Answer: The Our Father
The Lord's Prayer is also called the Our Father because it begins "Our Father, which art in heaven..." In Latin, it is called "Pater Noster". The Jesus Prayer is the name given to a formulaic prayer in the Eastern Orthodox tradition that consists of a short mantra: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
From Quiz: The Lord's Prayer
Answer: Divided the Roman Empire into two parts
It is true that Diocletian did all of these things during his reign, but dividing the Roman Empire into two parts is what set the stage for the Great Schism. He decided that the empire was too large for one person to rule effectively, so he set up two governments - one in the west, and one in the east, which became known as the Byzantine Empire. Diocletian established a system where there would be two emperors, each with the title of Augustus, and an emperor in training called a Caesar. After twenty years the Augustus was to step down and allow his Caesar to rule. The understanding was that each Augustus would rule his part, but that all laws that were passed were to be administered uniformly through the empire. This political division would eventually lead to the forming of two sides in the religious controversy that was to follow.
From Quiz: Moving Toward A Schism
Answer: Nero
Nero became the emperor in his teens after his adopted father, Claudius, died in A.D. 54. Some people believe that Nero's mother poisoned Claudius in order to bring Nero into power. When Rome caught fire in A.D. 64, Emperor Nero put the blame on the Christians and started brutally persecuting them. One Roman biographer named Suetonius (pronounced swĭ-tō'-nē-əs) claimed that Nero himself had set the fire. Emperor Nero committed suicide in A.D. 68 after a series of revolts.
Constantine was a Roman emperor who was reportedly converted to Christianity after seeing a vision of a cross. Athanasius was significant in the early church for defending the doctrine that Jesus was God. Diocletian's reign as Roman emperor from A.D. 284 to A.D. 305 was the final great wave of Christian persecution under the Roman Empire.
From Quiz: A Few Events of Christian History
Answer: Christianity becoming the dominant religion in the Roman Empire
Emperors Constantine I and Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313 AD and thereby proclaimed religious tolerance throughout the Roman Empire. This brought to an end the Diocletianic Persecution, the last and most violent persecution Christians suffered in the empire. Christianity could now operate in the light of day without fear. This fact along with the conversion of Constantine to Christianity marked a turning point in Christianity and its role in the world. With the prominence that Christianity now enjoyed, came greater threats to its purity and doctrine. Over the next 700 years many ecumenical councils would be held to decide issues concerning the church. Of these the first seven are given special status. These were:
1. First Council of Nicaea (325 AD convoked by Constantine I)
2. First Council of Constantinople (381 AD convoked by Theodosius I)
3. First Council of Ephesus (431 AD convoked by Theodosius II)
4. Council of Chalcedon (451 AD convoked by Marcian)
5. Second Council of Constantinople (553 AD convoked by Justinian I)
6. Third Council of Constantinople (680 AD convoked by Constantine IV)
7. Second Council of Nicaea (787 AD convoked by Constantine VI and Empress Irene)
How different regions reacted to these councils and their pronouncements determined which path these churches would take and began the process of the fragmentation of Christianity.
From Quiz: Can't We All Just Get Along?
Answer: Baptist
Protestant churches as a whole outnumber Catholic churches in the US, but Protestantism as a whole is so fractured that no one group comes close to the Catholic church's numbers.
From Quiz: American Church History
Answer: All of these
Ephesus at that time was a leading political and intellectual center, and the most important trading city in the region. The other 6 churches were dependent upon it, and it is where John lived. It was famous for its cult of the goddess Artemis, and John had a run-in with the same group that Paul did in Acts chapter 19. John toppled the statue of Artemis by his preaching, and that is why he was exiled to Patmos, where he wrote Revelation and also his Gospel. He also died in Ephesus.
Ephesus' candlestick was indeed removed from the lampstand, as they were warned in Revelation 2:5. In 269 AD it was devastated by the Goths. The temple of Artemis was still used at that time but was closed in 381 AD by the emperor Theodosius. It recovered enough to hold the 3rd Ecumenical Council in 431, but afterward it declined rapidly. Its churches were destroyed in the years 700 and 716 by Arab raids. Thereafter the city was abandoned when its harbor completely filled up with river silt. It was rebuilt by the Turks after 1090, then it declined again, and was totally abandoned by the year 1500.
From Quiz: History of the Seven Churches in Asia
Answer: The Way
The very earliest of Jesus' followers were referred to as teaching and spreading "The Way." Who assigned this designation is unknown, but these early followers continued to worship in the temple and the members of "The Way" were hounded by the Sanhedrin.
