About religious beliefs

1. THEO 12: THE CHURCH
AND VATICAN II
LESSON 3: PERSECUTION & MARTYRDOM
IN THE EARLY CHURCH

2. St. Stephen (Acts 7:54-60)
• HE DIED A MARTYR’S DEATH.
• HE OPTIMISTICALLY ACCEPTED HIS DEATH.
• HE PRAYED FOR HIS PERSECUTORS.
• HE WAS LOOKING AT HEAVEN WHILE HE
WAS BEING STONED TO DEATH.

3. Persecution by the Romans
FALSE CHARGES:
• ATHEISM
• TREASON
• LICENTIOUSNESS
• CANNIBALISM
• WITCHCRAFT & SORCERY
• INCEST
• IMMORALITY
• HATERS OF HUMANITY
• INTELLECTUAL CONTRADICTIONS

4. Emperors & Martyrs
NERO (R.51-68)
• FIRE DESTROYED MUCH OF ROME
• RUMOR SPREAD THAT NERO ORDERED
THE FIRE TO MAKE ROOM FOR HIS NEW
CITY, NECROPOLIS
• HE USED CHRISTIANS AS A SCAPEGOAT &
EXECUTED 100S

5. Paul
• THROUGH ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE, GOD CALLS A NEW PEOPLE TOGETHER IN
CHRIST.
• THE MISSIONARY WORKS OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS SHOW THAT THE
GOOD NEWS IS DESTINED TO REACH THE ENDS OF THE EARTH AND CANNOT
BE HINDERED OR SUPPRESSED BY ANY TRIAL OR DIFFICULTY.

6. Ignatius Bishop of Antioch (c.30-107)
ACCORDING TO TRADITION, KILLED BY
LIONS IN THE ROMAN COLISEUM

8. WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF THE PROTESTANT
REFORMATION?
NOMINALISM — SINCE THE EMPHASIS IS ON IMPOSSIBILITY OF KNOWING THE
METAPHYSICAL KNOWLEDGE OR ESSENCE OF THINGS (INCLUDING GOD), IT
HEAVILY RELIED ON FAITH AND REVELATION. (SOLA FIDES)
PESSIMISTIC AUGUSTINIANISM — TOO MUCH STRESS ON ORIGINAL SIN. MAN IS
TOTALLY CORRUPT THEREFORE MAN CAN ONLY BE SAVED, NOT BY GOOD
WORKS, BUT ONLY BY FAITH AND GRACE (SOLA GRATIA)
HETERODOX IDEAS — WRONG IDEAS LIKE MAGISTERIUM IS NOT INFALLIBLE,
PAPAL PRIMACY WAS DENIED ETC.

9. "BIBLICISM" — FREE INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE AS THE FUNDAMENTAL RULE
LEAVING NO ROOM FOR TRADITION AND MAGISTERIUM OF THE CHURCH.
SCRIPTURA)
CONCILIARISM — THE COUNCIL IS SUPERIOR TO THE POPE. THIS CONCEPT
DELAYED THE CONVOCATION OF A COUNCIL (COUNCIL OF TRENT) TO TACKLE
THE PROBLEM
NATIONALISM (RACIAL DIFFERENCES) — THE PROTESTANTS HAVE "GERMAN
MENTALITY" (SOME "ANTI-ROMAN" SENTIMENTS). THE CATHOLICS WITH "LATIN
MENTALITY".

10. HUMANISM — A STRONG REACTION AGAINST THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD WITH
EMPHASIS ON THE RETURN TO ANCIENT TEXTS (LATIN, GREEK, HEBREW) AND
SPIRIT OF NATIONALISM (EXAMPLE: AWAKENING OF THE GERMAN SPIRIT OR
CULTURE (AS OPPOSED TO ROMAN).
MORAL ABUSE — DISCIPLINARY ABUSE AMONG THE CLERGY
ECONOMIC OR SOCIAL INSTABILITY — AROUND % WERE PEASANTS
DISSATISFIED WITH THEIR GOVERNMENT. THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION
BECAME A VENUE TO AIR OUT THEIR GRIEVANCES.

11. Three Major Protestant Reformers
THE REFORMATION WAS VERY MUCH MARTIN LUTHER'S OWN PERSONAL
ACHIEVEMENT. THIS DOES NOT IMPLY, HOWEVER, THAT HE STARTED THE WHOLE
MOVEMENT INTENTIONALLY. HE MERELY THREW A SPARK INTO A BARREL WHICH
WAS FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH ALL THE RELIGIOUS, INTELLECTUAL, POLITICAL
AND SOCIAL UNREST.
MARTIN LUTHER — AUGUSTINIAN PRIEST
ULRICH ZWINGLI — DIOCESAN PRIEST
JOHN CALVIN — LAYMAN

12. His churches were founded on these principles:
1. SALVATION CAME THROUGH FAITH ALONE AND NOT GOOD WORKS,
2. CHRIST ALONE, NOT PRIESTS, COULD FORGIVE SINS,
3. THERE ARE ONLY TWO SACRAMENTS: BAPTISM AND THE EUCHARIST OR
COMMUNION. (THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS SEVEN SACRAMENTS.)
4. JESUS IS ONLY SYMBOLICALLY PRESENT IN THE EUCHARIST. THIS IDEA
CONFLICTED WITH THE CATHOLIC NOTION OF TRANSUBSTANTIATION, THAT
THE BREAD AND WINE ARE TRANSFORMED INTO THE BODY AND BLOOD OF
CHRIST DURING THE MASS,
5. THE BIBLE IS THE FINAL AUTHORITY OF GOD.