scholarly journals Gnosticism, church unity and the Nicene Creed

2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. F.C. Coetzee
Keyword(s):  
Significant Role ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Church History ◽  
Early Church ◽  
Nag Hammadi ◽  
Church Unity ◽  
Nicene Creed ◽  
Age Of Aquarius ◽  
The Church

Gnosticism (derived from the Greek word “gnosis; knowledge”) is the well-known phenomenon or movement which dates from the first centuries of church history. The teaching of Gnosticism questioned and/or contradicted the teaching of the church on some of the fundamental truths of Scripture. Apart from Gnosticism, the Early Church also had to deal with the heresy of Arianism. In the Nicene Creed, formulated by the councils of Nicea (325 AD) and Constantinople (381 AD) the universal or catholic church responded officially to the heresies of both Gnosticism and Arianism. In the final edition of the Nicene Creed we also find an article on the unity, holiness, catholicity and apostolicity of the church. Both Gnosticism and Arianism posed a serious threat to the unity of the church.   In our times we experience a revival of ancient Gnosticism, both pagan and “Christian”. This revival is also called the New Age or the Age of Aquarius. Within the framework of this new worldview, we are witnessing a rediscovery of gnosis. The discovery and publication of certain ancient gnostic texts like the Nag Hammadi Codices, play a significant role in this revival. Consequently the canon of Scripture is questioned or openly rejected and also the creeds based on that Scripture.   The Nicene Creed played a major and decisive role in preserving and maintaining the unity of the church on the basis of the truth of Scripture. This age-old creed is today just as relevant and important in proclaiming and confessing the true faith and preserving the true unity of the church.

Using the Past against the Papacy: Luther’s appeal to Church History in his Anti-Papal Writings

2013 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 132-143
Author(s):  
Charlotte Methuen
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Martin Luther ◽  
Church History ◽  
Early Church ◽  
The Past ◽  
Church Life ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Church

It is well known that Martin Luther found ultimate authority sola scriptura. The evangelical endeavour which he initiated and exemplified focused on the return to the gospel and the rediscovery of a church modelled according to scriptural lines. For the Reformers, the truly catholic church was that church which adhered most closely to the church established by Scripture. The early church, being chronologically closest to that established in Scripture, was more authentic, not yet affected by innovation. But how were the details of that church to be discovered? Scripture was not always informative on practical questions of church life and ecclesiastical order, and for these an appeal to church history was necessary. Drawing particularly on Scott Hendrix’s study of Luther’s attitude towards the papacy, and the studies by John Headley and others of Luther’s view of, and appeal to, church history, this essay explores the ways in which Luther used his knowledge of church history to define and support his developing critique of the papacy. It focuses on his early writings to 1521, but will also consider the later work Von den Consiliis und Kirchen (1539), a testimony to Luther’s growing interest in the history of the church.

Bishop of Birmingham, 23rd July 1989

Moreana ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 41 (Number 157- (1-2) ◽  
pp. 138-146
Author(s):  
Mark Santer
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Church History ◽  
International Commission ◽  
Church Unity ◽  
Nicene Creed ◽  
The Catholic Church

In this paper, Bishop Santer explores the issue of authority, which haunted English and European Church history in the early 16th century. The constant stresses between local, national and international interests frequently informed the rise of conflict, when these various interests were in tension. He goes on to discuss the difficulties that national Churches have experienced in subsequent history. Thomas More’s principles sought to provide an answer to the statement of the Nicene Creed “I believe in the Catholic Church”. Drawing from his experience on the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission, Bishop Santer considers that the questions posed by More are unavoidable in the quest for Church unity.

Lamennais

1947 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waldemar Gurian
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Early Church ◽  
The Third ◽  
Vatican Council ◽  
Papal Infallibility ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Church ◽  
The Catholic Church

The history of the Catholic Church includes men who, after brilliant services to the Church, died outside her fold. Best known among them is Tertullian, the apologetic writer of the Early Church; less known is Ochino, the third vicar-general of the Capuchins, whose flight to Calvin's Geneva almost destroyed his order. In the nineteenth century there were two famous representatives of this group. Johann von Doellinger refused, when more than seventy years old, to accept the decision of the Vatican Council about papal infallibility. He passed away in 1890 unreconciled, though he had been distinguished for years as the outstanding German Catholic theologian. Félicité de la Mennais was celebrated as the new Pascal and Bossuet of his time before he became the modern Tertullian by breaking with the Church because Pope Gregory XVI rejected his views on the relations between the Church and die world. As he lay deathly ill, his niece, “Madame de Kertanguy asked him: ‘Féli, do you want a priest? Surely, you want a priest?’ Lamennais answered: ‘No.’ The niece repeated: ‘I beg of you.’ But he said with a stronger voice: ‘No, no, no.

