Patristics

The patristics is the study of Christianity from the first centuries and its first authors known as the fathers of the Church. Patristics is the phase in the history of Christian organization and theology that spans from the end of early Christianity, with the consolidation of the New Testament canon, to around the VIII. The period is considered to run from the final part of the New Testament, specifically from the Acts of the Apostles (AD 100) and up to 451 (the date of the Council of Chalcedon), or until the Second Council of Nicaea, in the VIII.

In its ideological content, patristics was characterized by being the period in which the doctrinal content of Christian religious beliefs was gestated, as well as their apologetic defense against the attacks of pagan religions first, and successively of the interpretations they gave place to heresies, later. During this period, Christianity is spread massively by the prophets, gaining strength among the population and displacing polytheistic religions.

To be recognized as a Father of the Church, it was necessary to meet the following conditions:

• Antiquity
• Holiness of life
• Orthodox doctrine
• Ecclesiastical approval

The Christian religion found in Greek philosophy the arguments to justify its doctrine, since the Christian religion was for the fathers of the Church the fulfilled and definitive expression of the truths that Greek philosophy had managed to find in an imperfect and partial way.

The word derives from the combined form of the Latin pater and the Greek patḗr, 'father', and refers to the fathers of the Church, the theologians whose interpretation would dominate the history of the dogma. The apologetic influence was due, among other things, to the hostile attack, and to penetrate the data of revelation, to form a totalizing image of the world and of human life in the light of faith. The progress from the implicit to the explicit was a progress in theological science; In the process of argumentation and definition, concepts and categories taken from philosophy were used. The prevailing philosophy was Platonism, Neoplatonism (with a Stoic touch).

Christian writers made no distinction between philosophy and theology. They showed a divergence of attitude towards classical philosophy: as an enemy or as a utility.^{[citation needed]}

Some of the main representatives of this period were Mario Victorino, Boecio, Isidoro de Sevilla, San Agustín de Hipona, Juan Escoto Erigena, among others.

Community of Alexandria, Egypt

During this time, prominent figures emerged in defense of the new Christian faith. Around the community of Alexandria, in Egypt, a great cultural center of the Roman world, a school was formed in which Clement of Alexandria (150-215) and his disciple Origen (185-254) shone: it is worth mentioning that the community of Alexandria was against Gnostic heresies; Philo and Clement of Alexandria were key to this contribution. Based on the Greek philosophies, they entered the way of thinking of quite a few people. Clement of Alexandria was listened to by rich and poor, upper class people, politicians, etc. and by humble people; it is said that he knew Plato's dialogues by heart and made continuous use of them.

Origins

Origen wrote numerous works (about 800) and although he made some serious errors, due to his attempt to "explain" organically all the difficulties that could arise when reflecting on Christian beliefs, at a time when the dogma was not yet fully established, his attitude cannot be attributed to a polemical or sensationalist desire, but rather to an intimate desire to learn the whole truth. This eagerness common to many educated spirits of the time led to passionate polemics. Of the passion that poured out in the polemical writings of the first centuries of the Church, the following words of Zonaro referring to the persecution of Decius may give an idea:

At this time (250) Origen, as a Christian, was also brought before the court of the persecutors of the Church, but he did not receive the crown, no doubt because he did not consider it worthy of it Decio, because of the impiety of his feelings; and even though he suffered torments for the cause of faith, he lost his rank of confessor. We have already said that having inspired excessive vanity the greatness of his knowledge and eloquence, instead of following the doctrine of the ancient Fathers, he wanted to invent a new one; he brought out of the false treasure of his execrable blasphemies against the sacred mysteries of the Trinity and the Incarnation and sowed the seeds of almost all the errors that have appeared afterwards. He taught that the only Son of the Eternal Father had been created and did not participate in divine glory and substance. He made the Holy Spirit inferior to the Father and the Son, ensuring that the Father could not be seen by the Son, or the Son by the Holy Spirit; just as the Holy Spirit cannot be seen by angels or angels by men. These were the blasphemies of Origen against the holy and consubstantial Trinity. As far as the mystery of the Incarnation is concerned, he had the impiety of denying that the Saviour took in the bosom of the Virgin body animated by a rational soul: pretending that the Word was united to a soul before the creation of the world and that he subsequently became incarnated with that soul, taking a devoid body of intelligent and rational soul. He also maintains that the Lord abandoned his body and that his reign must conclude. He further says that the supplication of demons is temporary and past it will be restored to them in their primitive happiness, imagining that men and demons will be justified from their sins one day and that then all will gather.

Zonaro, History Augusta: Decio.

North West Africa

Two great personalities from North West Africa were the priest Tertullian (160-245), originally from Carthage, and his disciple Bishop Saint Cyprian (160-258), also from Carthage, beheaded in the persecution of Valerian.

Tertullian

Tertullian, initiated into the cult of Mithras when he was young, later had to convert to Christianity and then passed (213) to Montanism, a belief then considered heresy, preached by the Phrygian Montanus, an enemy of the hierarchical Church. Tertullian was an extreme stickler.

Saint Cyprian

Saint Cyprian, a rhetorician who converted to Christianity at a mature age, is an ascetic and a moralist, but above all he is a practical spirit. Two problems concern him in particular: that of the frightened lapsi Christians who, faced with persecution, denied their status as such and worshiped the emperor (whom he considers readmissible into the Church under certain conditions), and that of those baptized by the considered heretics (who do not believe they really are).

One of the works of Saint Cyprian, written in 251 on the occasion of the schism caused in Rome by Novatian by denying the Church the right to readmit the lapsi into the communion of the faithful, is entitled "Unit of the Catholic Church", and in it he warns that not all dangers derive from persecution: "we must not only fear persecution or everything that with an open attack is aimed at overthrowing and defeating the servants of God; when danger is in sight, caution is easier, and when the adversary declares himself, the spirit is prepared beforehand for combat. Yes, you have to fear and be more guarded against the enemy when he sneaks up, when deceiving with a peaceful face, he crawls with a hidden step & # 34; (chap. I). "And what more cunning and subtle thing, than the hidden enemy and stationed next to the path of Christ (...) plotted a new deception, such as deceiving the unwary with the very title of Christian name? He therefore invented heresies and schisms, with which he destroys the faith, corrupts the truth, breaks unity & # 34;. "All this happens", Cipriano continues saying, "for not going back to the origin of the truth, for not looking for the head" (Chapter III). And then remember the words of Jesus Christ to Saint Peter when he founded his church on him. "On one only, he insists, he builds his church." "Who is not counted in this unity of the Church, does he believe that he has the faith? & # 34;."

The wife of Christ, the Church, according to the image of Saint Paul, who is incorrupt and honored, cannot adulterate. He has met a single house and kept, with caste, the sanctity of a single bed. She keeps us for God, she writes for the kingdom the children she begotten. Whoever separated himself from the Church joins an adulteress, this one separates from the promises of the Church and will not achieve the rewards of Christ, who abandoned the Church of Christ. Such a stranger is profane, he is an enemy. He can no longer have God as a father, who does not have the Church as a mother.

Caps. IV and VI.

Fonts

• The content of this article incorporates material from a Entry of the Universal Free Encyclopedia, published in Spanish under the Creative Commons Share-Igual 3.0 license.