability to coin new Latin terms to translate the emerging theological vocabulary of the Greek-speaking eastern church. Origen (c. 185-254) was a leading representative of the Alexandrian school of theology, especially noted for his allegorical exposition of Scripture, and his use of Platonic ideas in theology, particularly Christology. The originals of many of his works, which were written in Greek, have been lost, with the result that some are known only in Latin translations of questionable reliability. Cyprian of Carthage (died 258) was a Roman Rhetorician of considerable skill who was converted to Christianity around 246, and elected bishop of the North African city of Carthage in 248. He was martyred in that city in 258. His writings focus primarily on the unity of the Church, and the role of its bishops in maintaining orthodoxy and order. Athanasius (c. 296-373) was one of the most significant defenders of orthodox Christology during the period of the Arian controversy. Elected as a bishop of Alexandria in 328, he was deposed on account of his opposition to Arianism. Although he was widely supported in the West, his views were only finally recognized at the Council of Constantinople (381) after his death. Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 329-389), also known as Gregory Nazianzen, is remembered for his Five Theological Orations written around 380, and a compilation of extracts from the writings of Origen called Philokalia. He also wrote defensively on the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity. Basel of Caesarea (c. 330-379) also known as Basil the Great was based on Cappadocia, in modern Turkey. He is remembered for his writings on the Trinity, especially the distinctive role of the Holy Spirit. He was elected bishop in Caesarea in 370. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 330-395), one of the Cappadocian fathers, is especially noted for his vigorous defense of the doctrine of the Trinity and the incarnation during the fourth century. Augustine of Hippo (c. 354430) is widely regarded as the most influential Latin patristic writer. He was converted to Christianity at the northern Italian city of Milan in the summer of 386. He returned to North Africa, and was made bishop of Hippo in 395. He was involved in two major controversies the Donatist controversy, focusing on the church and sacraments, and the Pelagian controversy, focusing on grace and sin. He also made substantial contributions to the development of the doctrine of the Trinity, and the Christian understanding of history. Cyril of Alexandria (died around 444) was a significant writer who was appointed patriarch of Alexandria in 412. He was involved with the controversy over the Christological views of Nestorius, and produced major refutations and defenses of the orthodox position on the two natures of Christ. Vincent of Lerins (died before 450) was a French theologian who settled on the island of Lerins. He is particularly noted for his emphasis on the role of tradition in guarding against innovations in the doctrine of the church, and is credited with the Vincentian canon. Overview of Key Heretics During the Patristic Period Origen may be considered a heretic on various theological positions. His exegesis was often dubious and fell into the allegorical interpretation instead of the literal which exposes his many theological errors. However, for now, a notation should be made that many scholars place Origen in both camps: as a key theologian and as a heretic depending upon the issues discussed. Arius (c. 250-336) was the originator of Arianism, a heretical Christological teaching

The debate on the divinity of Christ was mainly conducted in the eastern church. Augustine, for example, never wrote anything extensive on Christology. It would be the Eastern Church to rival this heresy. Two early viewpoints of a Christological heresy was Ebonitism which regarded Jesus as an ordinary human being, and Doceticism (coming from the Greek work dokeo which means to seem or think) teaching that Jesus only seemed human but was not. Subordinationism also came into play, and was advocated by Origen who taught that the Logos must be regarded as subordinate to the Father. But of all the heretical positions espoused, Arianism was the most comprehensive and the worst. Arius taught that the Father existed before the Son. This places the Father and Son on a different level and why Arius believed the Son was a created being. The Son outranks other created beings, but is created nonetheless. Arius stresses the unknowability of God to creatures, so for him, it is impossible that Christ knew God in any real sense. Arius also said that the Scriptures that seem to point to Christs divinity really are just honorific. They are simply there to elevate Jesus a little more than most men. The term Son then, is a metaphor, a term of honor, to underscore the rank of the Son against other creatures. In contrast to Arius, Athanasius wrote vigorously for the truth. Athanasius said if Christ is a creature, then He is a creature just like every other creature no matter how much sugar-coating Arius wants to place on him. Also, no creature could save another creature, which would overthrow salvation in its entirety. But Christians worship and pray to Christ, which would overthrow the commandments if denied. Thus, Athanasius attacked both the theological and practical ideas Arius was attempting to overthrow. The syllogism that was used by the church for so long against Arius (besides the Scriptural authority) was the following: 1) No creature can redeem another creature. 2) According to Arius, Jesus Christ is a creature. 3) Therefore, according to Arius, Jesus Christ cannot redeem humanity. Others have simplified the syllogism this way: 1) Only God can save. 2) Jesus Christ saves. 3) Therefore Jesus Christ is God. The debate, then, came to an end at the Council of Constantinople in c. 381 declaring that Christ was of the same substance as the Father. Later, Apollinarius taught that the Logos assumed the human nature of Christ as its soul. This meant that the Logos dwelt in the person of Jesus but was not the person of Jesus. The Logos, in this way, was contaminated by the weakness of the human flesh. The Logos, though, animates the soul and the human mind, but the human nature is incomplete without it. As a result, Christ cannot be said to be totally human. The divine nature assumed the human yet mixed with it. Gregory of Nazianzus fought this heresy in stating that Jesus is both perfect God and perfect human being. If Jesus is only partly human, then salvation would be impossible.

