Terms of Catholic and Christian

[Curious_Seed]

:idea:

When was the term Catholic used to refer to the members and organization or Church?

When was the term Christian used to refer to the members and organization or Church?

What term(s) was/were used prior to those two terms, if any?

 

[hxcCatholic413]

St. Ignatius of Antioch used the term “Catholic” 70 years after Christ’s Resurrection in the Letter to the Smyrnaeans he said: “Where the bishop is to be seen, there let all his people be; just as, wherever Jesus Christ is present, there is the Catholic Church”
Letter to the Smyrneans 8:2. Hope this helps. God Bless!

 

[thistle]

:idea:

When was the term Catholic used to refer to the members and organization or Church?

When was the term Christian used to refer to the members and organization or Church?

What term(s) was/were used prior to those two terms, if any?

Catholic Church:

The Catholic Church" (Greek: katholikos ekklesia) developed from Acts 9:31 “the Church throughout all” (Greek: ekklesia kath olos).

Christians:

Acts 11:25-26

25 Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
26 and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a large number of people, and** it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.**

 

[Skeptic92]

:idea:

When was the term Catholic used to refer to the members and organization or Church?

When was the term Christian used to refer to the members and organization or Church?

What term(s) was/were used prior to those two terms, if any?

1. it was in common use before St. Ignatius used the term Catholic Church to describe the Church (he speaks like it is in common useage) and this was at the end of the 1st century.
2. Probably since the begining, Christian, simply means follower of Christ.
3. Christian & Catholic were used interchangably untill the Reformation (even the EO are Catholic), I think “The Way” was used for a period of time, but this was probably used alongside these terms, there is no “original”

 

[Gregory_I]

All we know for sur eis that at Antioch they were first called Christians, but that doesn’t mean they were called Christians first…

 

[JRKH]

:idea:

When was the term Catholic used to refer to the members and organization or Church?

When was the term Christian used to refer to the members and organization or Church?

What term(s) was/were used prior to those two terms, if any?

It appears you have good answers to the first two but not the last…Prior to the term “Christian” being applied at Antioch, I beleive the movement was called “The Way”.

Peace
James

 

[Gregory_I]

They wre also referred to as the “sect” of the Nazarenes by the Jews I believe.

 

[dconklin]

They wre also referred to as the “sect” of the Nazarenes by the Jews I believe.

There was a sect of Jews called the Nazerites as well. They had nothing to do with Nazareth. They were much more devout in their lifestyle. John the Baptist was a Nazerite. His parents sent him to live with them in the desert.

 

[laszlo]

:idea:

When was the term Catholic used to refer to the members and organization or Church?

When was the term Christian used to refer to the members and organization or Church?

What term(s) was/were used prior to those two terms, if any?

Afaik until the reformation the term Catholic was used only for the Church as an attribute of her, not for the adherents, they were called Christians.

When the lines after the reformation were set up (cuius regio eius religio = the political power dictates the religion) some countries became protestant states and those faithful to Rome were called Catholic states. Hence the name was extended to the believers, where the strict lines loosened again.

I myself use the term Christian to any baptized individual, and their common belief; and I call Catholics those who are in communion with the Apostolic See, and their tradition which start with the primacy of the Pope and the hierarchy.

 

[StTommyMore]

There was a sect of Jews called the Nazerites as well. They had nothing to do with Nazareth. They were much more devout in their lifestyle. John the Baptist was a Nazerite. His parents sent him to live with them in the desert.

This is just speculation. He may have also been associated with the Essenes at Qumran.

 

[Curious_Seed]

St. Ignatius of Antioch used the term “Catholic” 70 years after Christ’s Resurrection in the Letter to the Smyrnaeans he said: "Where the bishop is to be seen, there let all his people be; just as, wherever Jesus Christ is present, there is the Catholic Church"
Letter to the Smyrneans 8:2. Hope this helps. God Bless!

Thank you !

 

[Curious_Seed]

Afaik until the reformation the term Catholic was used only for the Church as an attribute of her, not for the adherents, they were called Christians.

When the lines after the reformation were set up (cuius regio eius religio = the political power dictates the religion) some countries became protestant states and those faithful to Rome were called Catholic states. Hence the name was extended to the believers, where the strict lines loosened again.

I myself use the term Christian to any baptized individual, and their common belief; and I call Catholics those who are in communion with the Apostolic See, and their tradition which start with the primacy of the Pope and the hierarchy.

Thank you !

 

[Curious_Seed]

It appears you have good answers to the first two but not the last…Prior to the term “Christian” being applied at Antioch, I beleive the movement was called “The Way”.

Peace
James

Thank you !

 

[Curious_Seed]

1. it was in common use before St. Ignatius used the term Catholic Church to describe the Church (he speaks like it is in common useage) and this was at the end of the 1st century.
2. Probably since the begining, Christian, simply means follower of Christ.
3. Christian & Catholic were used interchangably untill the Reformation (even the EO are Catholic), I think “The Way” was used for a period of time, but this was probably used alongside these terms, there is no “original”

Thank you !

 

[Curious_Seed]

Catholic Church:

The Catholic Church" (Greek: katholikos ekklesia) developed from Acts 9:31 “the Church throughout all” (Greek: ekklesia kath olos).

Christians:

Acts 11:25-26

25 Then he went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
26 and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a large number of people, and** it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.**

Thank you !

 

[hxcCatholic413]

Thank you !

no problem! here’s a direct link to the source: newadvent.org/fathers/0109.htm

 

[Elena_Wayne]

They were called Christians at Antioch.

The Greek roots of the term “Catholic” mean “according to (kata-) the whole (holos),” or more colloquially, “universal.” <----- Found on this website actually.

ekklEsiai

The above word comes from Acts 9:31 - so I can’t see that as the source of where the term came from.