APPENDIX
GLOSSARY OF
CHURCH HISTORY TERMS
AMBROSE (340-397 A.D.)
The earliest of the Latin Fathers, the bishop of
Milan. He is best known for his commentaries
on the Old Testament, and for his influence in bringing Augustine into the
Catholic Church.
ANTE-NICENE
FATHERS
Justin
Martyr Cyprian
Irenaeus Caius
Hermas Novatian
Tatian Gregory
Thaumaturgas
Athenagoras Dionysius
the Great
Theophilus Julius
Africanus
Clement
of Alexandria Methodius
Tertullian Cunobius
Hippolytus Lactantius
Municuns
Felix Commodianus
Origen
ANTINOMIANISM
The term means “against law.” It was coined by Luther in 1527 to
stigmatize the teaching that Christians were under grace and had no need for
the law.
APOCRYPHA
The name given to several books claimed to be
missing from the Bible. The word often
refers to the seven books which the Roman Catholic Church places on a level with
the Bible: Tobias, Judith, I and II Maccabees, The Book of Wisdom,
Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, and certain additions to Esther and Daniel.
ARCESILAUS
(316-241 B.C.)
Greek philosopher of the Socratic method. He was opposed to the Stoics and maintained
that man could not know anything and must, therefore, be satisfied with
probability. Arcesilaus wrote nothing
and is noted for his clearness of thought and facility of speech.
ARIANISM
School of thought founded by Arius in the fourth
century A.D. It was strongly opposed to
the doctrine of the divinity of Christ.
Arius maintained that there was a time when the Son was not, therefore,
the Son could not be eternal or equal with God.
ARISTOTLE (384-322 B.C.)
Ancient Greek philosopher who influenced the thinking
of many of the early Church Fathers, especially Thomas Aquinas.
ASCETICISM
Rigorous self-denial or self-discipline. Asceticism had been practiced from the times
of the ancients and can take the form of a religion. Some forms of primitive asceticism are: fasting, denial of sexual
drives, self infliction of pain, mutilation.
AUGUSTINE (354-430 A.D.)
Considered one of the greatest of the Catholic
Church Fathers. His writing established
many of the Church’s doctrines and also the Catholic views on sex.
BARBABAS (Epistle)
One of the apocryphal books of the New
Testament. It stood at the end of the
Codex Sinaiticus as a sort of appendix to the New Testament. The epistle is sometimes ascribed to the
apostle Barnabas, but internal evidence makes this assumption impossible. It is more reasonable to assume it was
fathered by the Alexandrian Church, where it also had its greatest authority.
BASILIDIANS
A heretical sect founded by Basilides which appears
to have died out after the fourth century.
Their philosophy seems to have been a tangent of Oriental dualism which
later produced the religious system of Manicheism.
BOËTHUSIANS
A Jewish sect founded by Boëthus in rejection of the
Torah. The sect is closely related to, if
not a development of, the Sadducees.
The Sadducees were the political and the Boëthusians the religious
opponents of the Pharisees.
CASSIANUS (ca. 360 - ca. 435 A.D.)
A monk of the fifth century, one of the first
founders of monastic institutions in western Europe. He founded the doctrine of Semi-Pelagianism, a doctrine strongly
opposed to that of Augustine.
Semi-Pelagianism contends while man is by nature sinful, he has some
good in him, and that while the immediate gift of God’s grace is necessary to
salvation, conversion may also be begun by the exercise of man’s will.
CATHOLIC
The term originally meant wholly or entirely. Modern usage now renders it as a member of
the Roman Catholic Church, or pertaining to a universal belief or Church.
CATHOLIC
EPISTLES
A term applied to those books of the New Testament
not addressed to any specific group of people, but to the Church as a
whole. Usually refers to the epistles
of Peter, James, John and Jude.
CERINTHUS (circa 100 A.D.)
A heretic of the first century. He taught a mixture of Judaism,
Christianity, and Gnosticism. He lived
principally in Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor.
CHRYSOSTOM
(345-407 A.D.)
Known as “Golden mouth” because of his speaking
ability. He was the most famous of the
Greek Church Fathers. He served as an
archbishop in the Catholic Church at Constantinople. He was martyred because he would not lower his moral convictions.
CICERO
(106-143 B.C.)
Great orator and philosopher of Rome. His prime concern was human
cooperation. He believed that there was
a divine element in every human being, therefore all human beings are
essentially equal.
CLEMENS
OF ALEXANDRIA (ca. 155 – ca. 217 A.D.)
