CHURCH HISTORY VOLUME 04 CHRIST & CULTURE

CHURCH HISTORY VOLUME 04 CHRIST & CULTURE

HOW DO YOU ANSWER THE WORLD? THE APOLOGISTS

03 12 FOR WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST THE RULERS, AGAINST THE AUTHORITIES, AGAINST THE COSMIC POWERS OVER THIS PRESENT DARKNESS, AGAINST THE SPIRITUAL FORCES OF EVIL IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES. Ephesians 6:12

04 APOLOGISTS Apologia-offering a defense in favor of a position The apologists were speaking in defense of the church This was an intellectual argument that was caused by the growth and persecutions of the church

05 Justin Martyr, again APOLOGY TO WHOM The early church had to fight on two fronts Answer to the Jews Answer to the Romans

06 Tabernacle during the Exodus HOW DID CHRISTIANITY RELATE? The church is relates to Judaism in several ways: A continuation of Judaism The true fulfillment of Judaism Christ fulfilled the law The church is the new Israel

Stoning of Stephen 51 YOU STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE, UNCIRCUMCISED IN HEART AND EARS, YOU ALWAYS RESIST THE HOLY SPIRIT. AS YOUR FATHERS DID, SO DO YOU. 52 WHICH OF THE PROPHETS DID YOUR FATHERS NOT PERSECUTE? AND THEY KILLED THOSE WHO ANNOUNCED BEFOREHAND THE COMING OF THE RIGHTEOUS ONE, WHOM YOU HAVE NOW BETRAYED AND MURDERED, 53 YOU WHO RECEIVED THE LAW AS DELIVERED BY ANGELS AND DID NOT KEEP IT. -Last line of Stephen s Speech Acts 7:51-53

08 Melchizedek THE BOOK OF HEBREWS Used as an apologetic Explains types and shadows Moses and the Law Melchizedek against the Aaronic Priesthood The temple and the sacrificial system

09 Barnabas, companion of Paul EPISTLE OF BARNABAS The epistle of Barnabas is an early church letter written between 80-120 AD Explains types and shadows and their relevance to Christianity Sovereign Grace The promises from the OT are fulfilled in the church

10 JUSTIN MARTYR (100-165) Bust of Cicero, famous Roman orator DIALOGUE WITH TRYPHO This was an attempt to persuade Trypho (a jew) of the truth of Christianity Justin uses the Old Testament He gives his personal testimony Explored Greek philosophies for many years He was a seeker Found something in Christianity that satisfied his seeking

11 JUSTIN MARTYR S Statue of Moses, Michelangelo DIALOGUE WITH TRYPHO (CONT.) Pointed to OT prophecies as fulfilled in Christ Argued that to see those prophecies fulfilled in Christ is itself a gift of the Holy Spirit

12 14 BUT THEIR MINDS WERE HARDENED. FOR TO THIS DAY, WHEN THEY READ THE OLD COVENANT, THAT SAME VEIL REMAINS UNLIFTED, BECAUSE ONLY THROUGH CHRIST IS IT TAKEN AWAY. 15 YES, TO THIS DAY WHENEVER MOSES IS READ A VEIL LIES OVER THEIR HEARTS. 16 BUT WHEN ONE TURNS TO THE LORD, THE VEIL IS REMOVED. 2 Corinthians 3:14-16

13 TONE AND STYLE Jewish Holy Man, 3rd Century AD DIALOGUE WITH TRYPHO (CONT.) The dialogue was noted for its high level of mutual respect The dialogue is a style of writing that was a back and forth argument Could be a correspondence of letters or it could be a summation by Justin

14 I COULD WISH NOTHING BETTER FOR YOU THAN THIS, GENTLEMEN, THAT YOU MAY COME TO SAME OPINION AS OURSELVES AND BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD. Justin Martyr

15 LATER TONE & STYLE Jewish Holy Man, 3rd Century AD DIALOGUE WITH TRYPHO (CONT.) The Babylonian Talmud (mid-4th century) later adds curses against Christians Christians began to think of the Jews as Christ-killers

Death of Socrates, Jacques-Louis David MOST PROMINENT FOE OF THE 2ND CENTURY THE PAGANS

17 EARLY ROMAN GRAFFITI Alexamenos Graffiti CONTRA CHRISTIANITY An early Roman graffiti scribbled with Alexamenos and his god Shows Alexamenos and a crucified Donkey Meaning, Alexamenos worships a donkey (or another slang term) Crucified figure equates it with Christianity

18 CELSUS Celsus the Philosopher bust TRUE REASON Most important pagan attack Oldest literary attack on Christianity Displays a detached pagan offering an objective evaluation of Christianity Origen s famous text Contra Celsum is our only source of Celsus argument

