A Radical Understanding of the Teachings of Jesus The Early Church to the Radical Reformation —  Primary source of information is the Book of Acts —  Strong sense of community —  Mutual spiritual and material support —  No formal organizational structure —  Intense persecution from the Roman Empire —  Yet, the Christian Church grew, and grew, and grew… —  est. 40% per decade in the first few centuries —  Roman Emperor – Constantine the Great —  Saw a vision of a cross – “in this sign, conquer” —  Ordered his men to adorn their shields with the symbol —  Edict of Milan 313 CE —  Legalized Christianity —  Council of Nicea 325 CE —  Emperor responsible to God to maintain orthodoxy —  Edict of Thessalonica 380 CE —  Officially adopted Christianity as the state religion of the Roman Empire —  Established bishops, diocese —  Bishop of Rome = Pope —  Emperor/King = head of church and state —  Taxes paid to the church —  Appointed bishops/clergy —  Western missionary expansion through the Middle Ages —  Crusades —  Missions to “retake” the Holy Land from the Muslim Ottoman Empire —  Inquisitions —  Intense and often lethal rooting out of heresy —  1521-­‐1610 CE in Northern Europe —  Protested the Catholic Church —  Catholic Church launched the Counter-­‐Reformation —  Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican Churches —  95 Theses —  Protested authority of the Pope —  Rejected indulgences —  Criticized simony —  Rejected transubstantiation in favour of consubstantiation —  Criticized veneration of icons as idolatry —  In response to the Protestant and Counter Reformation —  Germany, Switzerland, Austria —  Intense persecution from both Catholics and Protestants —  Called Anabaptists (literally “re-­‐baptizers”) —  Swiss Brethren, Hutterite, Mennonite Churches —  Believer’s Baptism (“re-­‐baptizers”) —  Faith is a matter of personal choice, not determined by birth (location, family) —  Rejected the institutional Church organization as unbiblical —  Focused on community living —  Separation of Church and State —  No holding office, swearing oaths to the state —  Nonviolence —  Missional Living —  Originally a Catholic Priest —  Converted after hearing of early Anabaptists executed for performing adult baptism —  Advocated: —  Excommunication (“The Ban”) —  Pacifism —  Separation from “the world” On looseleaf, write a response to the following questions and submit to the Inbox before class end. —  How did the Church change over the years from the Early Church in Acts to the Reformation? How did it stay the same? —  For each of the points from the previous question, do you think this change/continuity was a positive or negative thing? Why?