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This timeline only focus on major church fathers, theology and events
This timeline only focus on major church fathers, theology and events
Philosophical thinking that have impact the Christian world
423 BC - 347 BC
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Century: 4th BC
Event: Records Socrates drinking the Hemlock
Thought:
This of sense perception is transient, the real world is transcendent & can only be "remembered" by our immortal souls. God does not involve himself w/the material world because he is transcendent, so he create through the Dyad/Logos
Story:
Plato was the student of Socrates & the teacher of Aristotle
This layer contains the councils and edicts that have affected the Christian church.
313 AD
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After years of power struggles for the imperial purple, the Roman world enjoyed a degree of peace. And after the failure of the Great Persecution (initiated by the emperors Diocletian and Galerius in 303–304), the Christian church had begun to recover its stability. The two men were the Roman emperors—Constantine ruling the West and Licinius the East. Constantine and Licinius turned their minds to matters affecting the general welfare of the Empire. It came out of a two-man summit meeting in the northern Italian city of Milan in January 313. It marks the Roman Empire’s final abandonment of the policies of persecution of Christians.
325 AD
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VIP(s):
Emperor Constantine 1 (Convoked)
Athanasius of Alexandria (President)
Eusebius of Caesarea
Jerome
Alexander of Alexandria
Controversy:
was a council of Christian bishops convened in Nicaea by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in AD 325. Its main accomplishments were settlement of the Christological issue of the nature of the Son of God and his relationship to God the Father.
Nicene Creed:
1. One God
2.one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, being of one substance with the Father;
3.Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man
4.Believe in the Holy Ghost.
Note:
The son is Homoousios = Same nature w/the Father.
The creed supported Sabellius who believed God is one person w/3 modes, so many bishops rejected the creed.
Constantine decreed that anyone who refuse to sign the creed will be killed.
381 AD
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VIP:
Emperor Theodosius I (ordered the council)
Eusebius of Nicomedia (spoke man for Arius)
Athanasius of Alexandria
Gregory of Nazianzus (President of council)
Previous council: First Council of Nicaea
Next council: Council of Ephesus
Controversy: the Nature of Christ
Purpose:
1. to confirm the Nicene Faith.
2. To reconcile the semi-Arians with the Church, and to put an end to the Macedonian heresy.
Note:
The Three Hypostasis Homoousios was added to the Nicene creed to replace Homoiousios.
Three Hypostasis Homousios = 3 person that are of the same nature (God).
431 AD
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VIP(s):
Theodosius II
Cyril of Alexandria
Nestorius of Constantinople
Eutyches
Controversy: The nature of Christ
Ordered by:
Was convened in Ephesus in AD 431 by the Roman Emperor Theodosius II.
Purpose:
1. It was an effort to attain consensus in the church through an assembly representing all of Christendom.
2. To confirmed the original Nicene Creed,
3.condemned the teachings of Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople that Virgin Mary may be called the Christotokos, "Birth Giver of Christ" but not the Theotokos, "Birth Giver of God".
451 AD
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VIP(s):
Pope Leo the Great
Monk Eutyches
Eastern emperor Theodosius II
Eastern emperor Marcian
Controversy:
In the 440s, a respected monk from Constantinople, Eutyches, denied that Jesus was truly human. He taught that Jesus did not exist in two natures because his human nature was absorbed or swallowed up by his divine nature. Eastern emperor Theodosius II, also favoring Eutyches’ position, called another church-wide council to meet at Ephesus in August 449. He appointed Dioscorus to chair the proceedings and to silence any dissent.
Leo I, bishop of Rome, sent delegates to the synod with his Tome, an exposition of how the two natures, divine and human, are joined in Christ. Dioscorus prevented the reading of Leo’s letter and rejected his position. Eutyches’ teaching was declared orthodox. Bishops who refused to accept the council’s decision were deposed.
Council of Chalcedon:
When the emperor died, Marcian became emperor and opposed Eutyches’ teaching. Emperor Marcian called for a church council to meet at Chalcedon, on the outskirts of Constantinople. Leo again sent representatives with his Tome, which was read and approved by the council. Chalcedon reversed the “Robbers’ Council” decision and condemned Eutyches’ teaching. It anathematized those who taught that Christ had only a single, divine nature and those “who imagine a mixture or confusion between the two natures of Christ.”
Definition of Faith:
Marcian urged the council to write a statement of faith to provide unity and understanding for the Church. In response, the council produced the “Chalcedonian Definition.”
