Questions tagged [church-history]
The history of the Church following the book of Acts
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What is the Catholic Church's official position on the Spanish Inquisition?
The Spanish Inquisition seems to have had plenty of support from the Universal Inquisition at the time, but what is the present Vatican's view? Has the Church repudiated the Inquisition?
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Who is the author referred to in the Pope's 4 April 2014 homily?
I'll keep my question short. Does anyone know to whom Pope Francis was referring in today's homily, when he discussed an author whose books were initially banned by the Church, but now this person is ...
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Where did the concept of Christians attending a church building come from?
Christians attend church on Sundays, they sing, listen to a pastor speak, etc.
When did such a concept first appeared?
Did the early Christians practice this? or is this 'attending church' a ...
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What was Martin Luther King, Jr.'s understanding of salvation?
I've been reading A Testament of Hope, which is a compilation of sermons by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. I also know he's a Baptist. (I even got to stand and preach for a minute in his pulpit last ...
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When did Martin Luther begin to see the church as entirely apostate?
Related to Martin Luther: "Therefore it is not a Christian Church either"? and What was Martin Luther's perspective on the apostasy of the early Christian church? and Is it true that ...
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When was the number of the beast, 666, first identified as referring to Emperor Nero?
The belief that the number of the beast in Revelation, 666, refers to Nero is a common theory now. When was this identification first suggested?
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What was at issue in the Clark-Van Til controversy?
In the 1940s, Cornelius Van Til and other professors at Westminster Theological Seminary first tried to block Gordon Clark's entry into the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, then later put him on trial ...
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What is the history of the doctrine of inerrancy?
Is there any reason, biblical or otherwise, not to believe that the doctrine of inerrancy is relatively new (past two hundred years). I found the following statement on Wikipedia.
"It has in fact ...
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What is the origin of the "religion vs. relationship" dichotomy?
These days the word "religion" often has a bad connotation. Christians (including myself) often emphasize that they have a "relationship" with Jesus, not that they are "religious."
But this doesn'...
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When did the word "Catholic" become a proper noun?
After reading "At what point did the Roman See start self-identifying as the Catholic Church?" on this site I enjoyed a bit of research into the etymology and meaning of the word "Catholic," and as ...
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Did Philip Melanchthon teach penal substitution?
This question is a follow-up to my question, "Did Martin Luther teach penal substitution?"
The Wikipedia article on Philip Melanchthon states in its opening paragraphs:
Philip Melanchthon . ...
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Which specific canons of the Second Council of Constantinople do Lutherans and Calvinists reject?
The Wikipedia article on the Second Council of Constantinople (the fifth Ecumenical Council) claims that Lutherans and Calvinists accept only the first four Ecumenical Councils as being canonical.
My ...
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Did John Calvin help Nicolas Cop write his infamous inaugural address?
Early in John Calvin's career, he was involved in a controversy that forced him to flee Paris and live in hiding for a time. Calvin's friend, Nicolas Cop, delivered an address that many considered ...
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What was the difference between Ratramnus's view of the Eucharist and that of Calvin?
In the First Eucharistic Controversy (ninth century), Paschasius Radbertus wrote a monograph arguing that the elements in communion were nothing less than the physical flesh and blood of Jesus. He ...
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Why Was Jesus Represented as Being Born in a Cave?
I'm wondering why Jesus's birth/Nativity started being represented as occurring in a cave, as opposed to some structure having a manger in it (Luke) or the family home (Matthew).
This first occurred ...
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Is there any evidence in the Roman catacombs that the Early Church had a devotion to the Virgin Mary?
Is there any archeological evidence in the catacombs of Rome that the Early Church had any (particular) devotion to the Virgin Mary? If so, what are the sources that support such a devotion?
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What did the early church fathers (pre-5th c.) teach with regards to the doctrine of baptism as a necessity for salvation?
The title says it all, really.
What did the ECF believe and teach with regards to baptism being or not being necessary for salvation?
Related: What did the early church fathers (pre-5th c.) teach ...
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Why is Pontius Pilate blamed for killing Jesus in the Apostles' Creed?
In Apostles' Creed, the name of Pontius Pilate is forever associated with the infamy of being Jesus Christ's persecutor.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I ...
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When were Protestants first called 'Protestants' and what were they, originally, protesting about?
I am asking, precisely, the first time when 'Protestants' were so called, either among themselves or by others. And what, precisely, they were in protestation regarding.
There is a previous question ...
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What is the earliest mention of how often the Eucharist was celebrated?
There is no explicit mention of how often the Eucharist was celebrated in the Bible.
What are the earliest historical documents that make reference to how often the Eucharist was celebrated?
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Why do Christians have different books in their Bible?
Some Bibles have all 4 Maccabees books, for example, while others don't. Some Bibles have Esdras and Wisdom, and yet others don't.
Why is this? If there was an agreement on what books would be in the ...
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What are the Church fathers' arguments that Peter is the rock?
The Roman Catholic Church asserts that the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, is the legitimate successor of the apostle Peter, the "rock" upon whom the Lord Jesus Christ founded his Church, according to its ...
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What is the earliest extrabiblical teaching of baptism using a trinitarian formula?
Oneness Pentecostals and others who hold to "Jesus-name" (or "Jesus-only") baptism maintain that the trinitarian formula used by Nicene Christians and others is based on a misunderstanding of Matthew ...
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Are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit explicitly identified as "persons" in any writings directly associated with the Nicene Creed?
Neither version of the Nicene Creed (325 or 381) contains the word "person," in the singular or in the plural.
Are there any extant writings that came out of, or are closely associated with, either ...
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When did the Oriental Orthodox Churches start being called 'Orthodox'?
The Eastern Orthodox (Greek, Russian and so on) are distinct from the Oriental Orthodox (Syriac, Armenian, Coptic and so on).
