Top Ten Church History Moments

1. Top Ten “Peak Moments” in Church History

2. First Period:The Apostolic Age

3. 1. PENTECOST: Birthday of the ChurchI will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever, the Spirit who reveals the truth about God (John 14:16-17).Another word for helper is the Greek paraclete, which we use to refer directly to the Holy Spirit.

4. 1. PENTECOST: Birthday of the ChurchThe Holy Spirit was already at work in the world before Christ was glorified. On Pentecost, the Spirit came to be with the Church forever. On that day the Church was publicly revealed to the multitude. The gospel began to be spread among the nations by means of preaching.-- Second Vatican Council, decree ad gentes(“To the nations”), n. 4.

5. 2. The Conversion of Saint Paul, c. 40 AD“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?... I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting” (Acts 9:4-5).After Saul/Paul’s baptism at Damascus (in Syria), he began to preach.Many went to Antioch (also in Syria) to proclaim the good news (good spell= Gospel ) about the Lord Jesus. And the Lord’s power was with them. (11:20-21).

6. 2. The Conversion of Saint Paul, c. 40 AD

7. Second Period:Imperial / Post-Imperial

8. The Roman Empire, circa 300 AD

9. 3. The Edict of Milan: Constantine frees the Church from persecution (for a while)Emperor Nero began persecuting on a wide scale, circa 64 AD.Hebrew neroq’sr= 666 (John’s “beast”)“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”Christianity grew in spite of fierce opposition, intolerance and martyrdoms.

10. 3. The Edict of Milan: Constantine frees the Church from persecution (for a while)Enter Constantine and his rival, Maxentius.Both men and their forces clashed at the Battle of the Milvan Bridge in 313.A vision appeared to Constantine:Ecce, in hoc signovinces(Behold, in this sign, victory).

11. Constantine the Great (circa274 – 337)

12. The vision of Constantine

13. The Chi Rhosign seen by Constantine

14. 3. The Edict of Milan: Constantine frees the Church from persecution (for a while)The victorious Constantine met with officials of the Eastern empire in 313 at Medianola (Milan) in Italy.Both East and West agreed upon religious tolerance, de-criminalizing Christianity.This act was borrowed at Vatican II (1962-1965) for its Decree on Religious Liberty (Influenced largely by Rev. John Courtney Murray, S.J. - an American!)Other persecutions against the Church took place afterward, but stopped after 391 AD.

15. 4. Christ as Man and God – The Church and the Council of Chalcedon, 451 ADThe Church had long felt the end of the Apostolic Age (the time when the original disciples lived).Christian communities devised basic statements of belief, known as a creed (from credo=“I believe”).The Church also set up a system of leadership, through what is now known as the Holy Orders – Overseers (bishops), Elders (priests) and Servants to the Poor (deacons).With leadership and freedom taking root, much needed to be done regarding belief.

16. 4. Christ as Man and God – The Church and the Council of Chalcedon, 451 ADAlternate theories about the nature of Christ and His relationship to God began to take form. These were examined and condemned, later known as heresies (from the Greek word for “choice” or “faction”).Bishops gathered in 325 at Nicaea (in Asia Minor, now Turkey) to develop a fuller Creed.Enter a priest named Arius, who misinterpreted Proverbs 8:22 (“the Lord begot me”).Arius argued thus: “There was a time when the Son was not.” Ergo, Jesus was lesser than the Father.

17. Council of Nicea, 325 AD

18. 4. Christ as Man and God – The Church and the Council of Chalcedon, 451 ADArius drew a huge following.The Arian Heresy (of Jesus being subordinate to the Father) had spread rapidly throughout the Empire.As a result, the unity of the entire Church was under a very great threat.

19. 4. Christ as Man and God – The Church and the Council of Chalcedon, 451 ADThe bishops who met at Nicaea reasserted the divinity of Jesus, condemned Arianism and began to restore unity in Christianity.Not long afterward, an opposite heresy – this time overemphasizing Christ’s humanity – broke out.The major agreement at Chalcedon was that Jesus had one divine person in two natures, human and divine.Other councils meet later to “fine tune” Church teaching and work to preserve unity.

20. 4. Christ as Man and God – The Church and the Council of Chalcedon, 451 ADMost other heresies take on one of two forms:Christological – altering the relationship between Christ and the Father/Holy SpiritEcclesiological – altering the relationship between Christ and the ChurchYes, heresies keep coming, even today, and it’s up to the Magisterium (the teaching body of the Church) to help the faithful know what’s correct and what isn’t.

