Joseph Hollcraft MA
Foundations of Catechetics: CCP 211
Week 3: September 18, 2007
1. The Nicene Era: The Golden Age of Doctrine (see notes from week 2 for treatment on the Apostolic Era and Ante-Nicene Era.
a. Eusebius of Caesarea: “A historian who made history.” His work on the Church in history, and the relationship of Church and state in history, would forever affect how people-even today-see the Church. He is most noted for his account of Constantine’s conversion.
b. St. Athanasius: He was a defender of the heresy of Arianism, the most pervasive n Church history to date. His focus on “the word made flesh” brought him popularity and Christians into the faith.
c. St. Basil the Great: Fourth century bishop who was popular for his insights into the mysteries of God. He was recognized as the “father of holiness”. He also built up many monasteries and organized rules for monastic life.
d. St. Gregory of Nazianus: Close friend of St. Basil, he would join him in monastic life becoming ever so popular among his confreres for his fiery preaching.
e. St. Gregory of Nyssa: Younger brother of St. Basil was another famous defender against Arianism. He also produced a very popular work where he combined the works of origin and Plato. He was known as “the thinker.”
f. St. Cyril of Jerusalem: Fourth century Bishop who was famous for his catechetical lectures on the Sacramental life and the organic unity of the Church and her priesthood.
g. St. Ambrose of Milan: Both Father and doctor of the Church. He was well known for his treatment of ecclesiology. St. Ambrose was also popular for his catechetical teachings on the mystery of the Liturgy and doctrine. He was the first to encourage congressional hymns.
1. Maybe most famous for his conversion of Augustine.
2. The Post Nicene Era: The Lasting Fathers:
a. St. Jerome: Translator of the Latin Vulgate (431)…read from Aquilina for anecdote. Staunch defender of Mary’s perpetual virginity.
b. St. Augustine of Hippo: Fourth and fifth century bishop, he is arguably the most popular theologian in western history. His treatment on topics such as Man, Morality, Trinity, and Conversion and Grace are giants still used today throughout seminaries and Universities. His great works of Confessions (conversion into the Church and the things that influenced him) and City of God (Political Philosophy).
c. St. John Chrysostom: Nicknamed “Golden-Tongued” for his catechetical Homilies. Some have called him to be “the catechist” for his formulation of Mystagogy into everyday life. He was known for his ability to arouse the sanctity of marriage.
d. St. Leo the Great: Fifth century Pope who accomplished a great many of things. He set forth the primacy of Rome by treating all the previous “fathers of the early Christian church” in addressing the primacy of Peter and Paul as the forerunners to the Church of Christ—the Apostolic Church.
e. St. Benedict of Nursia: Sixth century figure who was the founder of Western Monasticism. His religious community would grow to over 170000 monasteries strong shaping Western civilization. Among his many great works is his treatment on work and labor.
f. St. Gregory the Great: late sixth century Pope. St. Gregory would utilize the Benedictines in reestablishing Europe after the Plague of 590 hit Rome. Another great Father and Doctor of the Church, he was strong in his exhortation to the primacy of the pope ant its structure of hierarchy. St. Gregory was the first to coin the term “vicar”.
g. St. John of Damascus: Late seventh and early eighth century figure, St. John was a refuter of the iconoclasts (proper understanding to images and their role) and champion of the saints. One of the first to recognize the term saints as those friends of Christ that are examples to follow.
3. The Deposit of Faith during the time of Christendom (600-1300). The Church in the Middle Ages. These seven hundred years were marked by conversion of new peoples and tribes to Jesus Christ. This led to the emergence of Christendom, the alliance of Church and state. This is a time where catechetical teaching was very strong after the conversion of Rome. The family is forever more the “cell of society”, which bears forth life for a stronger sense of culture. The Eucharist continues to be the center of growth with parents worshiping with their children. I do want to make a note of Charles the Great.
a. Charles the Great, or Charlemagne, defeated the Muslims at tours and becomes the father of Europe in the Carolingian Renaissance (814-840).
1. Writing, book copying, artistic work, and architectural work, and thinking of the men trained in the cathedral and monastic schools stimulated a change inequality and quantity of intellectual life that would forever change Western Civilization.
b. Role of Parish Priest: The Pastor to each parish organized and called each person to holiness by their annual classes of confirmation.
1. There was a new fervor in Christ-centered Eucharistic teaching that would build a strong formation to children and their families. Homilies in their catechetical instruction were structured to teach and to steer parents into a deeper sense of belonging to the Church and her articles of faith.
2. Young men were constantly instructed in Sacred Scriptures by the local priest…These would ultimately would become cathedral schools (guilds) andThe sacrament of matrimony was being raised up as a sacrament of education for conversion.
a. Within this setting families were converting in groves and Rome was becoming the “New Israel.”
c. Cathedral Schools to the University: New Learning, Theology, and Culture. Thirteenth century was the apex of thought and culture and middle ages.
1. New higher learning centers emerged--the University (1170). Began as a guild of scholars. Originally, Universities attracted clergy and were financed by the Church. Universities were called the Universitas Studiorum
1. Universities of Paris (theology), Bologna, Oxford and Cambridge were the first and would ultimately become “lanterns shining in the house of God”-Pope Alexander IV
2. Studied at these Universities were Economics, Medicine, natural philosophy, civil and canon Law, and Theology. The study of God was the queen of all sciences.
3. Scholars who studied at these Universities were versed in the Classics and wanted to demonstrate was rational the worldly knowledge could fit into the Christian view of the world and reality.
2. Thomas Aquinas-Summa Theological. Constructed a system of question and answers in which he explains the faith in clear and concise manner. This is one of the great achievements of Church History.
a. Ultimately, the church cherished, preserved, studied, and taught the works of the ancients, which would otherwise have been lost.
d. Protestantism, Printing Press and the new Roman catechism: The instrumental invention of the Printing Press brought about resurgence in mass production and learning.
1. Bibles were being printed by the thousands and small catechisms for children brought on in its own way a resurgence of handing on the faith…the problem was Martin Luther was using this against the Church.
2. The Council of Trent brings about a new printed Roman Catechism that would present the faith and her Doctrine in an orderly and structured manner.
a. Roman Catechism is the foundational structure to the Catholic catechism.
Homework Assignment: Reflecting upon St. Augustine’s Theory of Catechesis (pgs 1-51), select one chapter to illustrate how catechesis calls us as individuals to a deeper sense of holiness.