Greek theologian and head of the catechetical school
of Alexandria. He is not very well
known because his student, Origen, did much more writing, but they both
believed the same things. Clemens’ main
contribution was that of tying all the religious beliefs together into a
unified religion by philosophies.
CLEMENT
OF ROME
One of the “Apostolic Fathers,” and third successor
to the papacy after Peter, according to Irenaeus. He is best known by his only surviving work, the Epistle to the Church of Corinth, which
is one of the most important documents of the subapostolic age.
CONSTANTINE
(272-337 A.D.)
The first professing Christian emperor of the Roman
empire and was largely responsible for the turning point in the history of the
Catholic Church in its rise from persecution on to officialdom and dominance.
DIDACHE
“The Teaching of the Lord by the Twelve Apostles to
the Gentiles.” This is a work
discovered in Constantinople among remains of early Christian literature. It claims to reflect the style and method of
Christian teaching in the age immediately succeeding that of the apostles.
DIO
CASSIUS (ca. 150 – ca. 235 A.D.)
Roman historian noted particularly for his work on
the last years of the republic and the early empire.
DIOCLETIAN
(245-313 A.D.)
Roman emperor from 284-305 A.D. He effected an administrative and financial
reorganization of the Roman empire and ordered the last great persecution of
the Christians.
DIONYSIUS
EXIGUUS (? – ca. 445 A.D.)
Roman theologian and scholar. He is credited with a collection of 401
ecclesiastical canons, and he also introduced the present method of calculating
the Christian era.
DISPERSION
Refers to the scattering of the Jews throughout all
the kingdoms of the world as a result of captivity and wandering.
DOCETISM
A religious sect of the nature of Gnosticism. They maintained that Jesus’ body was not
physical, but only appeared that way.
They also rejected the idea of Christ’s physical birth.
DOGMA
When used in reference to religion, the term applies
to the doctrines set down by the different churches and preached as Biblical
truth.
DUALISM
The philosophy that regards the realm of matter as
illusory or evil, or both. It regards
the body as a tomb from which the immortal soul must be released.
EASTER
The annual festival throughout Christendom in commemoration
of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The name is a corruption of “Ishtar,” pagan sun-goddess. The early Christian Church did not keep
Easter, but the Passover. Easter was
not universally observed until this was made mandatory by the Council of
Nicea. The Council declared that Easter
was to be kept the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal
equinox.
EBIONITES
Obscure Jewish-Christian sect extant during and
shortly after the Apostolic Age. They
denied Paul and the virgin birth and insisted on strict adherence to Mosaic Law
and circumcision.
ECCLESIASTICAL
Relating to the church or the clergy; pertaining to
anything associated with the church.
EPICUREANS
Name applied to the followers of Epicurus.
EPICURUS
(342-270 B.C.)
Greek philosopher who taught that pleasure is the
ultimate good, while pain is the ultimate evil. Therefore, man should regulate his desires to achieve pleasure.
EPIPHANIUS
(ca. 315-403 A.D.)
Greek Church Father, bishop of Constantia. He is noted for his severe opposition of
Origen. It was his life’s task to crush
this opponent whom he considered the father of all heresies. His importance lies in his writings which
afford a valuable insight into the theology of the period. His works are also a valuable source for the
heresies of the fourth century.
EPIPHANY
A Christian feast celebrated on January sixth
originally and still in the Eastern Church commemorating the baptism of Christ
and secondarily the marriage feast at Cana.
Since the fifth century, the Western Church has used it to commemorate
the coming of the Magi as the occasion of the first manifestation of Christ to
the Gentiles.
ESCHATOLOGY
The study of last things (as the second coming of
Christ, resurrection, judgment, et cetera).
ESSENES
An ascetic and monastic brotherhood among the Jews
of Palestine from the second century B.C., to the second century A.D., who
practiced a community of goods and rigorous discipline and for the most part
shunned the company of women.
EUCHARIST
The name applied to procedures involved in the
celebration of the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion.
EUSEBIUS
(260-341 A.D.)
He is known as the “Father of Church History.” His works serve as the primary source of
Church history up to 324 A.D. He was
also well-known as a corrector of Biblical texts, and drew up a standard Bible
under imperial commission.
EXEGESIS
The science and art of interpreting literature,
especially the Scriptures.
EXEGETAE
A board of three persons in ancient Athens to whom
application might be made in all matters relating to sacred law and celestial
phenomena or signs by which future events were foretold.
GIBBON,
Edward (1737-1794)
Historian noted for his work, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. He was seemingly an agnostic and his writing shows a prejudice
against Christianity.