In the Antiochene Christological school there arose a problem with a man named Nestorius. In this school the problems were not necessarily theological but moral. They believed that human beings were fallen and in need of redemption. The only person able to redeem humanity was God who was incarnate in Jesus Christ. But a dispute arose over the term theotokos, or Godbearer for Mary. Jesus Christ is God. Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ. Therefore, Mary is the mother of God. Nestorius could not comprehend this in a theologically acceptable manner. He thought, for example, Jesus Christ suffered on the cross. Jesus Christ is God. Therefore God suffered on the cross. This would then place a huge theological problem on the immutability of God, and other issues. By the time Nestorius cam on the scene, the theotokos term was actually accepted in a proper theological context. Nestorius, though, completely separated the humanity and divinity of Christ as a human person and a divine Son. Thus, Christ became schizophrenic. Cyril of Alexandria championed for the truth of the hypostatic union and wrote extensively against Nestorius. Nestorius was condemned officially as a heretic of the church by the Council of Chalcedon. Short Study: The Trinity Through the debates surrounding Christology, the doctrine of the Trinity was the next large doctrinal matter to explore. Jesus Christ was seen as being of the same substance of the Father (homoousios). If Jesus Christ were God, though, would that mean there were two Gods one visible and one invisible? Irenaeus used the term economy of the Godhead to distinguish the proper roles between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. There are distinct, but related roles of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The doctrine itself is grounded directly in the complex human experience of redemption in Christ, and is concerned with the explanation of this experience. The Eastern Church emphasized the distinct individuality of the three persons, or hypostases of the God head, and stressed that both the Son and the Spirit derived from the Father. The term between the relationship with the Father and the Son is begotten. The Western church began with the unity of God and interpreted the relationship between the three in terms of their function. Thus, the Eastern Churchs ideas could be taken as if there were three different agents doing three different things. The Western Church would have seen the work of the Godhead as a unified whole. They pressed the idea that the Godhead is a community of being in which each person, while maintaining their distinctive identity, penetrates the others and is penetrated by them. This is called, more technically, perichoresis. Augustine formulated much of the Western Churches ideas here and argued, biblically, for thGodhead as seen in Genesis 1:3 God, the Word, and the Spirit active in creation. Modalism came into play (a term used of Adolph von Harnack) to describe a Trinitarian heresy associated with Noetus and Praxeas in the second century, and Sabellius in the third century. These writers believed that God revealed Himself in three different ways like three masks used at different times. The Cappadocians played a pivotal role in establishing the deity of the Holy Spirit over and against the Trinitarian heresies emerging. The Council of Constantinople formally accepted this decision in 381 A.D. The formulae expressed by them and the creed was one substance (ousia) in three persons (hypostaeis). The Father is distinguished by fatherhood, the Son by sonship and the Holy Spirit by the ability to sanctify the church. The Father is ingenerate (not being begotten), the Son is begotten (derived from the Father), and the Spirit is being sent or proceeding (spirated). Augustine moved further than these men saying the Holy Spirit is a sort of

As a result of the impact of already existing philosophical systems that had some truth to them but were riddled with error, men like Justin Martyr and Clement of Alexandria adopted methods of incorporating philosophical ideas into presentation against various non-Christian views of ultimate reality. Jesus Christ is the divine Logos from which all true wisdom comes. Anything that is good and true in philosophy can be used by the Christian because it represents that which is true and good as truth. Tertullian, on the other hand, wanted to create a dividing wall between philosophy and Christianity since most of what is espoused in philosophy is heresy. Gnosticism is one of many examples which Tertullian used as an example of how philosophy goes awry. (However, some scholars believe that Gnosticism is really anti-intellectual and non-philosophical.) Augustine, championing the use of philosophy, says that there is no reason why a Christian would not want to use what is good about philosophy since all truth is Gods truth. Christian theology should use that which is true in every form since it is true. This methodology was seen at its greatest height in the scholasticism of medieval Christianity, and further reformed by many reformed theologians of the Reformation and Post-Reformation era.