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| *[[Individual Christians]] | | *[[Individual Christians]] |
| *[[Christian Movements]] | | *[[Christian Movements]] |
| | *[[Persecuting Christians]] |
| *[[Controversy over the Date of Easter]] | | *[[Controversy over the Date of Easter]] |
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| In 1520, there were four main government-approved churches: the Roman Catholic Church, The Eastern Orthodox Church, The Ethiopian Church, and the Assyrian (Indian) Church - divided primarily by location. By 1750, there were numerous organized Protestant denominations, including the Anglicans, Lutherans, Mennonites, Baptists, Hutterites, Moravians, Pilgrims, Armenians, Puritans, Quakers, and Huguenots. Many of these groups were persecuted by the Catholic Church, but also persecuted the Catholic Church and each other when the opportunity arose.
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| Before Jesus' death and resurrection, Peter denied Jesus three times, while the other disciples abandoned him. All this changed on the day of Pentecost, when Peter and 119 other disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to testify boldly of Jesus Christ, baptizing those that believed on His name. | | Before Jesus' death and resurrection, Peter denied Jesus three times, while the other disciples abandoned him. All this changed on the day of Pentecost, when Peter and 119 other disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to testify boldly of Jesus Christ, baptizing those that believed on His name. |
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| Polycarp | | Polycarp |
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| Of note is the gap of two years between Alexander and Sixtus where there was no Bishop in Rome due to severe persecution. The Church under Sixtus was probably a decimated and persecuted Church, and may have been an entirely different Church than the church under Alexander (a martyr) due to dispersion and death of the inhabitants of the earlier church, and reintegration of backslidden Christians (probable, but speculation only).
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| The Christian churches in the second century were persecuted, but vibrant: | | The Christian churches in the second century were persecuted, but vibrant: |
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| *He confirms that a number of churches continued to exist that were established by the Apostles (including, but not limited to the Church at Rome). | | *He confirms that a number of churches continued to exist that were established by the Apostles (including, but not limited to the Church at Rome). |
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| Christians were severely persecuted by Pagan Rome between 170 AD and 312 AD. Marcus Aurelis executed a number of Christians in Lyon, France, in 177 AD. Septimus Severus (193 - 211 AD) upheld the already-established laws against Christianity, allowing logal governers to persecute them (especially strong in Africa) while sheltering the Christians in Rome itself. Alexander Severus (222-235 AD) wanted to build a temple to the founder of Christianity, but was dissuaded by pagan priests. Maximinus Thrax (235-238 AD) persecuted Christians relentlessly, as did Decius (249-251 AD) and Valerian (253-260 AD).
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| The Roman Emperor Diocletian was figure of contrasts. Born to a poor family, he rose in stature in the Roman army and cavalry, until claiming the Empire for himself in 284. Taking the title "Jovius" and "Dominus et deus" (Lord and God), he reinstituted the Roman form of Emperor worship, forcing all who came to see him to prostrate themselves before his throne, and forbidding visitors to look at him. At the same time, Diocletian gave half of the empire to his friend Maximian (who took the title "Herculius"), and together they unified the power of the Roman Empire. His military and economic reforms formed the basis of the Byzantine Empire (which was to last another thousand years), and enabled the western Roman empire to continue another hundred years. In 305, after becoming sick, Diocletian became one of the few Roman Emperors to retire, and he took up the hobby of cabbage farming at his palace in Dalmatia.
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| In 303 the Roman Emperor Diocletian published an "Edict against the Christians" <ref name="Bleckmann"> (Bleckmann, Bruno. (2002–). "Diocletianus". Brill's New Pauly 4: 429–438. Ed. Hubert Cancik and Helmut Schneider. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 9004122591.)</ref> ordering the destruction of Christian scriptures and places of worship across the Empire, while prohibiting Christians from assembling for worship. Fires in Diocletian's palace in Nicomedia caused him to increase this persecution. In 304, Diocletian ordered everyone in the empire to sacrifice <ref name="Liebeschuetz"> (Liebeschuetz, p. 249–250.)</ref> , which was a sign of apostacy to Christians, with persecution, imprisonment, or execution for those refusing to participate.
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| The Emperor Galerius continued Diocletian's ruthless persecution of Christianity until 311 when he wrote an edict of tolerance on his death bed. The persecutions still continued, primarily in the eastern provinces, until the year 312 when Constantine I issued the Edict of Milan, formalized religious tolerance in the Empire.
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| Origin of Doctrines: | | Origin of Doctrines: |
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| *The Bishops in the churches that had Apostolic succsession began to exert influnece over other churches, excommunicating those who did not listen (sending them outside the camp), while fighting among themselves. | | *The Bishops in the churches that had Apostolic succsession began to exert influnece over other churches, excommunicating those who did not listen (sending them outside the camp), while fighting among themselves. |
| *Traditions were implemented (like pennance) that were not Biblical. | | *Traditions were implemented (like pennance) that were not Biblical. |
| *Hippolytus' writings accuse Bishop Callixtus of allowing abortions,
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| *Bishop Marcellinus recanted Christianity and sacrificed to idols to escape persecution (although it is said he later recanted).
