Religion 204-
Christian Traditions
Notes
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
·
Trinity does not equal #PUPPYMONKEYBABY
o
Not a mismatch of three things
·
orthodox
(little “o”)- right belief, what the councils of the time period consider to be
right teaching
·
The Trinity is not:
o
Some parts are not subordinate to other parts
·
Diverse perspectives on the Trinity (Heresies=
opposite of orthodoxies)
o
Monarchianism- God is more superior to
Jesus. Some parts of the Trinity are
subordinate.
§
Modalism- The idea that God the father is on top
but God changes person. (Sometimes God is God and sometimes God is Christ…when
Jesus is alive, it was believed that God is in Jesus or sometimes in the
spirit)
o
Adoptionism- the father adopts a good person
(believed to happen at Jesus’ baptism)
o
Arianism- God and the father are not quite equal
(more equal than monarchianism) and do not exist at the same time. Takes away
some of Jesus’ divine powers.
o
Nestorianism- Not about the relationship between
God and Christ, rather non-orthodox perspective in how they are related. Divinity and humanity are two separate
parts.
·
Council of Nicaea (325)
o
Called by Constantine
o
A council of bishops
o
Odd that Constantine seems invested in settling
a conflict among Christian bishops about the nature of Christ and Christ’s
relationship to God.
o
“There was a time when Christ was not”- Arius
§
Issues: suggests that Christ isn’t preexistentà
orthodox wants to believe that Christ is preexistent and is there at the
beginning
o
The bishops assert that God and Christ as homousios (Greek)/ consubstantial (Latin)
§
Homo- Same
§
Usios- Substance
·
Debate over what Homousios actually means
§
After the Council of Nicaeaà
Weird to think of God and Christ as exactly the sameà they proposed Homoiousios-
not the same but similar stuff
·
Just because there is an agreement (Nicene
Creed) it doesn’t mean that everyone agrees and stops debating
§
Cappadoscian Fathers- argue that Homousios means
that God and Christ have the same stuff but three different forms
·
Important because the Trinity represents how
humans are saved through Christ
·
Logos (Greek word)- word and idea, thought, and
argument
·
John 1 draws a distinction between God and the
logos
o
Jesus is the logos (Word)
§
The rest of the text goes on to explain that the
word is Jesus (v.14)
·
Genesis- God is creating through speaking (through
the word)= God creating through Christ
·
Christ preexists Jesus…Christ was there and then
came into flesh (Jesus) and after the death of Jesus, Christ lives on.
·
Christ= Logos
·
Jesus= In the flesh
·
There is a time before the beginning that Christ
does not exist but God exists before the beginning
·
Incarnation= the spirit in the flesh
·
Searel- bishop of Alexanderà
Standard Christian beliefs- idea of original sin
o
Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden and
rejected the divine. This is the reason
why all humanity to follow sin. Jesus
came and was immaculate and that is what separated him from everyone else.
§
If the flesh isn’t fully flesh and fully sinful
and if the divine is not fully divine and fully sinless, what’s the point?
·
Issue between the divine and human continues onà
·
Counsel of Chalcedon- Theotokos (means God
bearer) Mary gives birth and bears God. Christ is fully human but also fully divine.
·
Council of Jerusalem (50s)- debate about whether
you have to convert to Judaism to be a follow of Christ or whether you can
follow Christ without being circumcised.
Ultimately decide that it is OK for gentiles to stay as they are and not
convert.
·
The Letter to the Gelatians- Paul has the
authentic gospel and his is the one for the Gentiles, not Peter. Contradicts the words in Acts (which comes
later than the Letter)
o
Paul is calling Peter a hypocrite
o
Emphasis on faith rather than action
o
Gentiles for him, don’t need to become Jewish
o
Also a tension or pull between Paul and Peter
·
Canon-
The rule at which you judge other texts and teachings
I should have spelled the name "Cyril" for you. I forgot.
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