Ecclesial History And Christian Culture
Baptism transfers a person into Christ without withdrawing that person from the world. Examine ways in which the Church, through the centuries, has confronted issues arising from being both in the world and not of the world.
Introduction
The following study briefly examines the historical relationship between Church and culture, with particular attention being paid to the following areas of church history.
The early church (apostolic) A. D. 33-313 Patristic Christianity A. D. 313 – 565 The formation of Western Christendom a. d. 565 -1054 Divided Christendom (reformation) A. D. 1517 – 1773 The essay will then finish with 2 areas of Scottish history towards the reformation and 100 years of troubles 1560 – 1660.The researcher looks at different chapters from the Maryvale coursebook (Hodgetts & Betram 2007) on ‘Ecclesial History and Christian Culture’ which address the period from the early sixteenth century until the end of the twentieth century.
Patristic Christianity A. D. 313 – 565
During times of heresy, political and social upheaval there was a lot of confusion in the Church. Communication was not easy over a Christian Church that went all the way from Britain to Africa and all the way into India. It took weeks or months even for "express" communications to reach their destination. It would be natural to find many of the lay people and some theologians holding to heretical views. There was no public education and seminaries were scarce. After all, Christianity had just come out of 250 yrs or so persecution. Contradictions were inevitable.
Arianism was based on the view of triad as opposed to Trinitarian. To say that God is at the head (sovereignty) and of the Son as being of a secondary being. Related to God but as a “first among creatures, through whom God created all else” (Bowdon. 2001. P.40). Later Neo-Arians changed in views to that of the Sons divinity being begotten and not bestowed. What was the ‘Arian crises’ came about when Alexander...
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