Scholasticism
Scholasticism was a school of philosophy prominent during the Medieval period, from approximately 1100 to 1700. Scholasticism came to fruition in universities and monastic schools at the beginning of the 12th century and has been described to serve as less of a philosophy and more so a way to attain knowledge. One of the goals of Scholasticism was to search for ways in which various religious schools could live in harmony with their philosophical and theological differences.
Great Schism of 1054
The Great Schism of 1054 was a major break in tradition within the Catholic Church, which in turn led to a clear distinction between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Issues, and subsequent differences in practices between the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches had been the Filioque, the leavening of bread during the Eucharist, and perhaps most importantly, the question of papal authority across the globe.
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm was the belief that there was an importance in destroying religious monuments and icons, typically for reasons of a political or religious nature. Those who held to these beliefs were known as iconoclasts. Iconoclasts within society are often a fight between sectarian and spiritual groups, yet within Christianity, iconoclasts had been a battle between those strict adherents to Christianity and those that were not.
Pentarchy
The Pentarchy is a method of religious organization within the Eastern Orthodox Church, based on the legal codes of Roman emperor, Justinian I. Following the model of the Pentarchy the Church is governed by the five designated sees: Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Rome. While this concept of governance was accepted within the Eastern Orthodox Church, it was not accepted in the world outside the Eastern Orthodox world.
Original Sin
Original Sin is a theological concept in Christianity that every person is born with, and inherited, sin from their ancestors, tracing all the way back to the “original sin” of Adam and Eve. This idea was first explored in depth by Augustine of Hippo. The idea of original sin that Augustine theorized would become consequential in the history of Christianity, and is a major force among both Lutherans and Calvinists.
Asceticism
Asceticism is a term used to describe a certain lifestyle that adheres to a strict set of rules in order to pursue spiritual goals more fully. Asceticism has been practices by most all major world religions, and in Christianity was practiced in many monasteries as well as within small groups throughout the Middle East and Europe.
Edict of Milan
The Edict of Milan was a letter written in 313 AD by emperors Constantine and Licinius, in order to publicly state the toleration of religion within the Roman Empire.
Methodism
Methodism is the religious term used to group related religious denominations that adher to a Protestant, Wesleyan tradition. Methodism stresses the importance of sanctification, reject pre-ordination, and the importance of individual faith.
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a branch of Protestant Christianity, one of the largest in fact, and follows the methods and teachings of Martin Luther, a 16th century reformer. Luther, and Lutheranism subsequently, was the main catalyst for the Protestant Revolution. The Lutherans believed that the authority of the church did not lay in Rome, and most importantly perhaps that justification of faith was achieved through faith and grace alone.
Calvinism
Calvinism refers to a branch of Protestant Christianity in which Christians follow in the methods and tradition of John Calvin, a 16th century reformer. There are many different sets of beliefs under the umbrella of Calvinism. In Calvinism, predestination is a major belief, as well as what is known as the “Five Points of Calvinism. These Five Points are mostly a summary of the Canons of Dort, and are the concepts of Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and the Perseverance of the Saints.
Filioque
The Filioque is a clause that states that the Holy Spirit is contrived from both the Father and the Son. It was added to the Nicene Creed and helped create the major schism between Eastern and Western Christianity. In understanding and accepting, or rejecting, the Filioque has major consequences to the understanding of the Trinity.
Eucharist
The Eucharist is the name of the tradition in which Christian denominations eat leavened or unleavened bread (depending on the denomination) and drink a sip of wine, as a sacrament to God. The cracker represents the flesh and the wine represents the blood of Jesus.
Council of Constantinople
The Council of Constantinople was a congregation of bishops in Rome in 381. The goal of the Council was to create a theological consensus among a host of issues. Some of those being the confirmation of the Nicene Creed, the shift of papal power from Rome to Constantinople.
Council of Ephesus
The Council of Ephesus was a congregation of Bishops in Ephesus in 431. The Council condemned Nestorianism, affirmed hypostasis and affirmed that Jesus was one person.
Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon was a congregation of Bishops in Chalcedon in 451. It had the stated goal to affirm the reigning Catholic theology; it had also issued what was called the “Chalcedonian Definition,” of which decreed that Jesus is both perfectly human and perfectly divine, at the same time.
Council of Nicaea
The Council of Chalcedon was a congregation of Bishops in Nicaea in 325. The Council of Nicaea established the concept of the Trinity and the Nicene Creed. The Council also agreed on a universal date for Easter, and played a part in creating and executing early canonical law.
Hesychasm
Hesychasm is a term used to refer to a specific type of monastic spiritual living, where those that practive see to find total quietness, in order to pray and worship in a pure fashion.
Homoousios Homoousios is a term that was formulated at the First Council of Nicaea, the term describes the Trinity.
