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?