1.Christ is “complete in Godhead and complete in humanness, truly God and truly human.” He is “of one substance (homoousios) with the Father as regards his Godhead, and at the same time of one substance with us as regards his humanity.”
2.Jesus Christ is to be “recognized in two natures, without confusion, without change, without division, without separation.” The “distinction of natures” is “in no way annulled by the union.” “The characteristics of each nature” are to be considered as “preserved and coming together to form one person and subsistence.” They are not to be “separated into two persons.”
20 BC - 50 AD
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Century: 1st
Event: Contemporary of Christ
Thought:
He used philosophical allegory to attempt to fuse & harmonized Greek philosophy (Platonic View) with Jewish biblical philosophy.
Story:
He represented the Jews to Gaius Caligula, the emperor attempting to place his golden statue in the Jerusalem temple.
Note:
Philo Judaeus, was a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher who lived in Alexandria, in the Roman province of Egypt.
92 AD - 99 AD
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Century: 1st
Event: Young leader displacing elders of the church
Thought: Peter & Paul already in heaven
Story: Tells the stories of the Old Testament judgments against usurpers & rebellions as example for the Christian church.
Note: The given date is while he was in office
35 AD - 107 AD
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Century: 2nd
Event:
Was taken to Rome to be martyred by wild beast.
Thought:
Urged the churches of Asia Minor to adapt a monarchical episcopate form of church governance.
Story:
He pleads with Roman Christians not to rescue him from martyrdom lest he lose his chance to emulate Christ & Paul.
69 AD - 160 AD
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Century: 2nd
Event: Martyrdom of Polycarp
Thought:
Taught the Christians in Philippi to use a Presbyterian form of church governance
Story:
Learned Christianity from the apostle John. Served God for 86 years & died praying for his persecutors & reviling the crowd of pagans as atheists.
Known as an apostolic father
70 AD - 131 AD
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Century: 2nd
Event:
Written after Major Jewish uprisings in Alexandria & Judea.
Thought:
The author rejects the weekly Sabbath in favor of 1000 years and believes an 8 day rest.
Story:
The author allegorizes Old Testament stories into Christian teachings, but keeps their historical reality.
Note:
The date range refers to when the epistle might have been written.
85 AD - 160 AD
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Century: 2nd
Event:
Marcionites heresy at Rome condemned by Irenaeus of Lyon
Thought:
The Old Testament god is a weak god of material & justice. The New Testament God, Jesus Christ, is the high God & loving and merciful.
Story:
Sold his shipping business & gave the proceeds to Roman church. When they finally rejected his heresy, they returned his money.
Note:
-He is the 1st to put together a New Testament Bible which composed of the gospel of Luke and Paul's letters for the where the only ones who understood Jesus.
-Jesus did not have a body like us, for he was not under the ruling of Yawah who created the material world for his evil purpose.
100 AD - 165 AD
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Century: 2nd
Event:
Worshipping on the 1st day of the week in Rome
Thought:
Believed the Old Testament prophets predicted Jesus, but he rejects the Sabbath & circumcision.
Story:
He styles himself as a Christian philosopher after testing & rejecting the major philosophies of his day.
120 AD - 202 AD
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Century: 2nd
Event: Wrote "Against Heresies"
Thought:
Christ must be true God & true human to bring God & humans together
Story:
Irenaeus of Lyon was a student of Polycarp of Smyrna, who learned from John and claimed authority base on getting his information of the gospel in a direct way from an apostle.
Note:
-He believed the Bible should be read in view of the truth & the church is truth. If you want to know the truth, ask the church.
-Because Irenaeus of Lyon knew Polycarp of Smyrna who knew John, that means Irenaeus has the truth.
-He believed the bishops has the truth (which include himself)
150 AD - 215 AD
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Century: 2nd
Event: Teacher in the school of biblical exegesis in Alexandria
Thought:
All that is best in philosophy was derived from revelation through Moses & the prophets.
Story:
Clement of Alexandria was a hight-born, well-educated Greek who traveled & study widely.
Note:
+Clement of Alexandria follows Philo in making scripture allegorical
-He was a thinker & search of truth
-"Philosophy was given to the Greeks, just as the law was given to the Jews."
-He believed there is a close relationship btw faith & reason; faith is the 1st principle on which reason is to build upon. But Christians who are content with faith, and son not use reason to build upon it, are again like children who are forever content with milk.
-Clement of Alexandria call one who goes beyond the literal meaning of scripture a "true gnostic' (not to be confuse with the occult), which he considered himself to be.