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| What is visible from this list of Roman Bishops is the rise of the doctrine of the Trinity, the Church of Rome's growing influence over other Churches in the Roman Empire, and the direct interference of Roman Emperors with the Church with Emperor Maxentius deposing consecutive Bishops until a more 'suitable' Bishop could be found.
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| [[Martin]] of Tours (d. 397) became a missionary in Gaul. While little is recorded of his teachings, his piety was not disputed, and supernatural signs and wonders followed his ministry. Martin's nephew, Patrick (d. 493), also became a missionary, preaching in Ireland. Near the end of the 6th century, Columba (d. 597) became a missionary to Scotland, and was known as a prophet for the mighty works that followed his ministry. Each of these men developed their ministries independent of the Church in Rome, and independent of political support. It is known that both Martin and Columba did everything in the Name of Jesus Christ.
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| In response to Martin, Patrick, and Columba's influence in Northern Europe, the Catholic Church started missionary activities in these areas, and began arranging the marriages of various English and French kings to Catholic women in order to curb the expansion of Irish Christianity, which was seen as a threat to Rome.
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| The persecution of the Persian church from the rule of Shapur II (340 AD) to Hormizd III (c. 458 AD) as a result of the Roman Empire's favour for Christianity.
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| The Bishop of Rome finally agreed that each church had the authority to rule themselves only after both Polycarp and Irenaeus traveled to Rome (at different times) and rebuked the bishop. In 325, at the Council of Nicea, a canon (unchanging law of discipline) was issued giving the patriarchs of Alexandria and Rome exceptional authority over other churches in their regions. It was also decided at this council that the Christian Passover must not be celebrated with the Jewish Passover, which was the custom of the disciples.
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| The date of the passover marked the first victory of the Church of Rome over all the other churches. The Roman Emperor Constantine enforced this doctrine (Life of Constantine Vol. III Ch. XVIII by Eusebius) by the physical suppression of forms of worship he considered unorthodox.
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| In 325 the Council of Nicea produced the Nicean Creed, which formalized the doctrine of the Trinity - another victory for the Church of Rome. | | In 325 the Council of Nicea produced the Nicean Creed, which formalized the doctrine of the Trinity - another victory for the Church of Rome. |
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| {|style="background-color:#F0DCC8; border:1px #E8B399 solid; text-align:center;"
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| |In 451 AD, 630 Bishops declared at the council of Chalcedon that ''"What Leo believes we all believe, anathema to him who believes anything else. Peter has spoken through the mouth of Leo."''
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| ==Christians Persecuting Christians==
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| Athanasius (d.373) and Augustine (d. 430) both supported violence against heresies. In another example of early propoganda, the Arian enemies that Athanasius taught against were not a cohesive group as he put forth, but were actually small groups of supporters that held vastly different theological views. The "Arian party" identified by Athanasius may simply be a fabrication - one which resulted in much persecution.
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| Regardless, Constantine's physical enforcement of orthodoxy, along with Rome, Alexandria, and other sects physically persecuting each other marked the start of a downward slide for the Christian Church.
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| ==Ecumenical Councils== | | ==Ecumenical Councils== |
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| Saint Irene (Greek: Ειρήνη, Eirēnē) (c. 752 – August 9, 803) was Byzantine empress from 797 to 802. Her most notable act was the restoration of the orthodox veneration of icons or images, she summoned two church councils. The first of these, held in 786 at Constantinople, was frustrated by the opposition of the soldiers. The second, convened at Nicaea in 787, formally revived the adoration of images and reunited the Eastern church with that of Rome. She had her son’s eyes plucked out after he tried to win the throne from her, and it is said that he died of the wounds. | | Saint Irene (Greek: Ειρήνη, Eirēnē) (c. 752 – August 9, 803) was Byzantine empress from 797 to 802. Her most notable act was the restoration of the orthodox veneration of icons or images, she summoned two church councils. The first of these, held in 786 at Constantinople, was frustrated by the opposition of the soldiers. The second, convened at Nicaea in 787, formally revived the adoration of images and reunited the Eastern church with that of Rome. She had her son’s eyes plucked out after he tried to win the throne from her, and it is said that he died of the wounds. |
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| Saint Theodora (Greek Θεοδώρα) was the wife of the Byzantine emperor Theophilus (813 – 842). Following the death of her husband, she overrode his ecclesiastical policy and summoned a council under the patriarch Methodius, in which the veneration (not worship) of icons (images of Christ and the saints) was finally restored and the iconoclastic clergy dispossessed. However, it was during her regency that a vigorous persecution of the Paulician 'heresy' commenced.
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