21. 5. How the Monks Saved CivilizationIn 410 AD, the Goths sacked Rome. Panic ensued throughout Europe.The Roman Empire fell – or stopped falling – by 476 AD, with the barbarian invasions and the collapse of the order provided by the Empire.By that time, collectives of men and women religious known as cenobites (from Greek koinos + bios = “common life”) had spread into northern Africa and many parts of Europe.The major player of monasticism in Europe was St. Benedict of Norsia, who devised a monastic Rule.

24. Benedict of Norsia(480 – 550 AD)

25. Third Period:Early Modernity

26. 6. From Monte Cassino to AssisiBy the 12th Century, European commerce sparked the widespread growth of cities and the rise of the “middle class”Thousands left agricultural-based livelihoods and pursued trades and jobs not based upon the landWidespread wealth and literacy contrasted with crushing poverty and destitution, both in rural areas as well as in citiesMonastic life, centered around monasteries in rural areas, were useful to barbarians and farmers, but not these growing urban areas – many were left underserved as a result

27. 6. From Monte Cassino to AssisiEnter Giovanni Francesco diBernardone(1181-1226)Born from a wealthy family, he embraced a life of poverty and mobility in order to servethe poor wherever they livedEstablished the Order ofFriars Minor (The “LittleBrothers”)This form of life was notmonastic, but mendicant –like that of a roving beggarDominicans, Carmelites, andAugustinians also follow this“rule” of life and service

28. 6. From Monte Cassino to AssisiThe Mendicant friarsTook vows not to a “house” or Abbot (religious superior), but to their particular orderWere far more flexible in their ministries than their monastic brethren, who remained tied to their communitiesEstablished the first major universities of Europe: Oxford, Cambridge, Paris, Padua, etc.Developed devotions for the laity – the Stations of the Cross, the Christmas Creche, the Rosary

29. 6. From Monte Cassino to AssisiAnd when Church and State got too close..The Crusades: The Inquisition:

30. 7. Reform to Revolt to ReformationAn Augustinian priest, Martin Luther, had several problems with numerous misuses and abuses of Church authority and teaching, and wanted to bring reform to the Catholic ChurchCorruption indeed ran rampant in many parts of the Church:Formation for priestly ministry was deficientThe practice of indulgences – works of prayer and charity – had been abused beyond recognitionThe popes were far too involved in secular politics than in spiritual matters

31. 7. Reform to Revolt to Reformation31 October 1517: Luther posts on the “bulletin board” of the day – the doors of the church in the university town ofWittenburg , Germany – his 95 ThesesLuther’s calls for reform and renewed consideration for scripture were largelyignored by the Church, but were receivedby the laity and top secular leaders with enthusiasmLuther was questioned and debated…and later excommunicated (separated from the Church and Sacraments)Church/State ties were called into question, and many regions of Europe fought with each other as a result

32. 7. Reform to Revolt to ReformationOther philosophers and thinkers (Calvin, Zwingli, Knox, etc.) took the momentum of reformation to an entirely new levelNot only did the issues questioned by Luther fall under suspicion, everything held by the Catholic Church was rejected (as “Romish,” “Popish,” “Papist,” etc.) except what later became known as the three solas:Sola Scriptura: Only scripture has any real ultimate authoritySola Fides: Only by faith can one respond to God and be savedSola Gratia: Only by the grace of God can one find salvationOctober 31, 1999: Leaders of the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation sign a document declaring their differences in most of these matters were over. The United Methodist Church signed the agreement in 2003

33. 7. Reform to Revolt to ReformationVarious degrees of reformation took hold, leading to various “national” churches and thousands of denominations…Lutherans:Missouri Synod and the ELCA are biggest in the U.S.A.Calvinists:Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Church of Christ, etc.Anglicans:C of E, TEC, Methodists, Wesleyans, QuakersAnabaptists:Mennonites, Amish, BaptistsRestorationists:Disciples of Christ, various “mega-churches”Humanists, Spiritualists, Ecstatics

34. 8. Point-Counterpoint: The Council of Trent1545 – 1563 (18 years!)Pope Pius V (1556 – 1572)The Church begins to tend toward “isolationism”Response to Luther and other reformers (1517 forward) Henry VIII (1534) Failed inquisitionsFinal East/West Schism (1484)Persecutions of dissenting Roman Catholics Tridentine Missal (Tridentine = “of Trent”)Tridentine Catechism (In the U.S.A., the “Baltimore”)Forms of sacred music were canonized

35. 8. Point-Counterpoint: The Council of TrentThere have been 21 Ecumenical CouncilsCatholics and Orthodox churches jointly recognize the first seven onlyThe last three councils were:Council of Trent (1545 – 1563)

36. First Vatican Council (1869 – 1870)

37. Second Vatican Council (1962 – 1965)Fourth Period:Recent History (Vatican I and II)

38. 9. The First Vatican Council (1869-1870)

39. 9. The First Vatican Council (1869-1870)Summoned by Pius IX, “PioNono,” (1846 – 1878)Only two other popes in history reigned longer: Saint Peter (~31 years) and Pope John Paul II (28 years).In other words, the first one and the last one!Reaffirmation of the Word of God (Bible)Reaffirmation of the primacy and infallibility of the Pope…in matters of faith and moralsPius IX – Immaculate Conception (1854)Pius XII – Assumption of Mary (1950)Interrupted by Franco-Prussian War, followed by the unification of modern ItalyAdjourning Vatican I took place…at Vatican II!