160 AD - 225 AD
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Century: 3rd
Event:
Tertullian was attracted to the Montanist heresy because of their rigorist ethic
Thought:
Tertullian of Carthage begins Latin theology with the economy of God, where he sees Jesus as "light from light and true God from true God."
Story:
Tertullian of Carthage is a Roman citizen with Patrician upbringing & education, as such he sees Christianity through conservative
Note:
Tertullian of Carthage statement:
"The blood of martyr is see"
"As if so many could feed to so few" - said in regard to the Christians being feed to the beast.
185 AD - 254 AD
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Century: 3rd
Event:
Wrote commentaries on every book of scripture
Thought:
He believed Jesus was God by participation, not by nature
Story:
When he as a teen, his father was martyred and he wanted to join him, but was stopped by his bishop & mother how hide his clothing. In order for Origen to gain self-control, it is possible that he castrated himself.
Note:
-Origen of Alexandria's library was kept in Caesarea by Eusebius of Caesarea
-He believed creation took place after the fall & creation is the school for the soul to achieve the divine realm
200 AD - 258 AD
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Century: 3rd
Event:
The persecution of Decius forced Christians to burn incense to the emperor which was later re-enforce by Emperor Valerius.
Thought:
Cyprian of Carthage believed the bishop is the church and only the bishop can forgive sins.
Story:
While Cyprian of Carthage became the Bishop of Carthage, Decius started persecuting the Christians for not burning incense to the emperor. Cyprian was told to flee by the governor and he hide at his sister farm. When emperor Valerius re-enforced the same decree, Cyprian of Carthage refuse to hide and gave himself to be martyred.
Notes:
Cyprian of Carthage made three important statements:
251 AD - 356 AD
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Century: Late 3rd
Event:
Anthony became the model anchorite & the 1st ascetic to leave the Nile valley for upper desert
Thought:
Anthony wanted to live out the injunctions of scripture rather than discuss them.
Story:
Anthony did battle with demons in spiritual warfare and defeated the devil by living like Christ.
244 AD - 311 AD
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Century: 4th
Event:
Emperor Diocletian begins the greatest persecution of 303 AD to 313 AD
Thought:
Diocletian wanted to bring the Roman Empire back to its former glory. He called for a return to traditional Roman religion and pushed to eradicate new religions such as Christianity and Manicheansim
Story:
Emperor Diocletian was forced to withdraw from active leadership by poor health in 304/305 AD. Due to that, every son, cousin or other claimant to the throne came forward to get a piece of the empire.
Note:
-Diocletian at first had Christian leaders handover all religious writings to be burned
-Because of Galerius hatred toward Christians, Diocletian was convince that Christians were against him acted cruelly toward Christians.
256 AD - 336 AD
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Century: 4th
Event:
Arius was condemned at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD
Thought:
Arius believe there was a time when Jesus was not, and Jesus is the 1st creature through whom all things are created.
Story:
Arius argued with his bishop Alexander of Alexandria over the divine nature of Christ
Note:
-Arius was an ascetic Christian Presbyter who became priest of Alexandria
-Eusebius of Nicomedia represented Arius at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD because Arius was not a bishop
-Eusebius was able to get an audience with Emperor Constantine and convince the emperor to have Arius returned from exile and restored to communion.
269 AD - 373 AD
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Century: 4th
Event:
Athanasius of Alexandria wrote "Life of Anthony"
Thought:
Jesus Christ, God the Son, has the same divine nature as God the Father.
Story:
Athanasius of Alexandria was banished 5 time for upholding the Nicean formula
272 AD - 337 AD
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Century: 4th
Event:
Ended the persecution begun by Diocletian
Thought:
Constantine followed & continued the practice of a Christian official and not receiving baptism until just before death so that forgiveness would cover all actions
Story:
Constantine chaired the council of Nicea in 325, then forced all to sign the Nicene Creed on pain of death, then when the bishops backed away from the creed, he forced all to repudiate it on pain of death.
Note:
-Constantine is the founder of Constantinople in 330 AD
-Constantine entered into an alliance with emperor Licinius at Milan and signed the "Edict of Milan" in 313 AD which stopped the persecution of Christian, release them from prison and restore their properties.
313 AD - 355 AD
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Century: 4th
Event:
The Donatist split from the Catholics over the election of the dubious Caeculius as bishop of Carthage
Thought:
We Donatist, the few, are the true people of God; the Catholics, the many, are the antichrist.
