Codex Sinaiticus (Gospel of John)

Early Christianity

• Although later centuries have cultivated the belief in one book with a single purpose, the fact remains that what WE call the Bible is a diverse composition that was created gradually over a period of hundreds of years, and was not crystallized into a canon until the 5th century.

• Thus the influence of early Christian authors upon the canon, and also the formation of Christianity as a faith was far greater than they are usually given credit for.

Apostolic and Apologetic Fathers

• Apostolic Fathers:

• Clement of Rome• Ignatius of Antioch • Polycarp of Smyrna

• Apologists• Justin Martyr• Athenagoras• Tatian

Greek Fathers

• Irenaeus• Clement of Alexandria• Origen• Athanasius• John Chrysostom• Basil • Gregory Nazianzenus• Gregory of Nyssa

Latin Fathers

• Tertullian • Gregory the Great • Augustine of Hippo, • Ambrose of Milan• Jerome• Christian writings in Latin begin in the 3rd century.

The first two centuries Christian writings are limited to Greek, and this is why much of important terminology, not included in the New Testament, is Greek in origin.

Lactantius

240-320

Education

• North African• Student of Arnobius

(early rhetorician/Apologist: Ad Nationes)M

• Taught rhetoric in Nicomedia under Diocletian.

• Later tutor of Crispus, son of Constantine

Works

• De Opificio Dei• Written under Diocletian’s persecution: an apologetic work

• Divinae Institutiones (and Epitome for his brother)• Outlines the siliness of pagan beliefs, as opposed to

Christian truth

• De Ira Dei (agaisnt Stoics and Epicureans)

• De Mortibus Persecutorum• A rhetorical composition, apologetic in nature, was taken for

history in later time.

• De Ave Phoenice (the story of the bird Phoenix)

Tertullian (155-230)

• North African

• Little is known about his life.

• He became a priest and followed a number of sects, like Montanism

• Apologist and ‘historian’ of the early Church

• His works cover the entire range:

Tertullian: Works

• 31 extant and fragments of others• Divided into two groups:

• Apologetic and Polemical• (e.g. Apologeticus, De testimonio animae, Adv.

Judaeos, Adv. Marcionem)• Practical and Disciplinary• (e.g. De monogamia, Ad uxorem, De virginibus

velandis, De cultu feminarum, De patientia, De pudicitia)

Content

• Tertullian was practical and materialistic.

• He outlines cruel and abominable practices of pagans in order to contrast it with the purity of a Christian lifestyle.

• The soul is created for each person, and has some form of corporeity, and this is how it can be tortured in hell.

• He advocates austere discipline and exhibits misogyny.

• Very influential in matters such as the Antichrist, the 1000 years kingdom of Heaven, Rome as the decadent Babylon.

Justin (100-165)

• Known as Apologist and Martyr

• Born in Nablus (Palestine), he studied philosophy

• Suffered martyrdom in Rome under Marcus Aurelius

Works

• Authentic: • Apologia• Apologia Secunda• Dialogus cum

Tryphone

• Pseudepigrapha• A much larger body of works is

attributed to him by later scholars, e.g. Eusebius and Photius, most problematic, e.g.

• Cohortatio ad Graecos

• De Monarchia• De Resurrectione

Content

• Justin was influenced by Greek philosophy, and formed many important concepts of later Christianity on the basis of Plato, the Stoics, the Peripatetics and the Pythagoreans.

• Christology and the teaching of Logos very important

• Believed in prophesies and the ‘Millenium’• Believed that the Antichrist will come shortly

before the second coming of Christ.

Clement of Alexandria (c.150-215)

• Probably of Greek origin, very likely Athenian.

• Headed the Catechetical School of Alexandria

• During the persecutions he travelled trying to escape.

Works

• Protrepticus• Paedagogus• Stromata• He had a strong philosophical background and tried

to turn Christianity into a consistent philosophical system in the model of pagan Greek systems.

• Knowledge (gnosis) is important for Christian faith.• He was an ecclectic, and approved of the moral

precepts of Platonism and the Stoics.

John Chrysostom

• Born in Antioch, studied with Libanios.

• Libanios taught him rhetoric and cultivated his love for Greek literature.

• He became Archbishop of Constantinople

• He was ascetic and spent two years standing with minimal sleep (which damaged his health)

Works

• Many works survive: • Homilies (speeches)• He had a practical understanding of Christianity and for that

reason great appeal

• Instructions for Priests/the Catechumens• He tried to keep Christianity plain and away from the

trappings of office and the mainstream, in vain.• He was in conflict with several powerful figures• He abhorred the pagan way of life which many

Christians of his time lived.

Augustine (354 –430)

• North African (Hippo)• He studied Rhetoric and

went to Rome and Milan to practice.

• After a fairly wild youth, under the influence of Ambrose of Milan he became a devout Christian.

• He died during the siege of Hippo by the Vandals

Works

• Approximately 100 titles: tremendous influence• De Civitate Dei• Confessiones • Extensively introduded Platonism into Christianity and

was influenced by Plotinus and Porphyry.• He is the founder of many important doctrines, some

of which have caused controversy (e.g. the original sin).

• He introduced the theory of the timelessness of God, and the differentiation between witchcraft and miracle.