Upload
ellen-scarce
View
219
Download
1
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Development of the Faith
Issues
• Apologetics• Unity• Apostolic Succession• Eucharist• Baptism• Heretics and schisms• Lapsi (Lapsed ones)• Petrine primacy• Epicopate in general
Sources of Information
• Didache• Church Fathers
Church Fathers
• Clement of Rome (? – 101)• Ignatius of Antioch (50-107)• Irenaeus (130-200)• Tertullian (160-225)• Origen (184-253)
Didache
• 110 CE• Instructions for baptism,
Eucharist, and Ordination• Need appointed Episkopas
(supervisors or overseers)• Charismatic apostles and
prophets are lessening
St. Clement of Rome
• Letter to Corinth 96 CE• Schism developed• Elders are direct successors of
apostles• Validates their authority
Ignatius of Antioch
• Martyrdom• Denounced schisms and
heresies• Advocated for Church’s
Episcopacy• Incarnation, Passion, Death,
Resurrection• Coined the term “Roman
Catholic”
Tertullian
• Apologetic• Christianity enhanced
Roman Empire
Nature of Jesus
• Human? God? Demi-God?• God = Unlimited being in every
sense (Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omnipresences, Omnibenevolent)
• Modalism• Docetism• Tertullian Rejects both
Origen
• How do we comprehend Jesus?
• Joining of two separate entities
• Divine Word and Human Flesh
• Infusion• Similar problem to
Tertullian’s theory
Spread of Christianity
How and Why the Church Spread
• Supernatural origins• Politically, unlikely to
succeed• Backward part of the
world• Poor, powerless
people
Thomas Bokenkotter
• Three Reasons for success of Christianity
• Political, social, cultural factors affected Christianity
Roman Infrastructure
• Mediterranean under Roman occupation
• Roads, mail system, ships, travel routes
• Hellenistic culture meant Greek common language
Pax Romana
• Peace of Rome• Emperor Augustus had
established peace• Meant safe travels
Spiritual Unrest
• Series of unstable rulers• Tainted leadership• Amalgamation of too many
religions• Grim mood + “fake” religion• Looking for answers• Philosophy worked for some• Other Religions also consulted• Christianity especially popular
Other Versions besides Apostolic Christianity
• Marcionism• Doceticism• Gnosticism• Manichaeism
Justin Martyr
• 100-165• Created first western
“Catholic” Rite• Format for saying the mass• Four components– Introduction Rite– Liturgy of the Word– Liturgy of the Eucharist– Concluding Rite
Christianity and the Roman Empire
Persecution
• Initially, came from local• Shift to regional
governments• Nero• Seen as problematic,
Christians would not acknowledge the divinity of the Roman Emperor
Emperor Nero
• Reigned from 54-68• Psychologically unsound and
paranoid• Last emperor from the Augustinian
line• Murdered his mother and wife• Fire of 64• Nero accused Christians• Forcing confessions• Declared Christianity unlawful
Emperor Domitian
• Ruler in 81• Wanted good relations with
military• Common focus of stopping
spread of Christianity• Feared Christianity
spreading into Aristocracy• Discovered members of his
own family practicing
Five Good Emperors
• Herva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antonius Pius, and Marcus Aurelius
• More balanced policy• Don’t go seeking Christians • Offer a chance to recant• Often left it up to provincial
governors to arbitrate and deal with justice
Local Level
• Different levels of acceptance existed throughout the Empire
• Always some suspicion, • Seen as “outsiders”• More accepted during
prosperous times
Emperor Decius
• First Empire-wide persecution of Christians
• Decius attributed Empire’s misfortunes to Christianity
• Since Christianity called for ultimate allegiance to Christ, seen as dissident
Emperor Diocletian
• Final and worst wave of persecution
• In 303, focused Roman military against Christianity
• Destroyed Churches, burnt scripture, brutally tortured and exterminated followers of Christ
Christian Response
• Most martyrs were everyday people
• From Greek martyros meaning “witness”
• Seen as a way to follow Christ• further empowered the
spread of Christianity • Early Martyrs amongst the
Saints
How Did Rome Affect Christianity
• Forced members to be series about their faith in the face of persecution
• Provided infrastructure to spread the faith
• Provided communication network for Christians
What did Christianity do for Rome
• Shift in cultural views• Christians took care of
those unable to• Laid the foundation for
later institutions• Changed cultural views
End of Christian Persecution
End of Diocletian
• Diocletian dies in 305• Tetrarchy• East/West division• Two junior co-Emperors• Galerius and Constantius• Civil war breaks out• Diocletian commits suicide
Out come of Civil War
• General Constantine• Victor of the civil war• Assisted by Christ• Tolerates Christianity• Edict in 313• Pivotal turning point
Edict of Milan
• Officially recognizes Christianity
• Includes in the list of accepted Religions
• Was this a good thing?