Story:
Donatus was the 2nd bishop elected by the rigorist group against Caeculius was bishop of Carthage.
329 AD - 390 AD
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Century: 4th
Event:
Gregory of Nazianzus was title the bishop of Constantinople and chaired the council of Constantinople in 381 AD.
Thought:
He wrote 5 sermons called "Theological Orations" where he details the trinity doctrine as accepted at the council of Constantinople.
Story:
Gregory of Nazianzus is the best friend of Basil of Caesarea & school mate. Gregory allowed Basil to make him bishop of Nazianzus in order to stop Emperor Valen's political attack, but Gregory was later disposed as the bishop of Constantinople because he was already bishop of Nazianzus. Gregory of Nazianzus never forgave Basil of Caesarea for that.
Note:
Gregory of Nazianzus is known as one of the Cappadocian Fathers
329 AD - 379 AD
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Century: 4th
Event:
Turned her family estate into a monastic experiment where she & her slaves lived as equals.
Thought:
Macrina thought the ascent of the soul to God in Christian terms
Story:
Macrina is the older sister of Basil of Caesarea and Gregory of Nyssa and she learned philosophy & religion from Basil & through reading.
Note:
She started the 1st community of woman living in mutual submission, dedicated to prayer & supporting themselves by the work of their hands.
330 AD - 379 AD
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Century: 4th
Event: Wrote "On The Holy Spirit"
Thought:
The Holy Spirit is God with the same divine nature as the Father & Son
Story:
Basil of Caesarea was educated in Athens in the school of philosophy & attempted an urban Christian ascetic movement.
Note:
-Basil of Caesarea is known as one of the Cappadocian Fathers
-Basil of Caesarea is the younger brother of Macrina of Caesarea and the brother of Gregory of Nyssa
-Basil of Caesarea founded the 1st "Basiliad" which is a self-contained village occupied by the poor & ill
335 AD - 395 AD
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Century: 4th
Event:
Gregory of Nyssa wrote "Life of Macrina" & "On The Making of Man"
Thought:
Gregory of Nyssa taught that Origen of Alexandria was right when he said "All would be saved, even the devil." (this is call 'Apokatastasis')
Story:
Gregory of Nyssa is the younger brother of Macrina and Basil of Caesarea.
Note:
Gregory of Nyssa is known as one of the Cappadocian Fathers
346 AD - 444 AD
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Century: 5th
Event:
At the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD accepted Cyril's & Theodore of Mopsuestia's Christology but not that of Nestorius
Thought:
Cyril of Alexandria believe in a Hypostatic union - where Christ has 2 natures but they are joined in such a way as to be indistinguishable
Story:
Cyril of Alexandria fought long to get all Antiochene Christology banned, but in the end agreed to live & let live, except Nestorius.
347 AD - 420 AD
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Century: 5th
Event:
Translated the Bible into everyday Latin from the Hebrew & Greek. This Bible was called the "Vulgate", meaning common.
Thought:
Jerome taught the perpetual virginity of Mary & the moral superiority of celibacy to marriage.
Story:
During the Origen of Alexandria controversy, Jerome named Origen a heretic and publicly disavowed him while at the same time heavily using Origen's commentaries in his own commentaries.
347 AD - 407 AD
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Century: 5th
Event:
John Chrysostom's reforms against ostentation at Constantinople caused eastern emperor Arcadius & Emperess Eudoxia much trouble. John Chrysostom was eventually marched to death in the heat of summer, 407, around the black sea.
Thought:
Emphasized the change wrought by ordination in his book "On The Priesthood"
Story:
Chrysostom stand for "golden mouth" as John was the finest preacher in the world.
347 AD - 404 AD
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Century: 5th
Event:
Followed Jerome to Palestine, financing both his trip & both their monasteries near Bethlehem.
Thought:
Paula articulated along with Jerome, superiority of the celibacy ascetic life
Story:
Paula was a rich widow from the west who was attracted to the east by the asceticism
350 AD - 428 AD
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Century: 5th
Event:
In the writing of his Psalms commentaries, Theodore of Mopsuestia held only four Psalms to be Christological.
Thought:
Theodore of Mopsuestia stressed that Christ had 2 complete and distinct natures, and believe allegory was illegitimated in the interpretation of scripture.
Story:
Theodore of Mopsuestia was the student of Diodore of Tarsus along w/ John Chrysostom
354 AD - 440 AD
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Century: 5th
Event:
Alaric the Goth sack Rome in 410, Augustine wrote "City of God" in response.
