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
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Traditions
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How to read the tradition strip
Cat
Ort
Lut
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Bap
Eva
Identical Convergent Partial Divergent Opposed Unknown
Nicene Era · AD 300–400
4 records
SCRIPTURE c. AD 393 ⚔ HOSTILE WITNESS
Jerome
Jerome argues that the deuterocanonical books are edifying but not on the same level as the Hebrew canon
Cat
Ort
Lut
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Eva
SCRIPTURE AD 397
Council of Carthage
The Councils of Carthage confirmed the deuterocanonical books as part of the Christian canon
Cat
Ort
Lut
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Bap
Eva
SCRIPTURE c. AD 397
Augustine of Hippo
The Church has authority to determine which books belong to the canon of Scripture
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Ort
Lut
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Bap
Eva
SCRIPTURE c. AD 397
Augustine of Hippo
The canon of both Old and New Testaments was settled by the authority of the Catholic churches
Cat
Ort
Lut
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Eva
Post-Nicene · AD 400–500
7 records
SCRIPTURE c. AD 405
Augustine of Hippo
The Scriptures are inspired by God and free from error in what they affirm
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Ort
Lut
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Eva
SCRIPTURE c. AD 405
Jerome
Jerome translates the Scriptures into Latin to make them accessible, returning to the original Hebrew and Greek
Cat
Ort
Lut
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Bap
Eva
SCRIPTURE c. AD 415
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo reads Genesis not as literal six-day chronology but as instantaneous divine creation
Cat
Ort
Lut
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Bap
Eva
SCRIPTURE c. AD 434
Vincent of Lérins
The Church's Tradition is a living reality guided by the Holy Spirit over time
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Ort
Lut
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Eva
SCRIPTURE c. AD 434
Vincent of Lérins
Vincent of Lérins defines authentic development of doctrine as growth in the same doctrine, not contradiction of it
Cat
Ort
Lut
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Bap
Eva
SCRIPTURE c. AD 434
Vincent of Lérins
The Vincentian Canon — what has been believed everywhere, always, and by all — is the test of authentic tradition
Cat
Ort
Lut
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Eva
SCRIPTURE AD 553
Council of Constantinople II
The Second Council of Constantinople (553) condemned the Three Chapters and Origenist propositions
Cat
Ort
Lut
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Bap
Eva
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Explore 71 verified claims across seven centuries of Church history.

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