Theo 354: Sessions 1-3: Patterns of Church History from its inception to the High Medieval Period,
Part I-III
Page 1
Sessions 1-3: Patterns of Church History from its inception to the High Medieval Period, Part I-III.
Reading assignment: Gonzalez, Vol. 1:31-36, 49-52, 92-98, 102-108 – Session 1.
Session 2 - A Global History, 55-57(top only), 67-68(top only), 71-81, 98-101, 146-150
I.
Acts 2 – The Birth of the Church to Imperial Christianity (c. 31 AD – 313 AD)
A.
From Jewish sect to separate religion called Christianity:
1.
2.
3.
B.
Factors leading to complete separation of Jews and Christians:
1.
2.
3.
4.
C.
Jewish sects at time of Christ – Sadducees, Pharisees, Zealots,
Essenes – each rejected Jesus because of their expectations of
Messiah.
What type of Messiah (anointed one) did each group want? Messiah
equals Christ linguistically, but not theologically. Differences:
Messiah – deliverer, judge, king, one anointed by God to perform a
task. Christ – divine savior, son of God, redeemer.
Nazarenes – Christ-followers seen as another Jewish sect until c. 90
AD. Final total separation – Bar Kochba revolt – 135 AD.
Destruction of Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD
Jewish view of Messiah vs. Christian view
Jewish attitude toward Roman gov’t vs. Christian view
Christian refusal to participate in Bar Kochba revolt (135 AD)
Persecution – 31 AD to 311/313 AD (from death of James of Zebedee to
edicts of Galerius and Constantine (Edict of Milan).
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
First by a Roman emperor – Nero in 64 AD
Most persecutions were local/regional, often precipitated by
superstition or jealousy. Romans – believed in worshiping gods of
the land, failure to do so brought plagues etc.
Only two empire-wide persecutions under Emperors Decius (256
AD) and Diocletian (303-311 AD).
Christian response: a theology of suffering – martyrdom viewed as
opportunity to be purified/perfected and as spiritual warfare against
Satan (martyrdom represented in iconography as baptism of fire or
baptism in blood).
Christian response – martyrs became revered for their holiness, later
became saints.
Christian response: martyrdom seen as opportunity for church to
grow (Tertullian: “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the
church”).
Great Persecution – 303-311 AD – last persecution of Christians
before Constantine makes Christianity the imperially sponsored
religion in 313 (Edict of Milan – toleration of all religions in Rome).
Theo 354: Sessions 1-3: Patterns of Church History from its inception to the High Medieval Period,
Part I-III
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D.
Early apologists – defenders of the Christian faith. Responded to
accusations made against Christian practices. Attempts to make
Christianity intelligible to Roman mindset.
1.
2.
3.
E.
Christian worship and leadership
1.
2.
3.
4.
II.
Roman accusations against Christians – incest, drink blood of
babies, cannibalism, worshiped an ass, lower class origins (women
and slaves as leaders)
Why Romans distrusted Christians – saw Christianity as a mystery
religion, considered Christians to be atheists because they refused to
worship Roman gods, saw Romans as unpatriotic and traitors
because they refused to offer pinch of incense for the emperor.
Intellectual objections – Roman Neoplatonic influence viewed both
resurrection and crucifixion as foolish as will of God since matter
was seen as evil.
New Testament church met in homes, oldest church building
converted from home dates c. 240s AD at Dura-Europos.
Early leadership of church – had men and women. Two-tiered –
bishops/elders & deacons. Bishops (episcopos) and elders (presbyteros)
often interchangeable, bishop was pastor in NT church. By 3rd
century – bishops were regional spiritual leaders. The bishop of
Rome will later become the pope in 5th c.
Worship service – scripture reading, hymn singing, and Eucharist as
part of a larger agape meal. Met first day of week to celebrate Lord’s
resurrection.
Baptism – NT – done immediately; by late 2nd c. – 3 year wait for
catechumens. By 3rd c. baptisms done once a year on Easter, full
immersion, separated by genders, naked.
Imperial Christianity – Constantine the Great, the 1st Christian Emperor 4th c.
A.
Shift in identity of church from persecuted minority to triumphant
partners with the state. Constantine builds churches, pays salaries of
bishops, gives to churches, calls and sponsors ecumenical church councils,
pays for the formation of the biblical canon. Establishes pattern of
caesaropapism in the east which will continue until the 15th c. (unity
between emperor and the church to degree that emperors appoint
patriarchs, call councils and influence aspects of Orthodox Church
doctrine).
B.
Heresy conflicts – heresy issues increase and involve greater governmental
participation to degree that by Middle Ages, heresy is considered a crime
against the state and is punished by secular rulers.
Theo 354: Sessions 1-3: Patterns of Church History from its inception to the High Medieval Period,
Part I-III
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III.
C.
Church worship takes on greater formality, reminiscent of imperial
patterns. Churches built by emperor called basilicas (same name as
Roman government buildings). Bishops involved in imperial politics as
well as oversight of large ecclesiastical regions.
