The Patristic Period lasted from around 100-500AD. During this time, the Church Fathers wrote and preached, establishing important doctrines like the divinity of Christ. Heresies arose questioning Christ's nature and the Trinity, which Church councils addressed by composing creeds like the Nicene Creed. The Patristic Period also saw the legalization of Christianity under Emperor Constantine and the establishment of monastic traditions.

1. The Patristic
Period
c. 100 - 500AD

2. • Extends from the death of John to around the
time of the collapse of the Roman Empire
- called Patristic because "pater" is the Latin
word for "father“
- during this time the Church fathers wrote
and preached

3. Important events of the Patristic Period:
* @ 196AD - the Didache
- "The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles“
- oldest surviving written catechism
- has three main sections:
- Christian ethics
- sacraments and rituals
- Church organization

4. • @ 292AD - Emperor Diocletian divided the
Roman Empire into East and West
- under Diocletian Christians were persecuted,
almost to the point of elimination

5. • @ 313AD - Emperor Constantine
issued the Edict of Milan
- the practice of Christianity was
made legal by this document
- over time, Christianity became the official
religion of the Roman Empire

6. TERMS:
1. hermit - a person who lives a simple life of
poverty, alone in prayer and sacrifice
2. monk - lives alone, but joins other monks in
sacrament and prayer
3. heresy - a false religious teaching
4. heretic - a person who teaches or believes a false
teaching

7. 5. dissension - strong disagreement
6. apostasy - total desertion of one's religion
7. schism - division within the Church
8. ecumenical - pertaining to the whole Church
9. synod - a meeting of local bishops

8. * After Roman persecution had stopped, the
Church had to deal with a series of heresies.
- The Arian heresy questioned the divinity of
Jesus, and later, the Holy Spirit.

9. - an ecumenical council was called in 325AD in
Nicea. This was the Council of Nicea
- every Catholic bishop in the world was
invited
- the bishops composed the Nicene Creed,
expressing the divinity and humanity of Jesus
- in 381AD, the Council of Constantinople
expanded the Creed and defined the nature of
the Holy Spirit

10. • In 431AD, the Council of Ephesus was held
- Nestorius was spreading a heresy that
questioned the role of Mary
- at the Council of Ephesus the bishops
declared that Mary was the Mother of God

11. • The challenge of these heresies helped the
Church:
- clarify beliefs in the Creed
- establish the challenge of the scripture
- establish rituals of the sacraments

12. • Thinkers and teachers during this period were the
Church Fathers. They include:
- St. Athanasius - defended
Jesus' divinity against
the Arian heresy
- St. Basil - worked to
improve the relationship
between the East and
the West

13. - St. Ambrose - bishop who
defended against heretics;
he brought St. Augustine
into the faith
- St. Augustine - bishop of Hippo;
became a great Christian writer
(doctor of the Church)

14. - St. Jerome - translated the bible from original
languages into Latin. His bible was called the
Vulgate