Resources for a Democratic Catholic Church

Horizons ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-226
Author(s):  
Eugene C. Bianchi
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Church History ◽  
First Century ◽  
Early Church ◽  
Church Reform ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Democratic Tradition ◽  
Catholic History ◽  
Reform Needs

AbstractThis article explores sources in the Christian tradition that can be helpful for re-shaping present Roman Catholic ecclesial polity. The underlying theme is that the Catholic Church, in order to enhance efforts at church reform, needs to re-structure itself from a monarchical polity to a democratic one. A theological subtheme argues that the monarchical polity is not mandated by the gospel, but is rather a creature of history. Furthermore, the monarchical polity is a root cause obstructing reform in specific areas. By selecting loci from early church history to the present time, democratic movements and ideas are highlighted as constituting an important part of Catholic history. Certain of these loci have not yet been examined for their democratic potential. This democratic tradition can be a springboard for moving toward a democratic church in the twenty-first century.

scholarly journals Manning's Ultramontanism and the Catholic Church in British Politics

1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 332-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. von Arx
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Church History ◽  
British Politics ◽  
Roman Catholicism ◽  
Papal States ◽  
Italian Unification ◽  
Roman Catholics ◽  
The Church

After his conversion to Roman Catholicism, the first major controversy in which Henry Edward Manning found himself involved as a member of his new church concerned the Roman Question, or the Temporal Power; that is, the political status and future of the Papal States. Now the question of the temporal power of the pope, and the amount of controversy it engendered, is one of those issues in nineteenth century church history whose significance it is difficult for us to understand. By the mid-nineteenth century, especially in relation to the movement for Italian unification, the temporal power of the popes looks to us like an historical anachronism. To Roman Catholics today, it is obvious that the ability of the church to preach the gospel has been enhanced and its mission in the world correspondingly facilitated by being disembarrassed of the burden of political control in central Italy. How to explain, then, the tremendous controversy the Roman Question aroused over so long a period in the second half of the nineteenth century, and the conviction, especially of the papacy's defenders, that the preservation of the Papal States was critical for the survival, not only of religion, but, as we shall see, of civilization in the West?

scholarly journals Christianity and Indigenisation in Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 18-30
Author(s):  
M. A. Masoga ◽  
A. Nicolaides
Keyword(s):  
Significant Role ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Early Church ◽  
Body Of Christ ◽  
Traditional Religion ◽  
African Continent ◽  
Way Of Life ◽  
Spiritual Consciousness ◽  
The Church ◽  
Do So

In a quest for greater coherence between parochial identities, culture and Christianity, there exists an African consciousness which seeks to indigenise and decolonise Christianity. Africans are profoundly religious people who view their faith as part of their way of life, as strengthening their cultures and providing a moral compass for daily living. In efforts to transform society, the Christian religion has played a significant role in the path to African development. Christianity in Africa dates to the very inception of the church. Africans consequently played a crucial role in establishing the doctrines and theology of the early church. While African Traditional religion (ATR) is paramount, it is the purpose of this article to suggest that the Christian faith has and continuous to play a significant role on the African continent in its development. While there are many indigenous African beliefs, these have been to a large extent supported by Christianity in a quest to systematize novel knowledge and promote peace and tolerance across the continent. Many Africans have sought facets of Christianity that are similar to their religious and personal practices and continue to do so. Thus, while there exist numerous similarities and also differences between Christianity and ATR, it is imperative to preserve old-style regional distinctiveness and Christianity as the unifying rudiments in nation building endeavours and in efforts to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. Africans can and should come to comprehend the Triune Godhead as being consistent with their own spiritual consciousness and existential veracities. Indigenization of Christianity requires enculturation and essentially an understanding that it is indeed ecumenical and also embraces diversity and fundamentally requires viewing Holy Scriptures and the truths they propound as being applicable to any context and cultural milieu across the ages. Christians after all espouse a faith in the Ekklesia or body of Christ for all its people who are the Laos of God.

