History of the Church, Part Two Selective Highlights

HISTORY OF THE CHURCH, PART TWO – SELECTIVE HIGHLIGHTS

I. FORCES IN HISTORY THAT WEAKENED THE CATHOLIC CHURCH A. The Great Schism – the separation of Eastern and Western Church B. The Crusades – waging God’s war on the infidels occupying the Holy Land C. The Inquisition – weeding out true believers from infidels D. Black Death – came to all – holy and secular alike; result: fear and loathing E. The Great Western Schism – will the real pope please stand up? F. The Renaissance – “up with people” again – creativity, education flourished – encouraged individual thinking and experimentation G. Rise in Nationalism – big countries don’t want Church to tell them what to do or to collect taxes from them H. Church’s commitment to buildings rather than people! St. Peter’s, the Vatican is financed by selling of indulgences I. The rise of strong personalities that found a voice to protest

II. A RENEWED CHURCH – OR A NEW ONE? 16TH-17TH CENTURIES th A. Demands for a Believable Church Arose (from 12 century on) 1. Challenges came from every direction – Cathars, Albigensians, Waldensians – a passionate cry to change 2. All charged with heresy and tragically purged 3. The time of silence had passed – all movements invoked the Bible and the Church forbid the laity to possess it B. PROTESTANT REVOLT/REFORMATION - 1517-1521 1. Martin Luther in Germany (Wittenberg) 2. John Calvin (Paris and then later Geneva) 3. Huldreich Zwingli ( also in Switzerland) 4. King Henry VIII in England 5. Others

III. THE COUNTER-REFORMATION – Courageous Fidelity to Church A. THE COUNCIL OF TRENT - 1545-63 1. Reforms made 2. Doctrines reiterated 3. Fortress Mentality – Defenders of the true faith 4. Trent embedded – Church authorities made very few changes until Vatican II in the 1960’s! B. Other Forces for Reform within the Church 1. Spanish Mystics – Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross

TH TH IV. A SUPERFLUOUS CHURCH? 17 AND 18 CENTURIES A. ENLIGHTENMENT – Complexity and Polarization 1.Problems with modern philosophy and science 2. Copernicus and Galileo- condemned as heretics – as important as the Eastern Schism and Protestant Reformation in its consequences B. Missionary Church – Spreading the faith to Far East (Chinese rite) by Jesuits, Franciscans and Dominicans – Religion or Culture? C. Weakness of the Papacy D. American Revolution and the Catholic Persecution in colonies

th th V. THE MODERN CHURCH – 19 and 20 CENTURIES A. The After-math of the French & American Revolutions 1. Secularization – church property confiscated by force 2. Era of concordats – further separation of church and state B. Charles Darwin and Evolution (1809-1882) C. Renewal within the Church – Vatican I Council 1869-70 1.Papal infallibility and papal primacy established 2. Church loses the Papal States in 1870 3.Teachings on Social Justice initiated (Rarum Novarum 1891) D. Modernism condemned by the Church and embraced by Protestantism E. Between the World Wars a time of progress F. Immigrant Church flourishes in America G. Renewal within the Church – Vatican II Council 1962-63 H. Challenges of Secularization Again – “Culture of Death”

VI. THE CHURCH OF THE MILLENNIUM – 21ST CENTURY A. The Great Values Shift - Further challenges of secularism B. Challenges of biological ethics C. Sexual Abuse Scandals D. Decline of church attendance in Europe and changes in America E. Effects of the “Jesus” movement – of mega-churches and diversity F. The Future