Heresies
This heresy claimed that the Son of God was created and not of the same essence as the Father, sparking the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD.
What is Arianism?
Followers of Bishop Lucifer of Cagliari believed that clergy who repented after denying the faith could never be readmitted to Church leadership.
What is Luciferianism?
Known as “the Harp of the Holy Spirit,” he wrote hymns that defended the faith against heresies in Edessa and he also wrote the theotokia (wudase maryam).
St. Ephrem the Syrian?
This council confirmed the canon of Scripture and addressed issues of Church discipline in North Africa.
What is the Council of Carthage?
This period under Emperor Diocletian sought to destroy Christianity, ordering churches destroyed, Scriptures burned, and Christians tortured or executed.
What is the Great Persecution?
This belief taught that the Son was similar, but not identical, in essence to the Father, as a compromise between Arianism and Nicene orthodoxy.
What is Semi-Arianism?
This heresy taught that Jesus was merely a human being who became the Son of God, denying His divinity.
What is Photinianism?
Known as “the Harp of the Holy Spirit,” he wrote hymns that defended the faith against heresies in Edessa and he also wrote the theotokia (wudase maryam).
St. Ephrem the Syrian?
According to Oriental Orthodox tradition, this saint miraculously appeared from his icon to strike down Emperor Julian the Apostate, defending the Christian faithful.
Who is St. Philopter (Philopter Macuris)?
Issued by this emperor, this edict ended the Diocletian persecution and allowed Christians to practice their faith openly.
What is the Edict of Toleration?
This heresy claimed that Jesus had a human body but a divine mind, denying Him a complete human nature.
What is Apollinarianism?
This heresy argued that God’s essence is fully comprehensible and that the Son is totally unlike the Father.
What is Eunomianism?
This Cappadocian bishop, theologian, and monastic reformer helped defend the Nicene faith against Arianism, wrote influential rules for monastic life, and is remembered as one of the Three Holy Hierarchs.
Who is St. Basil the Great?
This mother of Emperor Constantine is credited with traveling to Jerusalem and discovering the True Cross on which Jesus was crucified.
Who is St. Helena?
This Roman emperor famously converted to Christianity after seeing a vision before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge.
Who is Emperor Constantine?
This heresy claimed the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were not three distinct persons, but one person appearing in different modes.
What is Sabellianism or Modalism?
This Spanish movement mixed Christian teaching with Gnostic ideas and extreme asceticism, emphasizing secret knowledge.
What is Priscillianism?
This Patriarch of Alexandria, exiled five times for opposing Arianism, wrote On the Incarnation and defended the Nicene faith, famously teaching that the Son is of the same substance as the Father.
Who is St. Athanasius of Alexandria?
This emperor attempted to restore paganism after Constantine, reversing Christian privileges, though Christians largely survived his reign.
Who is Julian the Apostate?
This decree granted religious freedom across the Roman Empire, officially legalizing Christianity.
What is the Edict of Milan?
This heresy taught that all souls existed before birth and that even Satan could eventually be saved.
What is Origenism?
This dualistic religion claimed the world was a battleground between light and darkness, rejecting God as the sole Creator.
What is Manichaeism?
This Egyptian desert father, a contemporary of St. Anthony the Great, founded monastic communities in the Nitrian Desert and was known for his deep prayer, miracles, and guidance of early monks.
Who is St. Macarius the Great of Egypt?
This council reaffirmed the Nicene Creed, clarified the divinity of the Holy Spirit, and condemned heresies like Apollinarianism.
What is the Second Ecumenical Council?
This council convened by Constantine produced a creed affirming that the Son is of the same substance as the Father.
What is the First Council of Nicaea?