scholarly journals Church’s Response to the Ecological Crisis in a Small Country – the Case of the Roman Catholic Church in Latvia

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-60
Author(s):  
Weronika Felcis ◽  
Elgars Felcis
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Roman Catholic Church ◽  
Current Response ◽  
Small Country ◽  
Pope Francis ◽  
The Church

Due to historical and contextual factors explained in this article, the Latvian Roman Catholic Church currently does not play any significant role in environmental protection or ecological crisis awareness building in the country. However, being called by Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato si’, recently more of the reflection was given to the call for ecological conversion. Considering Church resources based on publicly available data, the authors describe the limitations and opportunities to strengthen the Church current response to the ecological crisis.

scholarly journals The case of “a crow dressed in borrowed feathers”: Debate of the church historians on plagiarism in the 19th-century Hungary

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 789-820
Author(s):  
Csaba Fazekas
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Church ◽  
Church History ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Historical Science ◽  
East Central Europe ◽  
East Central ◽  
The Press ◽  
Heated Debate ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
The Church

This paper presents a heated debate about plagiarism that unfolded between historiographers of the Catholic Church in the press in Hungary in 1841. It was only one special event with few participants, but this case offers an opportunity to study the development of the approach of historical science to plagiarism and the conditions of historiography in East-Central Europe, with special regard to church history, and contrasts these with the conditions in West European countries. To interpret the plagiarism debate, the “court model” will be applied because the writings of the accused author, the victim, and the witnesses remind us of the participants in a court trial, where for the court to pass the sentence mitigating and aggravating circumstances can be put forward, and there is also countercharging; and the committed act is also considered from the point of view of intellectual property rights, as well as from a moral and scientific standpoint.

scholarly journals Migration history in South Africa as a lens for interpreting God’s mission: Towards a challenge for churches to embrace migrants

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Magezi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Slave Trade ◽  
Forced Migration ◽  
Church History ◽  
Early Church ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Migration History ◽  
God's Mission ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Church

This article challenges the church to embrace migrants by presenting migration history in South Africa during the era of European explorers as a lens for interpreting God’s mission. In avowing the aforementioned, it argues for migration history of the European explorers to South Africa as the way God has used in establishing the church in South Africa. However, in view of the subsequent colonialism and slave trade in South Africa that emerged from the period of European explorers, this article recognises the conception of slave trade and colonialism during the era of European explorers as an evil act. Notably, in bringing Joseph’s forced migration to Egypt as a theological lens to interpret some sinful acts that were embedded in the migration of European explorers to South Africa that also resulted in the establishment of the early church in South Africa, it contends that God’s purpose and plans are not frustrated or thwarted by human sin. God, in his grace and love to reach his remnant people with the gospel, utilises various migrations of European explorers to South Africa (regardless of how sinful they are) to advance his kingdom to South Africa. The notion of migration history in South Africa as a lens for interpreting God’s mission is utilised to challenge the churches to embrace migrants because God uses migration or migrants to advance his kingdom to all the earth. The article concludes by calling the church to embrace all migrants because humankind are usually unacquainted with the particular migrants that God is utilising to advance his kingdom.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article outlines theological research agenda for migration history in South Africa as a lens to interpret God’s mission. It considers migration history in South Africa during the era of European explorers as a tool that God used to advance his kingdom. As such, it is a theological interdisciplinary article integrating church history and mission. The contribution of this article lies in establishing the emergence of the early church in South Africa as a result of migration, which it utilises as a challenge for churches to embrace migrants.

Slavery in the Early Church

2020 ◽  
pp. 38-63
Author(s):  
Mary E. Sommar
Keyword(s):  
Church History ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Early Church ◽  
General Reader ◽  
History Of ◽  
Specialist Knowledge ◽  
Church Law ◽  
The Church ◽  
Historical Periods ◽  
Insight Into

This is the story of how the church sought to establish norms for slave ownership on the part of ecclesiastical institutions and personnel and for others’ behavior toward such slaves. Chronicles, letters, and other documents from each of the various historical periods, along with an analysis of the various policies and statutes, provide insight into the situations of these unfree ecclesiastical dependents. Although this book is a serious scholarly monograph about the history of church law, it has been written in such a way that no specialist knowledge is required of the reader, whether a scholar in another field or a general reader interested in church history or the history of slavery. Historical background is provided, and there is a short Latin lexicon. This chapter discusses slavery in the first three centuries of Christianity.

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