Question 1

Why did Emperor Constantine call for the Council of Nicea?&#10;A) His desire for unity among the churches in the empire&#10;B) His desire to improve his own theological education&#10;C) His desire to convert the pagan populations of the empire&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Emperor Constantine called for the Council of Nicea because of his desire for unity among the churches in the empire. It was an effort to resolve theological disputes and establish a uniform set of beliefs and practices across the Christian world. While he may have been interested in improving his own theological education and converting pagans, these were not the primary reasons for calling the council.

Question 2

The central topic of the Council of Nicea was what?&#10;A) The authority of the Bishop of Rome&#10;B) The person of Jesus Christ&#10;C) The divinity of the Holy Spirit&#10;D) The formation of the New Testament canon

Accepted Answer

The central topic of the Council of Nicea was the person of Jesus Christ. The council was called to address the controversy surrounding the teaching of Arius, who denied the divinity of Jesus and claimed that he was a created being. The council formulated the Nicene Creed, which affirmed the orthodox Christian belief that Jesus is fully divine and consubstantial with the Father.

Question 3

Arius affirmed all of the following except:&#10;A) God is one&#10;B) Jesus was created&#10;C) Jesus was perfect and sinless&#10;D) Jesus was divine

Accepted Answer

Arius, a Christian presbyter in Alexandria, Egypt, is known for his role in the Arian controversy. He argued that Jesus Christ was created by God and therefore was not co-eternal with God the Father, which directly contradicts the idea that Jesus was divine in the same sense as God the Father. This view led to the First Council of Nicaea in 325, where Arius's teachings were declared heretical.

Question 4

Homo-ousios is best defined as:&#10;A) Of similar substance&#10;B) Of one substance&#10;C) Of two substances&#10;D) Of no substance

Accepted Answer

Homo-ousios is a Greek term used in the Christian theology to describe the relationship of the three persons of the Holy Trinity who are believed to be of one substance or essence, commonly known as consubstantial. Therefore, option B "Of one substance" is the correct definition of Homo-ousios.

Question 5

Who was the opponent of Arius in the controversy?&#10;A) Bishop Alexander&#10;B) Emperor Constantine&#10;C) Eusebius of Caesarea&#10;D) Eusebius of Nicomedia

Accepted Answer

Bishop Alexander, who was Arius' bishop in Alexandria, was Arius' opponent in the controversy over the nature of Jesus Christ.

Question 6

Apollinarians tended to emphasize what?&#10;A) The distinction between creation and the creator&#10;B) The importance of the crucifixion for salvation&#10;C) The sinless life of Christ&#10;D) The unity of Christ's humanity and divinity

Accepted Answer

Apollinarians emphasized the unity of Christ's humanity and divinity, arguing that Christ's human nature was taken over by the divine nature, making him a single, unified divine-human person.

Question 7

Nestorians tended to emphasize what?&#10;A) The distinction between Christ's humanity and divinity&#10;B) The unity of creation and the creator&#10;C) The role of scripture for settling controversy&#10;D) The importance of the resurrection for salvation

Accepted Answer

Nestorians emphasized the distinction between Christ's humanity and divinity, which led to their belief that Mary should be called the Christotokos (bearer of Christ) instead of Theotokos (bearer of God). This was a major point of controversy during the early years of Christianity.

Question 8

Monophysitism is best defined as the doctrine that&#10;A) There is only one God&#10;B) There is only one nature in God&#10;C) There is only one incarnation of God&#10;D) There is only one source of divinity

Accepted Answer

Monophysitism is a Christological doctrine that holds that in the person of Jesus Christ, there is only one nature, specifically a divine nature. This is opposed to the orthodox Christian belief of the two natures of Jesus Christ, both divine and human.

Question 9

The Council of Chalcedon established what doctrinal formulation?&#10;A) Jesus is one person with two natures&#10;B) God is three persons with one nature&#10;C) The Holy Spirit is fully God and fully human&#10;D) God the Father is wholly transcendent.

Accepted Answer

The Council of Chalcedon, held in 451 CE, established the doctrinal formulation that Jesus is one person with two distinct natures, fully divine and fully human, without any mixture or confusion between them. This became the orthodox position of the Christian church and is known as the Chalcedonian Creed.

Question 10

Despite their doctrinal differences, Christians of the fourth and fifth centuries were generally united in what?&#10;A) Acceptance of the authority of the pope&#10;B) Their worship of Jesus Christ&#10;C) Their opposition to the Roman government&#10;D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Christians of the fourth and fifth centuries, despite their doctrinal differences, were generally united in their worship of Jesus Christ. While there were disagreements about the nature of Christ and how to interpret Christian doctrine, the vast majority of Christians at this time accepted Jesus as their savior and lord. While some Christians, particularly in the Eastern Church, did not recognize the authority of the Roman pope, this was not a major factor in the unity of Christians during this period. Christians were not necessarily opposed to the Roman government, although they did face persecution at various times throughout the fourth and fifth centuries.

Deck 8: The Early Church Councils: Christological Controversy and Definition