19 FIRST, HOWEVER, I MUST DEAL WITH THE MATTER OF JESUS, THE SO-CALLED SAVIOR, WHO NOT LONG AGO TAUGHT NEW DOCTRINES AND WAS THOUGHT TO BE A SON OF GOD. THIS SAVIOR, I SHALL ATTEMPT TO SHOW, DECEIVED MANY AND CAUSED THEM TO ACCEPT A FORM OF BELIEF HARMFUL TO THE WELL-BEING OF MANKIND. Celsus, On the True Doctrine

20 EXAMPLES 4th Century Christian Fresco OF APOLOGETIC LITERATURE Epistle to Diognetus Describes Christians as the soul of the world Most beautiful & poetic letter of the Early Church Fathers Most full of Grace

21 WHAT GOD DO THEY BELIEVE IN AND HOW DO THEY WORSHIP HIM, SO THAT THEY DISREGARD THE WHOLE WORLD AND DESPISE DEATH, NEITHER RECOGNIZING THOSE WHO ARE CONSIDERED TO BE GODS BY THE GREEKS NOR OBSERVING THE SUPERSTITION OF THE JEWS; WHAT IS THE NATURE OF THE HEARTFELT LOVE THEY HAVE FOR ONE ANOTHER; AND WHY DID THIS NEW RACE OF MEN OR WAY OF LIFE COME INTO THE WORLD WE LIVE IN NOW AND NOT BEFORE? Excerpt from the Epistle to Diognetus

22 MINUCIUS FELIX S Marcus Aurelius, the Stoic THE OCTAVIUS This is a fictional argument based on a real interview A roman pagan is converted by the arguments of Minucius Felix

23 JUSTIN MARTYR S Mosaic of the beheading of Justin Martyr 1 ST & 2 ND APOLOGIES Defends Christianity against the pagan arguments First example of the official Apology format goal of making Christianity appear as a rational philosophy

Death of Socrates, Jacques-Louis David CHRIST & CULTURE 2 APPROACHES

25 CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA & The Acropolis in Athens TERTULLIAN OF CARTHAGE How should Christianity be presented to the Graeco-Roman world? It was a cultural movement out of Judaism and into the Graeco- Roman world How should Christians think about this culture?

26 CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA & Carthage & Alexandria TERTULLIAN OF CARTHAGE Was the previous Graeco-Roman culture all bad? was it a good thing? Was it somewhere in-between? 1st and 2nd generation Christians are attempting to figure out the same thing- Should there be a clean break and total rejection?

27 CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA & Clement of Alexandria TERTULLIAN OF CARTHAGE Did the Graeco-Roman philosophers point towards Christianity and were fulfilled in Christianity? Both men, Clement & Tertullian had an answer to this question

28 CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA Ancient Alexandria ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT Alexandria was the intellectual center of the Graeco-Roman world Septuagint was translated here (Greek translation of the Old Testament) LXX or 70 (for 70 scholars) Also possessed the world s greatest library (later burned) Neoplatonism arose there after Clement s time

29 CHRISTIANITY & The school of Athens, Raphael THE ROMAN CULTURE How should Christianity treat Greek and Roman learning & Philosophy? Should they embrace Greek Learning or culture? Should they reject it?

30 IF SOMEONE NEEDS FOOD, LET HIM MILK THE SHEEP. LET HIM SHEAR THE WOOL IF HE NEEDS CLOTHING. IN THIS WAY, LET ME BENEFIT FROM THE FRUIT OF GREEK ERUDITION. Clement of Alexandria

31 CLEMENT S INTEREST bust of Socrates GREEK CULTURE & KNOWLEDGE He loved Greek knowledge and culture The knowledge was important to him that it not be lost He tried to make that point for the whole church as well

32 WHEREVER THERE IS TRUTH, IT COMES FROM CHRIST AND SO BELONGS TO US. Justin Martyr

33 WHERE DOES TRUTH COME FROM? Aristotle tutoring Alexander SCRIPTURE & PHILOSOPHY Clement would say that the Old Testament belongs to Christians Greek Philosophy also belongs to Christians

34 WHERE DOES TRUTH COME FROM? Bust of Homer TRUTH & PHILOSOPHY Philosophy for the Greeks was what the law was for the Jews A schoolmaster to bring them to Christ (echoes of Galatians 4 and the elemental principles of the world) Worldly philosophy is incomplete, true and full wisdom is found only in Christ

35 CLEMENT S REVERENCE FOR THE GREATEST AND NOBLEST ACHIEVEMENTS OF GREEK HUMANISM IS NEVER UNQUALIFIED. HE LOVES PLATO AND HOMER BUT HE DOES NOT READ THEM ON HIS KNEES. Henry Chadwick

