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
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Identical Convergent Partial Divergent Opposed Unknown
Ante-Nicene · AD 100–200
35 records
EUCHARIST c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
The congregation's response of Amen to the eucharistic prayer is an act of participation and ratification
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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 155
Justin Martyr
Justin Martyr teaches that the Logos became incarnate but was not diminished — the Father lacks nothing
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Eva
EUCHARIST c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
The Eucharist consists of bread and a cup of water and wine, over which the president gives thanks
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Eva
SCRIPTURE c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
Justin demonstrates that Christ's birth from a virgin fulfils the prophecy of Isaiah
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Eva
SACRAMENTS c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
Baptism regenerates and forgives sins
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SOTERIOLOGY c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
Salvation requires both faith and the grace of baptism — it is not by human merit
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Eva
EUCHARIST c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
The Eucharist fulfils Malachi's prophecy of a pure offering acceptable to God
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Eva
SCRIPTURE c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
The reading of the Scriptures aloud in the assembly was a central act of worship from the apostolic generation
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Eva
SCRIPTURE c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
Plato and the philosophers glimpsed partial truths that belong properly to Christians
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Eva
ESCHATOLOGY c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
The soul survives death and exists consciously before the resurrection
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Eva
EUCHARIST c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
The eucharistic thanksgiving is addressed to the Father through Christ and the people respond Amen
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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
EUCHARIST c. AD 155
Justin Martyr
Deacons carry the Eucharist to those absent from the assembly
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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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ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
The Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic
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SCRIPTURE c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
Gnosticism is wrong — creation is good and the God of creation is the God of redemption
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Eva
PETRINE c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
The apostles founded the Church at Rome and committed the episcopate to Linus their successor
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SCRIPTURE c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
Polycarp received the tradition directly from the Apostle John and transmitted it faithfully to the West
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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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SCRIPTURE c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
Irenaeus describes the rule of faith as a summary of apostolic doctrine held universally by the Church
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ESCHATOLOGY c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
It is safer to await the fulfilment of prophecy regarding the Antichrist than to speculate on the name bearing 666
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PETRINE c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
Every church must agree with the Roman Church on account of its preeminent authority and the apostolic tradition preserved there
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EUCHARIST c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
Irenaeus teaches that the Eucharist is a firstfruit offered to God from his own creation
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ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
Apostolic succession requires both physical continuity of ordination and continuity of apostolic doctrine
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SCRIPTURE c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
Scripture and apostolic tradition together are the rule of faith
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SCRIPTURE c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
Heretics cannot rightly use Scripture because they stand outside the apostolic tradition
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EUCHARIST c. AD 180
Irenaeus of Lyon
The Eucharist contains the body and blood of Christ, which refutes those who deny the resurrection of the flesh
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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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SOTERIOLOGY c. AD 185
Irenaeus of Lyon
Irenaeus teaches that salvation recapitulates the whole of human history in Christ — every stage restored
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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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ESCHATOLOGY c. AD 195
Clement of Alexandria
Christ descended into Hades between his death and resurrection to preach to those held there
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PRIESTHOOD c. AD 195
Clement of Alexandria
Clement of Alexandria argues married life is honourable before God and celibacy is not required for salvation
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PRIESTHOOD c. AD 195
Clement of Alexandria
A bishop is to be married no more than once — the Pauline qualification limits prior marriages, not celibacy
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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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Ante-Nicene · AD 200–300
51 records
PETRINE c. AD 200 ⚔ HOSTILE WITNESS
Tertullian
Peter was the first bishop of Rome and the head of the apostolic college
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SCRIPTURE c. AD 200
Tertullian
The tradition handed down from the apostles through bishops is the test of true Christianity
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SACRAMENTS c. AD 200
Tertullian
Tertullian is the first to use the word sacramentum to describe Christian rites
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 200
Tertullian
Fasting is among the primal ordinances imposed on man from the beginning
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Eva
PRIESTHOOD c. AD 200
Tertullian
Women did not hold the office of bishop, priest, or deacon in the early Church
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Eva
SACRAMENTS c. AD 200
Tertullian
Tertullian attests the practice of sponsoring candidates for baptism — the origin of godparents
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SOTERIOLOGY c. AD 200
Clement of Alexandria
Justification is not by works of the Law but through faith in Christ — Paul's teaching is the Catholic norm
