The Patristic Period

c. 100 - 500AD

• Extends from the death of John to around the time of the collapse of the Roman Empire

- called Patristic because "pater" is the Latin word for "father“

- during this time the Church fathers wrote and preached

Important events of the Patristic Period:

* @ 196AD - the Didache

- "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles“

- oldest surviving written catechism

- has three main sections: - Christian ethics - sacraments and rituals - Church organization

• @ 292AD - Emperor Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into East and West

- under Diocletian Christians were persecuted, almost to the point of elimination

• @ 313AD - Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan

- the practice of Christianity was made legal by this document

- over time, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire

TERMS:

1. hermit - a person who lives a simple life of poverty, alone in prayer and sacrifice

2. monk - lives alone, but joins other monks in sacrament and prayer

3. heresy - a false religious teaching

4. heretic - a person who teaches or believes a false teaching

5. dissension - strong disagreement

6. apostasy - total desertion of one's religion

7. schism - division within the Church

8. ecumenical - pertaining to the whole Church

9. synod - a meeting of local bishops

* After Roman persecution had stopped, the

Church had to deal with a series of heresies.

- The Arian heresy questioned the divinity of Jesus, and later, the Holy Spirit.

- an ecumenical council was called in 325AD in Nicea. This was the Council of Nicea

- every Catholic bishop in the world was invited

- the bishops composed the Nicene Creed, expressing the divinity and humanity of Jesus

- in 381AD, the Council of Constantinople expanded the Creed and defined the nature of the Holy Spirit

• In 431AD, the Council of Ephesus was held

- Nestorius was spreading a heresy that questioned the role of Mary

- at the Council of Ephesus the bishops declared that Mary was the Mother of God

• The challenge of these heresies helped the Church:

- clarify beliefs in the Creed - establish the challenge of the scripture - establish rituals of the sacraments

• Thinkers and teachers during this period were the Church Fathers. They include:

- St. Athanasius - defended Jesus' divinity against the Arian heresy

- St. Basil - worked to improve the relationship between the East and the West

- St. Ambrose - bishop who defended against heretics; he brought St. Augustine into the faith

- St. Augustine - bishop of Hippo; became a great Christian writer (doctor of the Church)

- St. Jerome - translated the bible from original languages into Latin. His bible was called the Vulgate