40. Almost there…But first - Break Time!

41. 10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)

42. 10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)In 1959, Pope John XXIII calls for a new Ecumenical CouncilThe entire Church hierarchywas taken by surprisePope John oversaw the opening of the First Session of the Council in 1962…and died the following year.

43. 10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)The Council halted in order tocall a Conclave, where a newBishop of Rome is electedCardinal GiambattistaMontini,a career diplomat, was chosenand took the name Paul VIPope Paul restarted the Councilwhich has sessions fromSeptember through November of1963, 1964 and 1965Pope Paul died in 1978, the“year of three popes,” himself,John Paul I and John Paul II

44. 10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) Critics say that because of Vatican II:The Liturgy became corrupt and profaneNumbers of priests and religious declined as a resultAuthority was undermined and erodedTeachings became ambiguousMorals have erodedMissionary activity was confused and unorganizedDissent was rampant

45. 10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) Others, including supporters, say that because of Vatican II:

46. The Church was re-energized and made more “relevant”

47. Women and laity were empowered for service to the Church Liturgical ministers (lectors, etc.) Parish Pastoral Councils and other advisory groups Parish Administrators and Lay Ecclesial Ministers A renewed Permanent DiaconateMarriage/family was emphasized as a vocation

48. Annulment process was clarified and made better

49. Attention to society and the poor increased vastly10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Why was the 21st Council necessary?Dozens of technological and scientific advances had changed the very way we think

50. Improved communication highlighted global problems (example: “have” vs. “have-not” nations)

51. The exuberance that followed the reconstruction of Europe after World War II

52. The Cold War: Communism, Socialism Humanism

53. The “Population Explosion”

54. Continuing Protestant scholarship

55. Church became rigid and authoritarian in many places

56. Women’s issues began to surface10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Just in the United States…“Hippies” and “Beatniks” (such asTV’s Maynard Krebs, pictured)

57. The rise of the “drug culture” (Timothy Leary, etc.)

58. The rise of pornography in print(Playboy, etc.) and in film

59. An explosive growth of evangelicalism and non-Christian“cults,” especially from the East

60. The growing threat of nuclearproliferation and “Mutual Assured Destruction”10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Why was it thought not necessary by some?Attendance at Mass was high

61. Abundance of priests and religious, as well as vocations

62. Catholic schools flourished on all levels

63. Catholic education thought to be best in nation

64. Liturgy was beautiful and holy

65. The faithful understood the hierarchy (Church leadership) and were faithful to it

66. A clear-cut understanding of what was – and wasn’t – considered a “sin,” be it mortal, venial or otherwise10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Attended by nearly 2500 “Council Fathers”

67. Mostly bishops and heads of male religious orders

68. Many periti(theological experts) also attended and would influence the Church long afterward, including Congar, deLubac, Wojtyla, Rahner, Ratzinger, Schillebeeckx, etc.

69. Many other groups were represented:There were nearly 20 Orthodox representativesA significant number of ProtestantsTwo dozen Catholic women “auditors,” including three from the U.S.A. (Mary Luke Tobin, notably)All these groups contributed to discussions

70. 10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Dogma = established belief or doctrine… authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted or diverged from. The term comes from the Greek δόγμα, "that which seems to one, opinion or belief” and from δοκέω (dokeo), "to think, to suppose.”Vatican II was not set up to be another dogmatic council, but rather a pastoral one. NO changes were made to any Christian dogma of any kind.Instead, 16 major documents were produced and approved by the Council Fathers (with healthy input from others) to guide the Church in the years to follow, addressing all aspects of Catholic life and pastoral practice, on the universal (global), local (diocesan) and particular (parish) levels.