D.
Fall of Rome – in early 5th c. multiple “barbarian” tribes attack Roman
Empire resulting in its eventual collapse. Papacy and monasteries are
only two surviving institutions entering into medieval period.
Middle Ages – 500-1500 AD
A.
Christendom – European societies in which all were baptized at birth. To
be a member of society was to be a member of the church. Church and
state worked together to control all aspects of life.
B.
Early medieval period regulated by multiple local tribal societies. Primary
characteristics: superstitious, illiterate, bartering. Major shift from the
centralized bureaucratic structure of Roman society of Late Antiquity to
the fragmented societies of European countries.
C.
800 AD Charlesmagne – the first Holy Roman Emperor – anointed by
Pope Leo III. Begins the rivalry and partnership of medieval kings and
popes.
D.
After 1000 AD, shift in structural aspects of European governments –
1.
2.
3.
E.
Weakened power of kings and strengthened power of lords, giving
rise to feudalism, oppressed peasantry.
Shift of inheritance traditions from cognatic to agnatic (inheritance
shifts from daughter to first-born son, resulting in weaker power of
women in medieval society).
Technological advances, increased mobility led to social
fragmentation.
Scholasticism – 1050 to late 1200s – applying reason to questions of faith
1.
2.
3.
Scholarship began in monastery schools, later cathedral schools,
eventually giving rise to universities.
Early scholastics like Anselm in late 11th c. based on realism
(Platonism).
Later scholastics like Thomas Aquinas based on Aristotelianism
(translated by Muslim scholar Averroes).
Theo 354: Sessions 1-3: Patterns of Church History from its inception to the High Medieval Period,
Part I-III
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F.
G.
Crusades – 1099-1270
1.
First Crusade called by Pope Urban II in 1095. Justifications:
a.
Defeat Moslems who threatened Constantinople
b.
Reconquer Holy Land for Christianity
c.
Reunite Eastern and Western Christianity
d.
Divert energy of Europeans away from internecine wars to
destroy outsiders
2.
Effects of the Crusades
a.
Cultural interactions between classes, across religious
boundaries between Muslims and Christians, sharing of
intellectual and social ideas (chivalry, philosophy, customs),
technologies.
b.
Increased travel and commerce
c.
Fourth Crusade sacked Constantinople (1204), leading to
temporary control of Eastern Orthodox church by the Western
Roman Catholic church and eventual weakness causing it to
fall to the Turks in 1453.
d.
Gave rise to permanent distrust between Muslims and
Christians which continues to present day.
e.
Increased international power of pope
Medieval Christian Beliefs and Practices
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
H.
Church calendar – full calendar of holy days based on saints, Easter,
Christmas, Lent, Ash Wednesday, Mardi Gras, Advent.
Individual cooperated in salvation by performance of good works.
Seven sacraments – baptism, confirmation, penance, communion,
marriage, ordination, extreme unction.
Baptism washed away original sin, no unbaptized would go to
heaven.
Purgatory – after death where believer underwent further training in
order to love God perfectly, not punishment, but character
formation.
Transubstantiation – Roman Catholic view of Eucharist in which
the bread and wine were transformed into the literal body and blood
of Christ as a result of prayer of authorized representative (the
priest). Doctrine developed by Aquinas based on Aristotelian
thought.
Papacy
1.
Roman Catholic popes based their authority on Mt. 16:18-19 and
claimed Peter was first pope. However, popes did not have begin to
have distinctive power until Pope Leo I in 440s AD and Pope
Gregory the Great (590s).
Theo 354: Sessions 1-3: Patterns of Church History from its inception to the High Medieval Period,
Part I-III
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2.
3.
4.
5.
I.
Conflicts between kings and popes for power, particularly the right
to appoint bishops (investiture controversy).
Crusades, development of certain doctrines such as
transubstantiation, use of relics, sale of indulgences, alliances with
medieval kings, control of riches and land as result of bequests made
by dying Christians all increased power of popes.
Popes used rulers’ militaries to fight wars including the crusades and
punish heretics. Popes were able to coerce rulers by threatening
excommunication, freeing a ruler’s men from their vows of loyalty to
a recalcitrant ruler, or anointing a rival to replace the ruler.
Conflicts for the papal seat:
a.
Corrupt election process and fight over papal seat resulted in
Babylonian Captivity (1305-1376) – when the papal seat was
moved from Rome to Avignon, France. (Gonzalez’s dates – 13091377, these are preferred dates)
b.
Great Schism – after pope was convinced to return to Rome,
rival factions elected different popes such that from 1378-1417,
there were two popes. In 1417, Council of Constance elected a
compromise pope, Martin V.
Black Plague – 1347 to 1600s. Flagellants – travelers who repented on
behalf of society to induce God to lift his wrath. Black Plague influenced
medieval theology of suffering, including views of purgatory. Suffering
seen as process of purification and spiritual training. Black Plague also
seen as result of papal problems like the Babylonian Captivity.