From Quiz: The Apostolic Age II
Answer: Matthew and Luke
Matthew and Luke describe the birth of Jesus, Matthew with a lengthy genealogy, and Luke with the beautiful passages of Mary's encounter with the angel, her visit to her kinswoman, Elizabeth, and an event in the childhood of Jesus. Neither Mark nor John deal with the birth of Jesus; they simply launch into Jesus' ministry.
From Quiz: The Apostolic Age I
Answer: Slapped him across the face
The Council of Nicea, held in 385 and attended by hundreds of bishops, was the scene of much heated debate. It was here that the Nicene Creed was composed; it is still recited in many denominations today.
From Quiz: Controversies in Christian History
Answer: Palestine
Christianity spread quickly due to Palestine's location as a crossroads for ancient trade.
From Quiz: Christian History to 1054
Answer: 1995
It was started by Rory and Wendy Alec in 1995. To celebrate the Channel's tenth birthday, the number '10' was added to the GOD logo that features in the top right corner of the television screen.
From Quiz: British Evangelical Christianity (since 1945)
Answer: Choice
It comes from the Greek hairesis, which was used to mean making a "choice" between rival schools of philosophy.
From Quiz: Christian Heresies
Answer: 1898
These two traveling Christian men joined with a third man in July 1899, and, after prayer together, chose the name of "Gideons" for their group.
From Quiz: Who Are The Gideons?
Answer: God reuses them as other body parts to build us new bodies
From Augustine's book 'The City of God.'
From Quiz: Tricky Church History
Answer: Dusk
Vespers are said at dusk. Of course, the approximate time dusk occurs depends on the season. Vespers held at midwinter typically take place about about 3:00 pm, and by midsummer they begin at about 7:00 pm. In big cities like London, the ringing of the bells signal the time for prayer; monasteries are located in out of the way places, so the monks learn to tell time by looking at the position of the sun.
Traveling along the route of the Via Francigena, we will make camp most nights, but sometimes we will be able to stay at a monastery. Did you know that monasteries are obligated to give us refuge? Charles the Great - or Charlemagne - enacted laws regarding hospitality to Christian travelers, which only have to be extended for three days. Don't worry! My Earl isn't about to take advantage of free food and shelter. He is likely to leave behind a handsome gift. We are returning home from a stay in Rome, and it is nice to have the protection of the monastery walls for a change.
Speaking of the end of the day - I am really looking forward to the food at the monastery, even though Father Simon says that it won't be anything special. My thought is that it might at least be cooked and hot; maybe they will have good bread, vegetable soup, and some beer for us! I will settle for that! I sure hope they are not fasting! We will not be eating with the monks, as their main meal of the day is served hours before Evening Prayer. Since it is summertime, however, they may have a light meal after Vespers.
From Quiz: Every Evening
Answer: Greek
This central Christian prayer was introduced by Jesus, who taught it to his disciples as a model for the way in which they ought to pray. The New Testament contains the oldest form of this prayer we have, and it was written predominantly in Greek (with some Aramaic).
From Quiz: The Lord's Prayer
Answer: Greek
When Diocletian divided the Roman Empire between two rulers, the division was really made according to cultural differences. While the western empire was more Latin in its culture, the eastern empire was more Greek and Middle Eastern. Of course, the difference in culture made communication difficult at times, but it also presented a different way of looking at issues from time to time. In addition, there was competition between the Latin and Greek missionaries over who would win the most converts and what the jurisdiction was for each. Although the Eastern Orthodox Church is also called the Greek Orthodox Church today, services were performed in the language of the people of each particular region, hence the existence of the Russian Orthodox Church, Serbian Orthodox Church, and so on. The Roman Catholic Church continued to conduct services in Latin until 1964.
From Quiz: Moving Toward A Schism
Answer: Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier (1506-1552) was one of the original six members of the Jesuits. He was sent first to minister to Portuguese territories in the Far East, including parts of India and Malacca. Although conversion of the native population was the ultimate goal, he had to first curb some of the abuses and practices of the Portuguese settlers. He later attempted to introduce Christianity to Japan and died while preparing to go to China. Many of the missionaries were accomplished linguists who compiled dictionaries of the oriental languages and helped bring an interchange between the Western and Eastern worlds.
Aloysius Gonzaga was a young Jesuit who died ministering to the ill. Peter Claver served in Colombia, and Isaac Jogues was martyred in French Canada. All three were also Jesuits.
