A History of the Roman Catholic Church

Three Epochs in History

• Jewish Church (First Century)• Hellenistic / European Church

(200-1962)• World Church (1965-Present)

Jewish Church

Sources

• Acts of the Apostles• Paul’s Letters• Catholic Letters• Josephus• Tacitus• Eusebius

Preparation For the Church

• Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection

• Jesus gives Apostles authority to baptize, forgive sins, and celebrate the Eucharist

• Jesus Ascends to Heaven• Pentecost

Jewish Foundations

• Jesus and His Apostles were Jewish

• James’ vision was of a Jesus-movement that remained Jewish

• Peter and Paul had a different vision

• Only one vision would prevail

Jesus, the Jew, healing in the Temple

Mission in Jerusalem

• Community expands• Chief priests become enemies

of the Christians• Deacons• Stephen is stoned to death

Mission outside Jerusalem

• Apostles travel• Form Christian communities in

other cities• Apostles meet as a group to make

decisions• Apostles pass along their authority

to Bishops

Title “Christian”

• Acts 11:26• Church in Antioch dubs

themselves “Christian”• One who follows—and has

been baptized in the name of—the Christ (God’s Anointed), Jesus

St. Paul

• Understood himself as a Jew meant to bring Salvation to all peoples

• Began to open up membership to non-Jews

• Recruiting members (different from mainstream Judaism)

• Creates questions about Membership

• What role would a Jewish Temple play for Greek followers of Christ

Out Preaching the Gospel and converting….admittedly, Paul probably didn’t

wear a suit.

Council of Jerusalem

• 49 C.E.• Questions about membership • Did one have to become Jewish

to follow Christ• Questions about Circumcision

and dietary concerns• Compromise reached If the Council of Jerusalem had occurred in

Middle Earth, instead of the Middle East, this is what it might have looked like.

Jewish Revolt

• 66 – 70 C.E.• Various Jewish factions took

control of Jerusalem• Jewish Christians fled• Romans retook Jerusalem after

three years of fighting• Horrific warfare

Jerusalem is scorched to the ground

Aftermath• Temple Destroyed

• Jerusalem erased form the map

• New Roman Colony erected

• Christians relocate to Jordan

• Pharisaic Jews, Zealots, and Christians only groups to emerge

• Anger towards Christians for not helping

Another Jewish Rebellion

• 132-135• Led by Simon Bar’Koba• Romans mercilessly expunge

this revolt• Disperse Jews through out

Mediterranean

Jewish Faith left in shambles

Theological Divorce• Fall of Temple means both Jesus-Jews

and Pharisaic-Jews need to refocus• Jesus-Jews (Christians) theology

centres on Sacraments• Pharisaic-Jews (Rabbinic Judaism)

centres on Scripture• Hostilities emerge between

Christians and Jews at the turn of the century

Greek and European Church

Greco-Roman World

• Council of Jerusalem, 49 CE• Didache, 100 CE• Irenaeous of Lyon, 2nd century CE• Constantine legalizes Christianity, 313• 3rd – 4th century, Christianity solidified

Rise of the Papacy, Fall of Rome

• Papacy, late 4th – 5th century• Pope Leo the Great• Council of Chalcedon, 449• Pope Gregory the Great• Rome falls, 476

Evangelization of Northern Europe• 8th – 9th Century• Monks• Confession, spiritual counseling• Gregorian Reforms

Medieval Church

• 8th – 13th Century• Islam• Relationship between faith and

Reason• St. Anselm, 11th Century• Thomas Aquinas, 13th Century• Crusades, 1095

Reform and Counter-Reformation

• 16th – 17th Century• Martin Luther• Proposes reforms• Council of Trent, 1545-1563

European Empires Overseas

• 17th – 19th Century• Trade routes opening up• Jesuits successful spreading

Christianity• Canada: Jean de Brebeuf

Rationalism

• Enlightenment period, 18th – 19th Century• Replace faith with reason• Reject authority• Revolutions: American, French, Italian, Russian• Church Responses: Liberal and Ultramontane• Vatican I, 1869-1870

Global Church

Precursor to Global Christianity

• Trade Routes and Missionaries, 17th – 19th Centuries

• American Independence, 1775-1783• World War I, 1914-1918• World War II, 1939-1945

Vatican II

• 1962-1965• Vision set by Pope John XXIII• Invites Bishops, non-Catholics,

and non-Christians• Appoints more Cardinals• Opens up the Vatican

Lumen Gentium

• The Light of Nations• Vision of the Church• Entire body of Christ,

throughout the world• Christ fully subsists in the

Bishops and Pope

Unity and Diversity

• Balancing both is a challenge• Translation of the English Mass• Collegiality of the Bishops• Conferences of Catholic Bishops• Bishops Synods

Globalism in the Church

• Pope John Paul II• Cardinal Ouellet• Pope Benedict XVI• Pope Francis