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Historical Theology · Patristic Database

The Christian
Belief Map

What the first five centuries believed — and who still believes it today.

217
Belief Records
46
Figures
500
Years
6
Traditions
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Records by century
1st
10
2nd
13
3rd
4th
5th
How to read the tradition strip
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Ort
Lut
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Eva
Identical Convergent Partial Divergent Opposed Unknown
Ante-Nicene · AD 100–200
10 records
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
Justin Martyr teaches that the Logos became incarnate but was not diminished — the Father lacks nothing
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
Christians assemble on Sunday, the day of the Resurrection and the first day of creation
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
The Sunday assembly includes both the reading of Scripture and the Eucharist as the two essential parts
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 156
Polycarp of Smyrna
Polycarp of Smyrna, aged 86, refuses to deny Christ and is burned at the stake — a model of martyrdom
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Ort
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
The Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
Irenaeus of Lyon uses the recapitulation theory — Christ recapitulates all of human history in himself
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
Apostolic succession requires both physical continuity of ordination and continuity of apostolic doctrine
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
Heresy — departing from the episcopal Church — invalidates a community's claim to apostolic faith
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 190
Irenaeus of Lyon
The Quartodeciman controversy shows that diversity in liturgical practice does not break unity of faith
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 197
Tertullian
The martyrs' blood is seed — persecution multiplies rather than destroys the Church
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Eva
Ante-Nicene · AD 200–300
13 records
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 200
Tertullian
Fasting is among the primal ordinances imposed on man from the beginning
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 211
Tertullian
The sign of the cross is used by Christians in all the ordinary actions of daily life
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 213
Tertullian
God is one substance in three persons — the Trinity
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 213
Tertullian
Tertullian coins the term trinitas to describe God as one substance in three persons
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 213
Tertullian
The Logos existed eternally before the Incarnation as the Son of God
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 213
Tertullian
Monarchianism — the view that Christ is merely a mode of the Father — is a deviation from apostolic teaching
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 230
Origen of Alexandria
Outside the Church no one is saved, just as outside Noah's ark no one survived the flood
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 233
Origen of Alexandria
Prayer should be directed towards the east as an image of the rising sun and the resurrection
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 233
Origen of Alexandria
The intercession of the saints in heaven is real and profitable to those on earth
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 240
Origen of Alexandria
Origen teaches that the Church is the bride of Christ and the individual soul is wedded to the Logos
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 250
Cyprian of Carthage
The veneration of martyrs and saints is a legitimate Christian practice
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 251
Cyprian of Carthage
The unity of the Church is maintained through the bishop
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 255
Cyprian of Carthage
Excommunication is a valid and serious ecclesial penalty
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Eva
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