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EUCHARIST c. AD 200
Tertullian
Fasting before receiving the Eucharist is an ancient Christian practice
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Eva
SCRIPTURE c. AD 207
Tertullian
Marcion was wrong — the God of the Old Testament is the same God as the Father of Jesus
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ESCHATOLOGY c. AD 210
Tertullian
Tertullian argues the human soul is derived from the parents along with the body — traducianism
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Eva
ESCHATOLOGY c. AD 210
Tertullian
The bodily resurrection of the flesh at the last day is certain
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Eva
ESCHATOLOGY c. AD 211
Tertullian
Prayer for the dead is a pious and ancient Christian practice
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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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ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 213
Tertullian
The Logos existed eternally before the Incarnation as the Son of God
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ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 213
Tertullian
Tertullian coins the term trinitas to describe God as one substance in three persons
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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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PNEUMATOLOGY c. AD 213
Tertullian
Tertullian is the first to use the word Trinity (Trinitas) as a technical theological term
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Eva
ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 213
Tertullian
God is one substance in three persons — the Trinity
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PETRINE c. AD 217 ⚔ HOSTILE WITNESS
Tertullian
The Church's authority includes binding and loosing on earth — what she binds is bound in heaven
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PRIESTHOOD c. AD 230
Didascalia Apostolorum
The Didascalia Apostolorum teaches that widows must not baptise or teach men — only care for women
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SCRIPTURE c. AD 230
Origen of Alexandria
Scripture has both a literal sense and a deeper spiritual sense that the mature Christian discerns
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ESCHATOLOGY c. AD 230
Origen of Alexandria
Origen speculated that all rational souls including the devil might ultimately be restored — later condemned as heresy
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ESCHATOLOGY c. AD 230
Origen of Alexandria
Origen taught that souls pre-existed their bodies before birth — later condemned as heresy
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ESCHATOLOGY c. AD 230
Origen of Alexandria
The devil is a fallen angel, not an independent evil principle equal to God
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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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ESCHATOLOGY c. AD 230
Origen of Alexandria
Origen teaches that the resurrection body will be spiritual but identical in substance with the earthly body
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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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PRAYER c. AD 233
Origen of Alexandria
The saints departed intercede for those still living — the Church's prayer spans death
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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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PRAYER c. AD 233
Origen of Alexandria
The Holy Spirit intercedes in Christians through prayer and groaning that exceeds human words
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PRAYER c. AD 233
Origen of Alexandria
Prayer must be directed to the Father through the Son in the Holy Spirit — the Trinitarian structure of all Christian prayer
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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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SACRAMENTS c. AD 244
Origen of Alexandria
The anointingof the sick with oil and prayer by the elders of the Church is an apostolic practice for healing
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SACRAMENTS c. AD 244
Origen of Alexandria
Infant baptism is the continuous practice of the Church from the apostles
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SACRAMENTS c. AD 244
Origen of Alexandria
Infants are to be baptised because they need the regeneration that baptism provides
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SOTERIOLOGY c. AD 245
Origen of Alexandria
Origen teaches that the cross is a ransom that liberates humanity from bondage to sin and death
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MARIOLOGY c. AD 249
Origen of Alexandria
Mary remained a virgin after the birth of Christ
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PRIESTHOOD c. AD 249
Cyprian of Carthage
Consecrated virginity is praised as the higher part, but not imposed — it is offered as an inducement to glory, not a yoke of necessity
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ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 250
Cyprian of Carthage
The veneration of martyrs and saints is a legitimate Christian practice
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PRIESTHOOD c. AD 250
Cyprian of Carthage
The ordained priesthood is a distinct office with sacrificial powers
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ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 251
Cyprian of Carthage
The unity of the Church is maintained through the bishop
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SACRAMENTS c. AD 251
Cyprian of Carthage
Confession of sins to a priest effects sacramental absolution
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SACRAMENTS c. AD 251
Cornelius of Rome
Novatianism was condemned — the Church has authority to forgive even those who apostatised under persecution
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EUCHARIST c. AD 252
Cyprian of Carthage
The Eucharist is the daily bread for which Christians pray in the Lord's Prayer
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EUCHARIST c. AD 252
Cyprian of Carthage
Receiving the Eucharist unworthily is a sin against the body and blood of the Lord
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PRAYER c. AD 252
Cyprian of Carthage
Cyprian teaches that the Lord's Prayer is the model of all Christian prayer and must be prayed communally
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EUCHARIST c. AD 253
Cyprian of Carthage
Cyprian teaches that the cup must be mixed with water and wine at the Eucharist
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EUCHARIST c. AD 253
Cyprian of Carthage
The Eucharist must follow Christ's own institution exactly — he used bread and wine mixed with water
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ECCLESIOLOGY c. AD 255
Cyprian of Carthage
Excommunication is a valid and serious ecclesial penalty
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SACRAMENTS c. AD 256
Cyprian of Carthage
Schismatics outside the visible Church cannot have valid orders or valid sacraments
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SACRAMENTS c. AD 256
Cyprian of Carthage
Cyprian of Carthage teaches that valid baptism cannot be conferred outside the Church
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