Athanasius 293-373 a.d./Named 'The Father of
Orthodoxy'
Christian theologian who championed the cause for orthodoxy in the
4th-century struggle against Arianism. At the Council of Nicea in 325,
Athanasius opposed Arius, the Alexandrian priest who advanced the doctrine
known as Arianism. Tradition holds that 318 Bishops attended the council
where Arianism was condemned and the Trinity was completely codified in
the
creeds. Arianism continued to try to manipulate the orthodoxy of the
creeds
for many years after however. The Catholic tenets of Rome and
Athanasius
finally triumphed for good as the first council of Constantinople
(a.d.
381) upheld the decrees of Nicea. Athanasius formulated the "homoousian"
doctrine, according to which the Son of God is of the same essence, or
substance, as the Father. Arius, on the other hand, maintained that the Son
was of a different substance from that of the Father and was merely a
creature, much more perfect than any other creature, who was used by God in
subsequent works of creation. The author of the
Athanasius Creed is
unknown but was named for Athanasius
because it codifies the orthodox
beliefs of Athanasius and the early Church,
and their work done at the
1st. Council of Nicea.
Blaise Pascal 1623-1662
1.) Mathematical prodigy, physicist, and Christian apologist. 2.)
Founded
the modern theory of probability, discovered the properties of
the cycloid,
and contributed to the advance of
differential calculus.
His experimentation led to the invention of the
hydralic press. Father
of modern computer programming languages. Pascal
invented the adding
machine and the calculator. 3.) Quotes; "Truth is so
obscure in these
times and falsehood so established, that unless we love
the truth, we
cannot know it". 4.) "Pascal's Wager" If a man trusts
in Christ
as Savior, dies, and then discovers that Jesus was not the Christ
then
that man would have lost nothing. However if the man does not trust in
Christ as Savior, dies, and then discovers that Jesus was the Christ;
that
man will have lost EVERYTHING! I will bet on God!
Anselm 1033-1109
Anselm was born of a well-to-do family at Aosta, in England. Anselm was
a
Christian Theologian and a Classical Apologist. Influenced by Plato
philosophically and Augustine theologically. In his study of the nature
of
God, Anselem originated Theistic philosophy which later became known
as the
ontological argument. Anselm also elaborated on many forms of the
cosmological argument prior to presenting his ontological argument for God.
John Calvin 1509-1564
Born in France and influenced with the writings of Augustine, Anselm, and
Thomas
Aquinas. The acronmym t-u-l-i-p was formulated at the Synod of Dort
in 1618-1619.
T - Total Depravity
U - Unlimited Election
L -
Limited Atonement
I - Irresistable Grace
P - Perserverance of the
Saints.
Augustine-354-430 a.d./Named 'The
Father of Theology'
1.) Augustine was a hound after women. Shortly after his conversion,
he
returned to his hometown. One of the girls came up and said,"Augustine,
Augustine, it is I!" Augustine looked her in the eye and said, "It is
not
I." Quoted by Ben Haden.
2.) Augustine was Bishop of Hippo near
modern
Algeria.
3.) Considered the founder of Christian theology.
4.) Wrote
autobiography "Confessions" and
"City of God".
5.) Church Father and
one of the 8 doctors of the
church.
6.) Famous quote used today in
apologetics: " In essentials unity,
in non-essentials liberty, and in all
things charity".
7.) Though not a
direct quote, a catch phrase used by
Augustine: "You do not need to understand
so that you may believe, you only
need to believe so that you may
understand."
8.) Augustine, one of the
only early apologists to consider
the apocrypha as scripture, ultimately
admitted that the apocrypha had
secondary status to the rest of the old
testament.
9.) Baptised in 387a.d.
10.) Popularized the phrase
"His-story" describing God's sovereignty in
the affairs of men throughout
history. This was also a part of
Augustine's Theisic mindset which
harmonizes with Calvin, Anselm,
Aquinas and Geisler.