GENS
Among the Romans, those persons who were born of
freemen, had no slaves among their ancestors, and who had not been reduced from
a superior to an inferior condition.
GNOSTICS
A series of religious sects predominant in the
second and third centuries which derived their principles from combining
various Judaic and Chaldean and Oriental concepts into a philosophy attempting
to solve the problems of the origin of the universe and its destiny. The following is a representative list of
Gnostic sects:
Adamites Madeaens
Basalidians Manicheans
Cainites Marcionites
Carpocratians Montanists
Cerinthians Naassenes
Clementines Ophites
Docetists Peratikoi
Elkasaites Sethites
Encraties Simonians
Entychites Valentinians
HAMARTIOLOGY
That part of theology concerning the doctrine of
sin.
HEGESIPPUS
Early Christian writer from the period of 150-180
A.D. He wrote a five-volume history of
Christianity which became lost after the sixteenth century.
HELLENISTS
Jewish people who were usually born and/or trained
in a country where the Greek language, education and cultural environment were
predominant.
HERESY
Originally the term signified an act of choice
whether good or bad. However, modern
usage describes it as adherence to religious opinion that is contrary to
established doctrine of a church.
HERODIANS
Members of a political party of biblical times which
consisted of Jews who were apparently partisans of the Herodian house and together
with the Pharisees opposed Christ.
HIPPOLYTUS
(?-236 A.D.)
The most important theologian and most prolific
religious writer of the Roman Church in the pre-Constantine era. Most of his works have been lost or are
known only through scattered fragments.
IGNATIUS
(50-ca. 115 A.D.)
One of the early Church Fathers. His main contribution was the crystallizing
of the doctrines concerning the holiness and infallibility of the Church, and
the immaculate conception of Mary.
IRENAEUS
(ca. 130 - ? A.D.)
Bishop of Lyons at the end of the second century and
one of the most distinguished theologians of the ante-Nicene Church. He is credited with the wide spread of
Christianity in Lyons and its neighborhood.
He devoted particular attention to trying to reconcile the many sects
which menaced the Church. He produced a
work which is still valued as the first systematic exposition of the Catholic
belief.
JEROME
(ca. 340-420 A.D.)
One of the more important of the early Church
Fathers. He is known for his translation
of the Bible into Latin. This
translation is commonly known as the Vulgate.
He was also the main instrument in introducing the ascetic life into the
Catholic Church.
JOSEPHUS
(37-ca. 95 A.D.)
Jewish historian and military commander. He was a precocious law student and a member
of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes.
He had a considerable part in the Jewish rebellion of 66-70 A.D. His most important contribution was the
writing of his two books: The Jewish Wars
and Antiquities of the Jews. These are both valuable reference sources
for that period.
KABBALISTS
(Cabala)
A system of mystical interpretation of the
Scriptures, developed among Jewish rabbis in the Geonic period and transmitted
to certain medieval Christians. The
system laid stress on the hidden sense in the scriptures and occult means of
interpretation.
KARPOKRATES
(Carpocrates)
An Alexandrian Jew who founded the sect of the
Carpocratians. The basic doctrine was
based on Platonism, interspersed with Christian ideas. The religion was an offshoot from Simon
Magus’ religion.
LAODICEA
(Council)
A council held by the Catholic Church somewhere
between the years of 320-380 A.D. It
was held primarily to condemn the growing custom of praying to angels. It also adopted sixty canons (rules of
law). Most of these were disciplinary.
LINUS
The first bishop of Rome after the martyrdom of
Peter and Paul in 64 A.D. He was called
an Etrurian, a native of Volanterrae.
LIVY
A Roman historian of the first century B.C. His works are considered one of the most
precious relics of Latin literature and have become a primary source of all
knowledge for that period of Rome’s history.
LUCIAN
(120-180 B.C.)
A satirist of the Silver Age of Greek
literature. He was a skeptic, scoffer,
and non-believer of all religions. He
maintained that there was no such thing as truth.
MAGUS,
Simon
High priest of the Chaldean mystery system during
the time of the early Apostles. Simon
had done magical signs and wonders for a long time in Samaria and had become
known throughout all Samaria as a “Great One,” a god.
MANICHEANS
The followers of an Eastern religion based on
dualism founded in the third century.
The religion was founded by Mani, whose basic belief was that there
existed only two forces, light and dark.
Light is good, dark is bad.
MARTIAL
The greatest of the epigramists. He revealed through his epigrams the decay
and daily living of the time between 50-100 A.D.
MARTYR,
Justin (ca. 100 A.D.-169 A.D.)
