Turning point for Christianity

Constantine

Constantine

• Born in Serbia

• Constantine was hailed as the next Caesar in 306 in Brittain

• But in Rome, Maxentius was favored

• The two parties engaged battle and Constantine won in spite of his small army

• Constantine was a skillful General

The Conversion of Constantine• Many versions• One relates at noon in the day of the battle a cross

appeared in the sky and bore the inscription: “By this sign you will conquer”

• Another mentions a dream• Either way, his conversion seems to be real• He refused to ascent to the Capitol to sacrifice to Jupiter• Constantine published an edict making Christianity on

equal footing with the other ones and “religio licita”• This made him very unpopular- 5% of the population

was Christian and most of the Senate members were pagans

• The Church became the State Church• A State Religion• The Clergy was honored and offered public

privilege and positions• Constantine chose a Bishop for many vacancies

in his administration• Constantine helped with many councils who

fought heresy in the Church• Constantine later declared all other religions

heretical and upheld Christianity

• Constantine carried the title of Pontifex Maximus

• The Church was not seperated from the State

• In the East, the Emperor dominated the Church

• In the West, the Bishop of Rome was in charge

Monasticism

• Monasticism emerged as a reaction of the church secularization

• Many removed themselves from society to dwell in the desert to devote themselves to prayer and study of the word

• The rules– Obedience– No private property– Manual labor– Regular spiritual exercise– Common meal

Rise of Papal Power

• In 381 there was a fight between bishops for power• The Pope (from Latin: "papa" or "father" from Greek

πάπας, pápas, "papa", Papa in Italian) • This is the Bishop of Rome• Pope was a general title for the Bishop• But it rose to become the title of a single man ruling

ex cathedra• The Pope became very powerful• Many influential popes: Siricus (384-399), Leo (440-

461), Gelasius (492-496) help to the rise of the Pope Power

• Christianity was in the dark until Middle Ages

Pre-Reformation

• In the dark Age, many doctrines entered the church- cult of saints, relics, transubstantiation, mass for dead, Papal supreme authority, Purgatory , pligrimage, indulgences, etc…

• John Wycliffe was the Morning Star of Reformation, born in 1330, educated at Oxford

• He opposed the Pope and denied transubstantiation, cult of the saints, relics, mass for the dead, etc

• Many followed him before the true Reformation took place: John Hus, Girolamo Savonarola, John Wessel

Reformation

• Martin Luther• German Monk• He fasted and sourged himself very often to confess

his sins• He struggled two years with the book of Romans

until he came to an understanding that will change the shape of Christianity

• Justification by faith, not by works• On October 31, 1517 he nailed his 95 thesis to the

door of the Church of Wittenberg • Zwingly and Calvin followed • Zwingly in Zurich, Calvin in Geneva (both

Swizerland)

• In America, the pilgrims were european victims of persecutions and looking for new opportunities

• Society of Friends, Georges Fox (1624- 1691)• The Quakers believing in Inner light• Roger Williams in New England• Other figures: John Elliot, Jonathan Edwards, John

Wesley (Revivals) Georges Withefield• Young Men’s Christian Association • Missionaries• Modern-day Christianity (evangelicals, Fundementalists,

liberals,