Thought:
The church is protected, Satan is bound, so the church cannot err (cannot be deceived.
Story:
Augustine of Hippo was at long last converted through the prayers and influence of his mother, Monica, and the biblical interpretation of Ambrose of Milan.
386 AD - 450 AD
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Century: 5th
Event:
Nestorius was condemned at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD
Thought:
Nestorius believe you can distinguish btw the divinity & humanity of Jesus so clearly that it is impossible to say Mary bore God or that God suffered.
Story:
Nestorius was brought to Constantinople by empress Eudoxia who arranged for him to be bishop, but it was Eudoxia who brought him down when he criticized her morals and changed her Christology.
390 AD - 418 AD
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Century: 5th
Event:
Pelagius comes to Rome and criticized the laxity of Christians there.
Thought:
Human freedom of the will is to innate that each person falls on account of his own sin, like Adam did.
Story:
Pelagius come to Rome from his native Britain and even after hi is virtually exiled from Rome and moves east, he is counted as orthodox both in Britain and by Greek fathers.
480 AD - 523 AD
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Century: 6th
Event:
Benedict of Nursia destroyed pagan shrines on his chosen retreat on Montecassino
Thought:
Obedience to God and abbot, and give up your own will to your spiritual leader.
Story:
in writing the "Rule", Benedict of Nursia drew from all the previous rules & formed a moderate consenus
540 AD - 604 AD
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Century: 6th
Event:
Gregory the Great defended Rome alone. He fought off the Ostrogoth from sacking Rome using church funds
Thought:
Gregory the Great encouraged relics, asceticism and missions
Story;
Gregory the Great was the son of a Roman senator & rose to practor at an early age. He was also the grandson of Pope Felix III. Gregory could have been a very successful stateman, but chose to be an ascetic & churchman.
747 AD - 814 AD
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Century: 9th
Event:
Pope Leo III crowns Charlemagne emperor of Rome on Christmas of 800 AD
Thought:
Revived the study of the canon law & scripture
Story:
Charlemagne, even though unlearned, over saw the Carolingian Renaissance & though crowned by a pope felt that bishops should be subject to their secular overloads.
1033 AD - 1109 AD
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Century: 11th
Event:
Wrote the "Proslogion" as a deductive argument from effect to cause for the existence of God (Ontological argument)
Thought:
Developed subsitutionary atonement in commercial terms of satisfaction: Christ paid the debt we could not pay
Story:
Anselm, being an Italian became Archbishop of Canterbury (England), but was best known for his theological reflection.
1096 AD - 1154 AD
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Century: 12th
Event:
Wrote the "Sentences" which became the norm for theological reflection
Thought: Emphasized 7 sacraments
Story:
Peter Lombard was a teacher at the University of Paris. He represent a new norm of theology being centered in the universities rather than in the bishop
1181 AD - 1226 AD
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Century: 13th
Event:
Founded Franciscan Order (so as Poor Clare & Tertiaries) as monastic reform
Thought:
Francis of Assisi urged poverty, Chastity & obedient service, as well as public preaching & missionary work
Story:
Francis of Assisi was the son of a wealthy merchant who turned from his wealth to serve the poor. He did not at first intend the order, it grew around him, then led it.
1225 AD - 1274 AD
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Century: 13th
Event:
Aristotle's writings are reintroduced in the west from Islam
Thought:
Thomas Aquinas believe through reason & observation one can build theology that parallels revealed theology
Story:
Thomas Aquinas was called the "dumb Ox" in school for his slowness of thought, but he came to known as the "angelic doctor" in later life for his meticulous reasoning.
1266 AD - 1308 AD
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Century: 13th
Event:
Wrote another commentary on the "Sentences"
Thought:
John Duns Scotus emphasized will over reason & ontology over analogy.
Story:
John Duns Scotus who was a scholastic Franciscan came to be known as the "subtle doctor" on account of theology distinctions where he pulled together the Neo-platonic Augustine & Aristotelian Thomas and everyone in btw. (His doctrine of being came to be known as scotism)
1342 AD - 1416 AD
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Century: 14th
Event:
While near death from sickness, Julian saw 16 visions which she recorded as "Revelations of love"
Thought:
Everything has being through the love of God
Story:
Julian of Norwich writings were largely ignored until the 19th century. Renewed interest in spirituality when they were discovered to be rich in the theology of God's personal love & atonement: All shall be well, All shall be well, And all manner of things shall be well.