Do we know when the term "Oriental Orthodox" started being used for these ...
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Did Arianism survive as Islam?
St. John of Damascus (676 - 749) writes on his Critique of Islam:
From that time to the present a false prophet named Mohammed has appeared in their midst. This man, after having chanced upon the ...
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What languages were used during Mass from paleo-Christianty until the Council of Trent?
I know Latin was a vulgarization in attempting to make Mass more accessible to Christians. So which were the languages used in paleo-Christian Mass? Koine Greek, classical Greek, or something else? ...
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Who is the John Owen that translated Calvin's Commentary on Romans?
I'm reading John Calvin's commentary on Romans, in English, and it has this inscription on the title page: "Translated and Edited by the Rev. John Owen."
Oh, wow, I thought, That's interesting; John ...
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What is the evidence that Ignatius of Antioch was ordained by the Apostles?
What evidence do we possess today indicating that Ignatius of Antioch was ordained by the Apostles?
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Was the "Nicene Creed" of AD 381 an update of the Nicene Creed of AD 325?
When people talk about "The Nicene Creed," it seems that they are often referring to the document associated with the Council of Constantinople (AD 381). I'm sure there are many reasons for this, one ...
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Who were the intended audience in the Epistle to Romans?
Romans 1:7 (ESV)
To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Who were the members of the Church ...
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Why is the second beast of Revelation called the Antichrist?
In many denominations of modern Christianity the Antichrist is the evil world leader who forces people to take the mark of the beast. After reading through Revelation and seeing for myself that the ...
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What was the earliest reference to the 3 States of the Church?
The Churches Militant, Penitent and Triumphant are used quite regularly not only in The Catholic Church but also in some Protestant denominations. The Catechism has a reference to the three states of ...
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Are there any surviving writings by Marcion or is everything we know of him what his enemies wrote of him?
I'm growing increasingly suspicious that Marcion was more of a dispensationalist or "hyper-dispensationalist" who fell victim to misrepresentation by those who either did not understand him or agree ...
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What exactly is a liber ordinarius?
I presume a liber ordinarius contains texts and/or chants used during masses.
Does it cover the entire liturgical year?
Do I remember correctly that it may contain only incipits of the to be used ...
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What was Martin Luther's perspective on the early Christian church?
Was Luther's belief that the church's foundation was faulty to begin with, or that through time it fell into an apostate state and needed to be reformed back?
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The Servetus Controversy: What was Calvin's involvement?
The "Servetus Controversy" tells of a man named Michael Servetus who was burned at the stake for heresy -- not by Roman Catholic Inquisitors, but by Protestants in 16th century Geneva, France.
Here ...
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Why (and when) did the Apostles stop requiring exactly twelve apostles? Why was James not replaced?
In Acts 1:12-26 we read the story of how Matthias was chosen to replace Judas. This kept the number of apostles at Twelve.
Sometime later, James, the brother of John was murdered (Acts 12:2). James ...
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On what basis does Thomas Aquinas say that the Church existed since the time of Abel?
In Aquinas' Expositio in Symbolum Apostolorum (Explanation of the Apostles' Creed), his explanation in Article 9 of the Church being "catholic" includes this statement:
Nam aliqui dixerunt, ...
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What is the origin of the idea that the baby Jesus did not cry?
"...the cattle are lowing. The baby awakes. But little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes."
~ 2nd verse to Away In A Manger
Did this idea originate from historical Christian doctrine? Where did ...
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When, how, and why did the Moravians stop praying 24-7?
The Moravians I speak of were a small group that established and resided in a small village named Herrnut on Count Zinzendorf's estate. They experienced a revival in 1727, and following that they did ...
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Priestly hiring competitions in the Catholic Church
In the Archives of the Archbishopric of Durango (Mexico) there are a number of documents about concursos de curatos, or priestly concourses, which were used for hiring into vacant parishes and ...
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How were women to serve the church according to the Apostolic Fathers?
Did the Apostolic Church Fathers write about the capacity in which women were to serve in the early church, or expand the capacity in which they served the church? In other words, what were they ...
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How is the "perpetual" excommunication of Acacius by Felix III currently understood in Catholicism?
Around AD 485, the patriarch of Constantinople, Acacius, was excommunicated by Pope Felix III, in a dispute over both theology and authority. This excommunication, however, seems unique in that it ...
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When did the teaching that salvation can still be obtained by people after their physical death first appear in Christianity?
Since the time canon was formed, when did the teaching that salvation can still be obtained by people after their physical death first appear in Christianity?
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Is the Pentecostal concept of "praying in the Spirit" consistent with any pre-Pentecostal teachings?
In a recent small group Bible study sponsored by a local Pentecostal church, attendees were encouraged to "pray in the Spirit." The study leader cited these verses:
So what shall I do? I ...
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According to non-Trinitarians, why did God allow trinitarianism to become the mainstream understanding of His nature?
According to non-Trinitarians, if God's nature is not adequately portrayed by trinitarian theology, then why did God allow such an erroneous understanding of His nature to become so widespread among ...
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When did the immutability of God become entrenched in Christian literature?
The immutability of God means God does not change, and it is considered heresy to disagree. However, this concept seems so close to the Greek's idea of perfection, and to conflict with the well-known ...
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What is the origin of the story that the Apostle John taught only "love one another"?
I've heard in a sermon that there is a story about Apostle John's last days, when he was working in Ephesus.
The story tells that usually, at the Lord's Supper, John was invited to give a little ...
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How did Luther view relics, like the 'preserved head of John the Baptist'?
According to wiki
Roman Catholic tradition holds that the head on display in San Silvestro in Capite in Rome is that of John the Baptist, discovered for the second time, as also maintained by Pope ...
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