71. 10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Not a dogmatic council, but a pastoral one!Four Constitutions:Lumen Gentium(Light of the Nations) – Constitution on the Church

72. Dei Verbum(Word of God) – Constitution on Divine Revelation

73. SacrosanctumConcilium(This Sacred Council) –Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy

74. Gaudium et Spes(The Joy and Hope) – Constitution on the Church in the Modern World10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Three Declarations:GravissimumEducationis– Declaration on Christian Education

75. Nostra Aetate(In Our Day) – Declaration on our Relationship to Non-Christian Religions, with special emphasis on the Jewish People

76. DignitatisHumanae(The Dignity of the Human Person) – On Catholic Social Teaching: The Right of the Human Person and Communities to Social and Civil Freedom in Religious Matters10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Nine Decrees:Ad Gentes(To the Nations) – Mission Activity of the Church (The source document of what is now the R.C.I.A.!)

77. PresbyterorumOrdinus(The Order of Priests) – On the Ministry and Life of Priests

78. OptatamTotius(Desired of the Whole Church) – On the Training of Priests

79. ApostolicamAcuositatem(To Intensify the Apostalate) – On the Apostolate of the Laity

80. PerfectaeCaritatis(Perfection of Charity) – On the Renewal of Religious Life10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Nine Decrees:Christus Dominus(Christ the Lord) – On the Pastoral Office of Bishops

81. UnitatisRedintegratio(The Restoration of Unity) – On Ecumenism

82. OrientaliumEcclesiarum(Churches of the East) – On the Eastern Catholic Churches

83. Inter Mirifica(Among the Wonderful Things) – Decree on the use of Mass Media10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Of all the documents deliberated and voted on by the Council Fathers, those with the greatest impact were:Lumen Gentium(On the Church)Dei Verbum (On Scripture)SacrosanctumConcilium(On the Liturgy)Gaudium et Spes(On the Church in the Modern World)ApostolicamAcuositatem (On the Laity)

84. 10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Lumen Gentium(On the Church)The “hub” of the entire Council!

85. The Mystery of the Church (the Communion of Saints)

86. The People of God are foundational

87. Four Marks of the Church: One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic

88. The Council builds on tradition, and does not conflict with it

89. The Deposit of Faith must be preserved

90. Provisions made for the Permanent Diaconate (Thanks, Karl!)

91. The special devotion the church has for the Virgin Mary10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Dei Verbum (On Divine Revelation and Scripture)God invites us into a personal relationship with Him

92. Through Sacred Scripture we come to know God with “ease, with solid certitude, and with no trace of error.”

93. The Bible is “the Word of God in human words”

94. “The Church, in her teaching life, and worship, perpetuates and hands on to all generations all that she herself is, all that she believes” (Sacred Tradition)

95. Sacred Tradition grows and becomes richer as our leaders, guided by the Holy Spirit, lead to a deeper and fuller understanding of the truth.

96. Nothing in Sacred Tradition can contradict Sacred Scripture10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Dei Verbum (On Divine Revelation and Scripture)Most importantly: Christians should read the Bible and use modern methods of scholarship and interpretation!

97. 10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)SacrosanctumConcilium(On the Liturgy)The “source and summit” of all Church activity is the LiturgyOnly in worship do our good works make senseAll our sacrifices are offered to God with the Lord’s bodyWe get access to the fountain of grace that flows from the font of the Cross of Jesus ChristThe Church exists primarily to worship GodStreamline by “Noble Simplicity”Emphasize Scripture and promote love for the Word of GodConduct the liturgy in the language of the peopleRestore the Catechumenate (RCIA)Open up the Church for all peoples everywhereEnd the isolationism of the past 400 years

98. 10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)SacrosanctumConcilium(On the Liturgy)It is possible to participate in the Liturgy without living out its grace and teaching in everyday life, so…We must come to the Mass with the proper dispositionWe must follow through with prayerWe must fully and consciously participate in the LiturgyIncrease involvement by the laityIntroduce prayers to increase participation such as “Prayer of the Faithful”Replace Extreme Unction with Anointing of the SickRenew directions for music, art, and furnishings, and…Emphasize the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist!

99. 10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)Gaudium et Spes(The Church in the Modern World)Man is inherently good and dignified – we are created by GodChrist died to save each and every individual human beingWe are given free will but sin reduces our optionsChristians should not judge persons but their actionsBasic Human Rights of each personDenunciations of all threats to human life (abortion, euthanasia, murder)Denunciations of all threats to human dignity (slavery, prostitution, pornography)

100. 10. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)ApostolicamActuositatem (Laity)Apostolate : To carry on the mission of ChristFirst ecumenical document on the laityVatican II is often called “the council of the laity”The laity are members of God’s “Royal Priesthood” and thus offer “priestly sacrifices” in their daily lives and witnessLay people are in the world not just ChurchVatican II attempts to renew zeal and loveWe should be nourished in the LiturgyGifts of the Spirit are to be manifested for the common goodBishops must develop lay ministries and services and systems to train lay ministers (caution: ordained clergy are still the authorities)

101. Had enough?Me, too. Go in peace!!

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