Origen 185-254
(Origines Adamantius), Christian philosopher, pupil of Clement
of
Alexandria-taught in Alexandria for 28 years.
Tertullian 160-220
Roman Catholic theologian converted 197 a.d. Left Catholicism in 213.
Flavius Josephus 37-97
Jewish Pharisee and Historian during the Apostolic era whose writings
greatly
assisted Christian Protestant Apologetics.
Jonathan Edwards 1703-1758
Supported Calvinism-Primary leader of the Great Awakening which swept
the
American colonies in the mid 18th. century (1734).
John Wesley 1703-1791
Founder of the Methodist church. Named so because of his "methodical"
approach to the bible. Quote: " My ground is the bible. Yea I am a
bible
bigot. I follow it in all things both great and small."
Polycarp 69-155
Apostolic Father and bishop at Smyrna. Polycarp was martyred at Smyrna
at
the age of 86, According to the Christian martyr and theologian
Irenaeus,
who was his pupil.
Ambrose
Close friend of Augustine's mother.
Jerome 347-419
Biblical scholar. Produced the Latin Vulgate Bible.
William Paley 1743-1805
British theologian and utilitarian philosopher. Paley's watchmaker
theory : If you were walking in a field and discovered a watch
lying
on the ground, you would not believe that the watch evolved out
of the
field. You would rather believe that the watch had an intelligent
designer
who made watches. Likewise when we look at the complexity and
the design
of our Earth and Universe, we assume that it did not just
evolve. Rather an
Intelligent Designer made and fashioned the earth on
which we live.
Ignatius of Antioch died 107 a.d.
Christian martyr and apologist against heresy. Ignatius was condemned under
Roman emperor Trajan to be devoured by wild beasts in Rome.
First Christian
writer
to use the term "catholic church" as a collective term for the
faithful.
Thomas Aquinas 1224-1274
Theologian, philosoper, and consumate apologist of the medieval church.
Philosopher and shaper of Theistic thought. Famous for his teleological and
cosmological arguements in Theism. Born in Italy.
Arius 256-336
Alexandrian priest who taught the heresy that Jesus was a supernatural
being, not quite human, not quite divine, and who was created by God.
Arianism was condemned at the first council of Nicea (325). The conflict
continued as several bishops and emperors sided with Arius. The
Catholic
tenets of Rome and Athanasius finally triumphed, and the first
council of
Constantinople (381) upheld the decrees of Nicea.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon 1834-1892
"Tragedy is not in dying young, but in living long and never using your
life for what is of eternal significance." "The Old Covenant was a
covenant
of prosperity. The New Covenant is a Covenant of adversity
whereby we are
being weaned from this present world and made mete for
the world to come."
Justin Martyr 100-165
One of the earliest Christian apologist for Christianity. Opened a
school
of Christian philosophy at Rome where he was martyred during
the reign of
Emperor Marcus Aurelius.
Irenaeus 140-202
Christian Apologist converted after hearing the preaching of Polycarp.
Martin Luther 1483-1546
Augustine monk. German leader of the protestant reformation. Luther
quoted
"I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against
concience is
neither right nor safe. Here i stand, i can do no other,
so help me God.
Amen." In 1517 Luther nailed his 95 theses to the
Wittenberg church door.
Clement of Alexandria 150-203
Greek theologian. Christian convert.
Cornelius Tacitus 55-120.
Roman historian.
Eusebius of Caesarea 260-340
Third century historian. Leader of the semi-Arians. Eusebius held that
the
nature of the Father, and the nature of Jesus Christ, were of
similiar
substance rather than the same substance. At the council of
Nicea in 325
he accepted the Athanasian position, but leaned toward
Arianism at the
Synod's of Antioch (324), and Tyre (335).
Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern orthodoxy rejects the doctrine of purgutory. They reject the
infallibility of the pope. They reject the immaculate conception that
teaches that at the moment of conception Mary received immunity from
original sin. They hold that the apocrypha is not on the same level as
the
66 inspired books of the Protestant Bible.
