HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

PART ONE

  1. APOSTOLIC ERA (First Century – The Church Begins)
  1. Pentecost – the descent of the Holy Spirit and Effects on Apostles; thousands baptized; remembering and following Jesus
  2. Home Churches (a private, not public affair); welcoming table fellowship; simple
  3. Continuance of prayer and services in the Jewish temple
  4. Disagreement between Peter and Paul about how one becomes a Christian
  5. Paul spreads the Gospel (Good News) to Gentiles (non Jews)
  6. “End Times” rhetoric; evangelization of basic Kerygma (Proclamation of Jesus)
  7. Missionary Movement Begins – Saints Paul, Barnabas, John Mark
  1. Post-Apostolic and Era of Constantine (2nd and 3rd Centuries)
  1. Underground Church Organizing; Christianity illegal in empire
  2. Persecution and Martyrdom – Vicious attacks, harsh emperors;
  3. Many martyrs only made the Church more visible, many converts;
  4. Church goes from a small minority to a big majority
  5. emergence of clergy, organization, unity of beliefs
  6. CONSTANTINE ISSUES EDICT OF TOLERANCE – 313 AD
  1. Made Christianity legal in the Roman empire
  2. Moved the capital of the empire from Rome to Byzantium (aka Constantinople, later, Istanbul) Turkey
  3. Counsel of Nicea (325 A.D.) – Called to answer the Arian heresy which taught that Jesus was not truly divine or equal to God the Father; also developed the NICENE CREED still recited at mass
  1. Church goes public - building of basilicas; rise in power of bishops
  1. Fourth & Fifth Centuries (after Constantine’s Influence)
  1. Church and State work together
  2. Women edged out of positions of leadership
  3. FALL OF ROME – 410 – City Sacked
  4. Dark Ages – under control of the Germanic Tribes
  5. Church steps up to help re-build civilization
  6. Eastern and Western Churches take a different focus
  7. Augustine of Hippo November 13, 354 – August 28, 430 influences the philosophy and main theology of the Catholic Church
  1. The Middle Ages from 500 – 1000 C.E.
  1. Restoration Time
  1. Republica Christiana – the church in control provides security from fear
  2. ScriptaManent(The Internet of that Day) Church preserves Scripture, Theology
  3. Rise in schools, monasteries
  4. CHARLEMAGNE crowned emperor in 800 AD – strong influence on separation of church and state
  5. Feudal System of Government –granting of land in exchange for military service – of warrior kings, knights, fiefs (lands), lords, vassals, peasant – every man knew his place – a definite class system with lots of problems
  6. Rise of Islam – Mohammed conquered Arabia in 622; spread to Africa and Asia
  1. SECOND HALF OF MIDDLE AGES (1000 – 1500)
  1. Crusades (Holy Wars)to take back Holy Land from Muslim occupation
  2. A long, difficult, struggle; disastrous
  3. Eastern Schism – 1015 AD (the Western and Eastern Churches split)
  4. The Black Death 1347 – 1350 – aka Bubonic Plague devastates civilization
  5. The Inquisition 1200 – 1400 AD (the annihilation of heretics)
  6. Spanish Inquisition – end of the 15th century (more annihilation of heretics)
  7. Weakening of the Western Papacy when it was moved to Avignon, France called

Great Schism of Western Christianity or Papal Schismfrom 1378 to 1417.

  1. Great Saints – Francis of Assisi, Dominic, Joan of Arc, Catherine of Siena, Thomas Aquinas brought hope, education, piety, strength

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ALL LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR WHAT WAS TO COME NEXT: THE PROTESTANT REVOLT/REFORMATION of the 16th century.