Christology in the Early Church: Docetism, Adoptionism, Modalism, and the Logos

 

§         Docetism: no real body; opposed by Ignatius

§         The Logos: a second “god”; Justin Martyr

§         Adoptionism: Jesus an especially good human; God adopts him

§         Monarchianism/Modalism: Trinity=3 modes of the Father’s existence; Patripassionism

 

Tertullian and Montanism

 

Montanism

§         Response to institutional church, sought to restore: 1) charismatic leadership; 2)belief in Christ's immanent return (theParousia”)

§         Montanus: Bishop of Phyrgia (155-70); Maximilla & Prisca

§         Mostly rural, except N. Africa: widely popular there

 

Tertullian (ca. 160-225)

§         CarthageN. Africa; born a pagan; rhetorically skilled; converted before 197

§         “I believe because it is absurd”

§         “What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?”

§         Became a Montanist, ca. 207

 

Early Proto-orthodox Theology

 

Irenaeus of Lyons (ca. 130-200)

§         177—bishop; Against Heresies

§         salvation history; “recapitulation of the human race”

§         “If the word is made a human being, it is that all human beings might become gods”; deification

 

Clement of Alexandria (ca. 150-215)

§         Athens; Pantaenus; 175-80 settles in Alexandria

§         Exhortation to the Greeks; The Instructor (Paedagogus); The Miscellanies (The Stromateis)

 

(Novatians, Cyprian of Carthage)

 

Origen of Alexandria (185-253): Life and Thought

 

§         Eusebius: ca. 300 writes "biography" in his Church History

§         Catachetical school

§         Persecution of 202-father martyred; 203 becomes head of catachetical school

§         Conflict w/ Bishop Demetrius: exile to Caesarea in Palestine (231)

§         Theology: 1) Cosmology; 2) Soteriology (Universalism)

§         Very influential, but condemned: 553

 

Origen and the Bible

 

§         Birth of Biblical Criticism: Hexapla; Letter to the Hebrews

§         Allegorical Interpretation: Philo of Alexandria

§         Paul uses allegory to read Scripture-Gal. 4.24; “Spirit and the Letter” of the Law-2 Cor 3

§         Things in the story stand for something else—a “hidden” story that is more important than the surface meaning

§         Explains difficulties between Hebrew Bible and NT

§         Finds meaning in mundane passages: all passages purposfully inspired

§         Three levels of meaning: 1) Literal; 2) Moral; 3) Spiritual (last 2=allegorical)

§         Example: Song of Songs

 

Imperial Persecution and the Problem of the “Lapsed”

 

§         The Decian Persecution: Emperor Decius (249-51)—Required “libellus”: a certificate

§         The Problem of the Lapsed: separate churches in N. Africa and Egypt

§         Diocletian (284-305) divides empire: 2 Augusti, 2 Caesars

§         295: Galerius (a Caesar) began persecuting Christians: issue=military service

§         303: Galerius convinced Diocletian to issue edicts against Christians--begins last & greatest persecution

§         Donatists—311 – Caecilian; Donatus; “traditor/traditores”; 400-Augustine-baptism; till 700

 


Rise of Constantine

 

§         305: Augusti step down; Caesars (Galerius & Constantine's father) take over as Augusti

§         306: Constantine's father dies: Constantine proclaimed Augustus of Western Empire

§         Begins Civil War-next 18 yrs.-Milvian Bridge: Summer, 312--decisive battle; Constantine's vision

§         313: Edict of Milan: religious toleration--ends persecution of Christians

§         324: Constantine controlled complete Roman Empire; began construction of Constantinople (capital from 330)

§         337: Constantine was baptized only on his deathbed