From Quiz: The Jesuits
Answer: Henry II
Henry II reputedly uttered that sentiment, relating to Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket was not content to be a puppet Archbishop, which displeased Henry, who had presumed that as they were friends Becket would be pliable.
From Quiz: Dark Days in Christian History.
Answer: Morton
Archbishop Morton served as Henry VII's Chancellor. The 'fork' in this instance wasn't an eating implement. It was a means of raising revenue for the King. Morton maintained if a nobleman lived modestly he could afford to pay more tax. If a peer lived extravagantly then he should pay more tax. Either way, the monarch won - and thus people were pronged with 'Morton's fork'.
From Quiz: A Stroll through Church History
Answer: Sixtus IV
Sixtus IV was Pope from August 1471 until August 1484, and is perhaps better remembered as having commissioned the restoration of the Sistine Chapel, which was subsequently named after him. Michelangelo's famed Sistine Chapel Ceiling fresco, however, was not painted until 1508-1512, under the patronage of Pope Julius II. Another act for which he is recalled in a positive light was the establishment of the Vatican Archives. However, negative aspects of his Papacy include not only the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition, but also his nepotism, and his involvement in the plot by the Pazzi family to wrest control of Florence from the Medicis.
Although the bull establishing the Spanish Inquisition was issued in 1478, the first two Inquisitors were not appointed until 1480, when the Spanish Inquisition really got underway. It was extremely active between 1480 and 1530. Records are poor, but it is thought that approximately 2,000 people were executed during this period, with many more suffering lesser punishments.
From Quiz: Quest for the Holy Grill
Answer: Antony of Egypt
A lot of what we know about Antony of Egypt comes from a biography of him that was written by Athanasius. He was born to rich parents who died when he was eighteen or twenty. About six months after his parents died he gave away all his money and became a hermit. At one point in his life he spent twenty years living alone on a mountain on the Nile named Pispar (now called Dayr al-Maymūn). Athanasius' account of Antony's life has Antony in the wilderness being attacked by Satan, who supposedly used visions to tempt him. Athanasius' biography spread around Europe and is believed to have helped popularize the practice of monasticism.
Augustine of Hippo was a bishop who wrote 'City of God.' Leonardo da Vinci (not "Leonardo of Vinci," as the wrong answer read) was an Italian painter and scientist who painted 'The Last Supper.' Saul of Tarsus was a man from the New Testament who persecuted Christians, but then became a Christian himself after seeing a vision.
From Quiz: A Few Events of Christian History
Answer: Water
As the Aquarii held that all "matter was created and eternal", the use of flesh and blood--even in symbolic form--was unjustifiable. They used water instead, leading religious scholars to classify them with other gnostic religions.
From Quiz: Christian Denominations that Went Extinct
Answer: Monks
Bibles and other books of scripture were produced by monks in the early monasteries. They were written in Latin, in finest calligraphy and with illuminated pages and letters.
One example is the Book of Kells which was produced about the eighth century and contains the Four Gospels. It can be seen at Trinity College Library in Dublin.
From Quiz: What do you know about the Bible?
Answer: Thomas Coke and Francis Asbury
Coke had been ordained in the Church of England. Asbury was ordained at the famed Christmas Conference in 1784 which founded the Methodist Episcopal church.
From Quiz: American Church History
Answer: Writing
Pergamos was famous for architecture and especially for its library. Parchment paper was invented there, and in fact, our word "parchment" ultimately derives from "Pergamos", which in turn derives from "perga", the Greek word for tower or citadel. Marc Antony gave the Pergamos library to Cleopatra as a gift, and it was combined with the Alexandrian library, making it the largest and most famous of the ancient world.
From Quiz: History of the Seven Churches in Asia
Answer: Seven
There were seven members, the Council of Seven, mostly Hellenized Jews. They were Stephen, Nicanor, Phillip (a different man from the apostle Phillip), Timon, Prochorus, Parmenas, and Nicholas.
From Quiz: The Apostolic Age II
Answer: He was accused of being a blasphemer.
Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue, and this created quite a stir when he told the attendees that the days of captivity had ended. Many of the people called him a blasphemer and they took him to a cliff outside the town and attempted to throw him down. Jesus moved safely through the crowd and went to Capernaum. The event is recounted in Luke 4:16-30.