One of the ablest men of his time, and defender of
the faith. His books give valuable
information about the Church in the middle of the second century.
MENANDER
One of the earliest Gnostics. He was a pupil of Simon Magus and formed the
transition from Oriental to Hellenistic Gnosticism.
MILLENNIUM
Derived from Latin word “mille” meaning a thousand years.
It usually refers to Christ’s messianic reign after His return to earth.
MITHRAISM
Oriental religion which rivaled Christianity for
leadership of the Roman world. It
parodied the central ideas and practices of Christianity, and was the
forerunner of Manichaeism.
MONASTICISM
A life of total abstinence brought down through the
ages by the Ascetics. Life is spent in
the solitude of a cloister pursuing religious ideals.
MOSHEIM,
Johann Lovenz von (1694-1747)
Important German Lutheran Church historian of his
age.
NAZARENES
The name applied to the true Church as a result of
their following Jesus of Nazareth. The
Nazarenes fled to Pella shortly before the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
NERO
Roman emperor from 54-68 A.D. He is often charged with the conflagration
of Rome in 64 A.D., which resulted in the persecution of the Christians and the
martyrdom of Paul.
NESTORIANISM
Religious sect from the fourth century to the present. Their main doctrine taught that Christ was
two persons, human and divine. They
currently reside in Iraq, a very primitive and downtrodden people.
NICAEA
(Council)
Called in 325 A.D. by Constantine to resolve two
major controversies in the Catholic Church: 1) the question over the deity of
Christ, and 2) the celebration of Easter.
It was the first ecumenical council called, and made the Sunday
observance of Easter universal.
NICOLAITANS
Religious sect beginning during the Apostolic Age of
the Christian Church, sometimes falsely tied with Nicolas of Antioch (Acts
6:5). Their basic doctrine was one of
freedom of the flesh. They taught that
the deeds of the flesh had no effect upon the health of the soul.
ORIGEN
(185-254 A.D.)
Writer and philosopher known as the Father of the
Eastern Church’s science of biblical criticism and exegesis in
Christendom. He laid the foundation of
all criticism of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.
PAPIAS
(70-155 A.D.)
A student of John who recorded traditions about the
origin of Matthew and Mark.
PELLA
Ancient city located east of the Jordan in the
Gilead Mountains. It is the city in
which the Christians sought refuge during the siege and destruction of
Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
PERSIUS
(34-62 A.D.)
Roman poet and satirist. Although obscure and difficult, his writings reached the pinnacle
of Roman satire.
PHARISEES
The most popular party among the ancient Jews noted
for strict observance of rites and ceremonies of the written law, and for
insistence on the validity of the traditions of the elders. They differed from the Sadducees in
traditionalism and in their teachings concerning the immortality of the soul,
the resurrection of the body, future retribution and a coming Messiah.
PHILO
Most important representative of Hellenistic
Judaism. His writings give the clearest
view of what this type of Judaism was and aimed at. He had a close affinity to Plato, and many of his ideas are of
Platonic origin.
PILATE,
Pontius (30 B.C.- 40 A.D.)
Roman governor of Judea, 26-36 A.D. He is known for his part in the trial of
Christ whom he sentenced to death.
PLINY
(The Elder, 23-79 A.D.)
Roman historian known for his description of the
Roman empire as it was in the time of Christ.
His main work is Naturalis
Historis, a type of encyclopedia of the entire Roman civilization
consisting of 37 volumes.
PLINY
(The Younger, 61-113 A.D.)
Nephew of the Elder, but became his adopted son by
the Elder’s request. Spent most of his
life as a member of the Senate. Known
for his series of writings, “Letters of Pliny,” picturing the interests of
Roman gentlemen.
PLATO
Eminent Greek philosopher of the fourth century,
B.C. He is the originator of many of
today’s ecclesiastical beliefs: immortal soul, hell, purgatory, heaven, and the
Trinity.
POLYCARP
A Gentile convert to the Church in Asia. He was taught by the Apostles and appointed
bishop of the church at Smyrna. He is
known for his appearance before Anicetus, bishop of Rome, at which time he
defended the observance of the Passover rather than accept Easter.
POLYCRATES
The bishop of Ephesus during the latter part of the
second century. Chief mention is made
of him in connection with the Easter controversy. He called a synod of the bishops of Asia Minor, and they
determined to keep the 14th of Nisan as the celebration of the Passover rather
than consent to a Sunday observance of the resurrection.
POLYTHEISM
The doctrine of, or belief in, a plurality of gods.
