To start the book, the author, Hall, discusses the main church subjects he is going to talk about. He mainly talks about the key focuses of the Church Fathers. This includes the question of the incarnation, the Trinity, and the question of humanity and the church. He relates and outlines these by relating them to the issues that arose with in the early church and how they came to solve them.
In the second chapter, the author talks about the Arian controversy and the question on who Jesus really was. Hall talks about the points of Arius and how Arius believed that Jesus was a created being. He also discusses the arguments of Athanasius who thought that Jesus was the son of God and was not created but instead coexistent. In the third chapter, the author discusses the debate on the Trinity. He talks about the argument about the Trinity by viewing it as if he was Gregory of Nazianzus. He talks about how Gregory thought that the answer to the Trinity is ultimately unexplainable from either view point of the argument because humans are not divine and lack the comprehension to truly understand the Trinity correctly. This correlates to Augustine’s
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Arius talked about how at one time the son wasn’t with the father. This led him to believe that for the son to be begotten he must have also not been begotten at one time. Athanasius, on the other hand, thought that Jesus was the son of God and was not created but instead coexistent. The author does a very good job in comparing the arguments of Arius and Athanasius. He showed the major points and displayed them well but one thing he lacked is he never mentioned any problem prior to this. During the second century, the Trinity was talked about by Modals and he discussed how the stages of the Trinity were of the same God. He also didn’t talk about how Arius could not see how the savior could be divine if he can also
With the hindsight of the 1960s, it is easy for us to view how influencers of the era have reformed and revitalised the Christian tradition to a great extent. Because of this hindsight of the 1960s, an era in which the zeitgeist was full of intellectuals, poets, musicians and authors, we can see the traditions of Christianity were considered to be backward to a world that was changing in terms of beliefs and ethics as society embraced these social reforms. The statement then clearly reflects Pope John XXIII and his impacts on Catholicism. Pope John XXIII recognized these changes and through his leadership, the impacts he had on Christianity had a substantially large influence over the Catholic Church as he ultimately altered the Christian tradition by creating the Vatican II. By doing so, he adjusted traditional Church Scriptures (ressourcement), involved himself with promoting ecumenicalism and also interfaith-dialogue as well as becoming engaged in the modern world (aggiornamento), therefore meeting the needs of the evolving society by revitalising the old traditions.
In de-emphasizing the role of the Church, it’s rituals, and offices, and supplanting them with a more direct and personal approach to God and spirituality; the Protestant Reformation, through the works of Martin...
In chapter two, ‘Francis and His Companions,’ Cunningham exposes the considerable growth in Francis of Assisi’s influence, as he recounts his companions that joined him after deciding to live his life. The chapter is significant because it exposes how Francis of Assisi’s gospel is different from the orthodox Catholic practices, which recognized the pope, as the sole Vicar of Christ. (Cunningham 32). This chapter is important in my life because it reinforces my conviction God is the almighty and all-powerful, and all people regardless of the status of the needed to worship
His body, soul, mind, and spirit were of human origin. Chapter five expresses the truth that Jesus died and resurrected. Jesus was mortal and humble and, with His human nature, he suffered on the cross. Christians believe Jesus rose again on the third day. Chapter six expresses that after His resurrection, He ascended into heaven. Scripture says that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to earth to be with those who follow Christ. Saint Augustine explained in chapter seven that Jesus, following His ascension, sits at the right hand of God the Father. This does not suggest that God is in human form and literally has a right and left hand. To sit at the right hand means to have power. Jesus had power after his ascension into heaven. One example of this power is that Jesus will be the Judge in the final days. Chapter eight expresses Christ’s coming to judgment. Jesus Christ will come and judge the quick and the dead. The quick are those who are still living when the second coming occurs, and the dead are those who passed previous to the second coming of Christ. The eternal Son of God will be the ultimate Judge of all people. The next truth in which Saint Augustine describes, in chapter nine, is the Holy Spirit and the mystery of the
With this in mind, the objective of this essay is to focus on the main ideas of each theologian, and discuss how each theologian’s ideas are compensatory to the other. This is important because even though each theologian’s writings were inspired by the harsh realities of the societies, and also by the effect each writer experienced in their moment in history, their critiques specifically of Christian institutions remain a consistent amongst all three writings. Furthermore, not only are their critiques consistent, but their goals for providing new frameworks for the future of the Church and Christian discipleship are consistent as well.