36 THAT WHICH THE CHIEFS OF PHILOSOPHY ONLY GUESSED AT, THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST HAVE BOTH APPREHENDED AND PROCLAIMED. Clement of Alexandria

37 WHERE DOES TRUTH COME FROM? Bust of Plato TRUTH & PHILOSOPHY Philosophy is very rudimentary preparatory and partial mixed with error It has value and Christians should receive it as such

38 CLEMENT AND ORIGEN GREEK PHILOSOPHY Clement and Origen both spoke of the importance of Greek philosophy in the center of Alexandria co-exist symbol, syncretistic goal Syncretism (mixing of religious and/or philosophical beliefs) was always a danger to Christianity

38 CLEMENT AND ORIGEN Gnostic demiurge GNOSTICISM & SYNCRETISM Gnosticism that grew up there later was a mixture of Greek philosophical thought and Christian thought It became a fashionable form of Christianity for many people It had intellectual appeal

Paul at the Areopagus WHAT THEN HAS ATHENS TO DO WITH JERSUALEM? WHAT HAS THE ACADEMY TO DO WITH THE CHURCH? WHAT HAVE HERETICS TO DO WITH CHRISTIANS? OUR INSTRUCTION IS FROM THE PORCH OF SOLOMON WHO HIMSELF HANDED DOWN THAT THE LORD IS TO BE SOUGHT IN SIMPLICITY OF HEART. -Tertullian of Carthage

41 TERTULLIAN OF CARTHAGE (155-240 AD) SYNCRETISM & PERSECUTION The church was facing serious problems Syncretistic Illustration Persecution & Syncretism abounded Many Eastern Religions Many Christians worshipped the Emperor or accepted Syncretism

41 TERTULLIAN OF CARTHAGE (155-240 AD) ISOLATION FROM THE WORLD Tertullian of Carthage Tertullian did not like Clement s approach He took a strong stance against Syncretism-he withdrew from the spirit of the world There was the danger of almost total isolation from the world

43 DO NOT ASK QUESTIONS, JUST BELIEVE. Celsus, when describing Christianity

44 TERTULLIAN OF CARTHAGE (155-240 AD) ANTI-INTELLECTUAL? Tertullian was NOT anti-intellectual Father, Son, & Holy Spirit Some of our language for the trinity and the two natures of Christ comes first from Tertullian Philosopher s knock at the gate of truth. They stole any truth they had from the scriptures

44 TERTULLIAN OF CARTHAGE (155-240 AD) THE BIBLE AND PHILOSOPHY The Philosopher Our reason is limited, so we must accept what God has made known We do not need philosophy We have all we need in the Bible Christianity cannot be reasoned into

46 TERTULLIAN OF CARTHAGE (155-240 AD) MONASTIC TRADITION Anthony, an early desert monk His tradition continued into early Monasticism Christians fled the world and isolated themselves in the desert to be untainted By Sin By worldly thought

47 TERTULLIAN OF CARTHAGE (155-240 AD) MEDIEVAL MONASTICISM medieval monk, illuminated text Continued into medieval monasticism Umberto Eco s novel, The name of the Rose A monk hated the writings of Aristotle He was willing to do anything, even murder, to prevent a book from Aristotle from being available in the monastic library

H. RICHARD NIEBUHR CHRIST & CULTURE

49 TERTULLIAN, AMISH, ETC. The Amish CHRIST AGAINST CULTURE What has Athens to do with Jerusalem? loyalty to Christ means you will reject culture and society Monastic, exclusionary tendencies

50 EUSEBIUS OF CAESAREA, PROTESTANT LIBERALISM, ETC. Eusebius of Caesarea CHRIST OF CULTURE There is a lack of tension between the church and the world Jesus fulfills the hopes and aspirations of a society Appeals to powerful and elite groups

51 CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, THOMAS AQUINAS CHRIST ABOVE CULTURE Thomas Aquinas You do not choose between Christ and culture Combine reason and revelation often tends to institutionalize Christ and the gospel absolutize what is relative

52 MARTIN LUTHER, SOREN KIERKEGAARD Soren Kierkegaard CHRIST & CULTURE IN PARADOX The conflict between God & Humanity is ever present Grace is in God, and sin is in man. (Niebuhr) Niebuhr believes that it tends towards antinomianism

53 JOHN CALVIN, AUGUSTINE, ETC. CHRIST THE TRANSFORMER OF CULTURE John Calvin All culture is under the judgement of God and also still under God s sovereign rule Christian must carry on the cultural work in obedience to the Lord Cultural mandate

COMING SOON! CHURCH HISTORY VOLUME 05 ORTHODOXY & HERESY