POST-NICEN
FATHERS
Socrates John of Damascus Aphrahat
Sozomenus St.
Ambrose Eusebius
Curil
of Jerusalem Tulpitius Severus Theodoret
Gregory
of Nyssa Vincent of Lorens Jerome
John
Cascian Gennadius Basil
Leo
the Great Rufinus Hilary of Poitiers
Ephraim
Syrus
PROSELYTE
Modern
usage designates a convert from one religion to another.
PYTHAGORAS
Philosopher of the sixth century B.C., and founder
of the Pythagorean Theorem of geometry.
Believed in transmigration of the soul and asceticism. Influenced the Essenes and the Therapeutae.
QUARTODECIMAN
A controversy which arose between the Christians of
Jewish descent and those of Gentile descent over the day upon which Easter was
to be observed. The Jewish Christians
observed Easter immediately following the end of the Paschal fast (which ended
on the 14th day of the moon at evening), without regard to the day of the
week. The Gentile Christians identified
the first day of the week with the Resurrection, and kept the preceding Friday
as the commemoration of the crucifixion, irrespective of the day of the
month. The controversy was settled by
the Council of Nicaea, whose decision was that Easter was to be kept on Sunday,
and on the same Sunday throughout the world.
QUIRINIUS
(Cyrenius)
The governor of Judea during the time of Jesus’
birth. He is known because of the
census and taxation which he took of the Jews.
SADDUCEES
A sect among the Jews dating from the second century
B.C., to the latter part of the first century A.D. It consisted largely of priestly aristocracy. They opposed the Pharisees politically and
doctrinally. They interpreted the law
more literally and less strictly, rejecting the authority of the other parts of
Scripture and the rabbinic tradition, the immortality of the soul, retribution
in a future life, and the existence of spirits.
SAMARITANS
A nation of people extant at Christ’s time which is
now almost extinct. Their doctrines and
beliefs came from their Pentateuch, rather than the Bible. They believed Moses to be the only Prophet
and that he will intercede for them at the Judgement Day. They observed the Babylonian mystery system
of religion. Their high priest was
Simon Magus.
SANHEDRIN
The supreme council and tribunal of the ancient Jewish
nation consisting of 70-72 members, and having jurisdiction over religious
matters and important civil and criminal cases.
SCRIBES
A class of men devoted to the study and exposition
of the law during Persian and early Greek periods of Jewish history. Originally they served as copyists, editors,
and interpreters of Scripture and especially of the Law. In New Testament times they acted mainly as
jurists.
SEMI-PELAGIANISM
See “Cassianus.”
SENECA,
Lucius Annaeus (3 B.C.-65 A.D.)
Eminent statesman and philosopher in the early Roman
Empire. Taught a theistic conception of
soul-happiness and soul-obligations.
Also emphasized the right and privilege of suicide.
SEUTONIUS
Roman historian of the first century A.D. His Lives
of the Caesars is the only work which is entirely preserved and is esteemed
as authoritative by Tertullian, Horace, and Servius. About his personal life very little is known.
SIMONY
In ecclesiastical law, the practice of buying and
selling holy orders and offices.
STOICISM
A system of thought founded by Zeno in the fourth
century B.C. It declared virtue to be
the supreme good and that man should live according to nature, subduing all
rebellious emotions.
SOTERIOLOGY
That branch of theology dealing with the study of
salvation.
STRABO
Famous Roman geographer. His writings comprise an encyclopedia of information pertaining
to the various countries of the inhabited world.
TACITUS
Considered by many the greatest Roman
historian. His “Annals” and “Histories”
covered Roman history from the death of Augustus to that of Domitian.
TERTULLIAN
(150-220 A.D.)
Eminent Catholic Church Father, second only to
Augustine. His various writings have
influenced church doctrine along almost every facet of canon law.
THEOSOPHY
Belief about God and the world held to be based on a
combination of mystical insight and philosophical speculation.
THERAPEUTAE
A monastic sect of Jewish ascetics extant long
before the Christian era. They devoted
their lives to abstinence and contemplation.
The community included male and female members.
VALENTINIANISM
A form of Gnosticism founded by Valentinus which
gained prominence during the early part of the second century. The system attempted to amalgamate Greek and
Oriental speculations with Christian ideas.
ZEALOT
A Jewish sect fanatically opposed to Roman
rule. Founded by Judas of Gamala. The Zealots were influential in bringing on
the Jewish War of A.D. 66-70, which resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem.
ZOROASTER
An ancient Persian prophet who founded the religion
of Zoroastrianism. It is from this
religion that Christianity has received its ideas on dualism.