From Quiz: The Apostolic Age I
Answer: Committed suicide
The sect arose in France in the 12th century. Although the rise in suicides did not envelop most of the Albigensians, it was an alarming trend. It is one of the reasons the Catholic Church chose this time to clarify its position that suicide is a mortal sin. The group was declared anathema by Pope Innocent III.
From Quiz: Controversies in Christian History
Answer: The most able of Christian thinkers, writers, and defenders
Some of the greatest Christian apologists include Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Iranaeus, and Jerome.
From Quiz: Christian History to 1054
Answer: a lion
The lion in the Narnia books is called Aslan and, just like Jesus, he is brutally murdered but then comes back to life again.
From Quiz: British Evangelical Christianity (since 1945)
Answer: Arminianism
Arminianism is named for Arminius, a Dutch theologian of the 16th century. Some Christians consider Arminianism to be a heresy, and teach instead predestination, contending that Christ died only for the elect (not for all), that His grace is irresistible (not a choice), and that it is impossible to fall from grace (salvation is unconditional). Though Arminianism was condemned at the Synod of Dort in 1618, it is, in fact, a dominant belief among many Christians today. The Methodists, in particular, repudiate the doctrine of predestination, and John Wesley actively preached against it. The beliefs of the majority of Christians perhaps rest somewhere between Arminianism and Calvinism. The free will / predestination debate continues to rage among-and indeed within-denominations.
From Quiz: Christian Heresies
Answer: the Church of England
The Puritans felt Christmas to be a pagan holiday. Hymns were also discouraged in preference of psalms - as only they were truly biblical.
From Quiz: Tricky Church History
Answer: To thank and praise God
Evening Prayer is a time to thank and praise God for the passing day that he has given to us; it is important for us to remember to be thankful for what we have been given. Along with the Morning Prayer, which serves to help us dedicate the day to God, it is considered to be the most important prayer of the day. These are the two times that we lay people are sure to pray every day, while members of the clergy are likely to pray during all of the canonical hours.
Did you know that the cycle of daily prayer commemorates different events of the passion of Christ? The Evening Prayers commemorates the time when the people took Christ down off the cross; the next set of prayers, called Compline, commemorate his burial.
From Quiz: Every Evening
Answer: Two
Two versions of the prayer can be found in the Gospels. One, the most commonly used for liturgical purposes, is in the Gospel of Matthew and was taught during the Sermon on the Mount. Another version appears in Luke, when "one day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples'" (Luke 11:1 NIV). Jesus then taught them a shorter form of the Lord's prayer.
Some theologians and Christian historians have argued that both prayers were original but spoken at different times during the ministry of Jesus.
From Quiz: The Lord's Prayer
Answer: Arianism
From Alexandria, Egypt, Arius was a priest and leader of a local congregation. After Constantine legalized Christianity, some questions began to arise regarding Church belief and teachings. What exactly was the relationship between Jesus and God? Arius believed that Jesus could not be equal to God because God existed first, and this issue became a topic of much debate in Alexandria. Although this belief bears his name, this debate had been taking place among Christians before Arius brought it to the forefront; eventually it was recognized that the controversy was more widespread than just the Diocese in Alexandria.
From Quiz: Moving Toward A Schism
Answer: Asserting that the Earth revolved around the Sun
Galileo was victimised by the inquisition for asserting that the Earth revolved around the Sun rather than the 'correct' view that the Sun revolved around the Earth. The Roman Catholic Church adhered to the 'established' view of the time.
From Quiz: Dark Days in Christian History.
Answer: First Council of Nicaea
The First Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325 was called by Emperor Constantine in order to come to a position about who Jesus was. A man named Arius had been teaching that Jesus was not God but instead was a creature created by God and was less powerful than God. Arius was there at the council to defend his beliefs, while Athanasius defended the orthodox position that Jesus was a member of the Trinity and therefore was God, equal to God the Father. The council decided that, yes, Jesus was God, and Arius was condemned as a heretic.
The Roman Catholic church called The Council of Trent in the 1500s as a reaction to the Protestant Reformation. First Council of Shrurch and Council of Fonster are made up.
From Quiz: A Few Events of Christian History
Answer: David
Most of the Psalms are attributed to David, but it is possible that there were other authors as well.
From Quiz: What do you know about the Bible?
Answer: 1906
This revival led to the modern Pentecostal movement. For three years services were held three times a day, seven days a week. The teachings spread throughout the country and the world. Today there are over 600 million Pentecostals worldwide.
From Quiz: American Church History