Later, after much study and introspection, Augustine discovers that he has been mistaken in attributing a physical form to God. Yet, he still presses on to reconcile his mind to the true precepts of Christian ideology. But what does he...
Athanasius was Greek; He was born in Alexandria to Christian parents. His theology is linked to Irenaeus and Bartholomew; we can see this in his use of Logos as Christ. Athanasius was the Athanasius dealt with the Arian Controversy, where he was able to develop his theology of the Trinity. His theology was developed with Athanasius' fourty-five years as bishop of Alexandria from 328 to 373. Unfortunately, some modern scholars have criticized Athanasius for his lack of discussion on Christ’s human soul, whether he had one and if he did, what that meant in regards to Soteriology. The divinity of Christ was more important to Athanasius than the humanity. As well, how Arius viewed the Bible as privatized teaching as opposed to public teaching that was to be used with all teaching. “Athanasius regarded as divinely inspired. Most importantly, the Bible contained the words of Christ. Accordingly, the Bible is sufficient for the exposition of the truth, about both the things of philosophy and the things of God and so it demands our obedience.” In Athanasius' writings there is the influence of Platonism in his thought, though Athanasius himself does not hold to be a Platonist. We can see his Platonist influenced education w...
The doctrine of the Trinity, as seen in the Christian bible, is primary to the Christian faith. The word “Trinity” does not actually appear in the bible; it is a theological label meant to summarize certain teachings of certain passages of scripture, and is crucial to properly understand what God is like, how He relates to us, and how we relate to Him. It may also raise many difficult questions including what does it mean that God is a Trinity? While it is difficult for us to fully understand everything about the trinity, it is quite possible to answer questions like this one and come to a solid grasp of what it means for God to be three in one.
Church History in Plain Language is written by Bruce L. Shelley. This work focuses on the history of Christianity from 6 B.C. to the current period. It covers some of Christianity’s greatest events, theologians, and the various subsection of Christianity. Other than the events leading up to the death of Jesus, I had very little knowledge of Christianity’s history. After reading through the book, I have gained understanding on the Christian Councils, scholasticism, Christendom, and modern trends of Christianity.
The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved February 21, 2010 from New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org
Those who were followers of Christ began to raise the question about the person and work of Christ. Understanding this epoch of time opens the door for believers to comprehend the religious system and our roles as modern Christians in today’s society. When we as Christians can see how our historical roots connect to our personal beliefs. We strengthen our theological foundation and we develop into a persuasive witness in own
Arianism and Apollinarianism fall under the controversy surrounding the Christ being fully divine and fully human. Arianism is the teaching of the Alexandrian presbyter Arius, and his supporters. Arius denied the full divinity of Christ. He taught that the Son of God was not of the same substance as the father and that he was created “...
One of the most important reasons that led to the creation of the church was the essential need of the early church to have a document which listed the basic beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church. This was created by the authority of the church, the apostles appointed by Christ to lead the church. They had to find a way to spread the church of God, and these creeds provided a method to complete this task. None of the churches at the time had all books tha...
Ritchie, M. (1999). Community bible chapel. The story of the church – Part 4, Topic 5. The Protestant
“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth…” The words of the Apostles’ Creed are familiar to many Christians. “I baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” are words that every Christian has heard several times. And yet, Protestant Christians are at a loss as to how to explain the doctrine of the Trinity, or to identify the origins of the Apostles’ Creed. Professor Williams resolutely answers these questions, citing “Tradition” as their source. The post- apostolic era, Pre-Reformation theological illiteracy of Protestant Christians, particularly those belonging to the Evangelical or “Free” church, movements have caused deep divides and fragmentation, Williams argues. At the root of this issue is the inability to see past the perceived interference of the state in the church’s affairs, and an unwarranted rejection of the Tradition that the Holy Spirit worked to plant during this time.