What is Church? Who is Church? The church is a sign of the mystery of God’s love. In the church, we share a journey of faith. God has made known to us the mystery of his will… to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. Ephesians 1:9a, 10b The church is our home, where we are the family of God. How does the church offer you a home- like place? When we care for a lamb, we are tender and careful. How do you experience God caring for you in the same way? A look at Church History • From Jesus to Benedict XVI What is CHURCH? • The mystical Body of Christ—St. Paul • The Vine and the Branches—Jesus as told by John • God’s Family—Ephesians • God’s building—Psalms, Matthew and Corinthians • Jesus’ Little Flock—The good shepherd parable • The people of God—Vatican II What is CHURCH? • Our church is one just like our God is one. • It is holy, as Divine Love is holy. • It is catholic, meaning universal • It is built on the foundation of the twelve apostles. Pentecost: Birth of the Church • On the fiftieth day after Jesus’ death, Jesus kept his promise and sent the advocate, The Holy Spirit. Three thousand were added to the fold that day. Early Church: 30-80 AD A Jewish sect • Communal life • A refuge for widows and children • Missionary in nature • The services were in the homes Rapid spread • Strong infrastructure • World was at peace • Spiritual unrest Conversion of Paul 40’s AD • Among the Jewish leadership • Watchdog of the faith • A tent maker • On the road to Damascus The Council of Jerusalem (49AD) • Development of the Creed – Apostles creed • What do we do with Gentiles? – Jewish laws • Circumcision • Dietary • Sexual ethics. Early Leadership • Five Christian centers: Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, Byzantium, and Rome Early Missions • Paul – Missionary journeys – Many letters – Imprison- ment Persecutions • Under the emperor Nero – Persecutions of Christians in Rome 60’s AD (CE) – Martyrdom of Peter and Paul 63 AD (CE) Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple • Destruction of Jerusalem 70 AD (CE) Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple • The Western or Wailing Wall Today The Gospels Writing of the Gospels 65-100 AD (CE) At least 30 years after Jesus • Mark: 55-65 Gentile audience • Matthew 60-75 Jewish audience • Luke 60-75 Greek audience • John 90+ General audience Epistles (40-80 CE) • Writing of the Epistles: 40-80’s • Paul • John • Peter A Persecuted Church 60- 313 AD • Second Century – Authority – Scriptures, – Creed, and – Hierarchy A Persecuted Church 60- 313 AD • Apostolic Fathers and apologists (defenders of the faith) • Martyrs • Heresies An Accepted Church • Edict of Toleration, February 313 – Constantine – Allowed religious freedom – Did not alienate the pagan practices at first – Returned land and gave generous donations. – Allowed clerics important privileges – Changed laws to be more ―Christian‖ – Passed on title of Supreme Pontiff An Accepted Church • What about Church leadership. We use to have four seats of leadership, now we have a pope! What’s next… …..A council An Accepted Church • Council of Nicea 325 – Called by Constantine to unify the church – 300 bishops gathered – Defined the nature of God – We got a creed An Accepted Church • Church Fathers – Athanasius (295- 373) • Drew parallels between Adam and others from the OT and Christ. An Accepted Church • Church Fathers – Ephraem of Nisibis (306-373) • God became man so that we might share in his immortality. An Accepted Church • Church Fathers – Basil of Ceasarea (330-379) • Organized charity (famine) • Organized community living (monastic life) • Concerned for unity and orthodoxy in the church An Accepted Church • Church Fathers – Gregory of Nyssa (335-394) • All will know that you are a Christian by the love you show for your neighbor An Accepted Church • Church Fathers – John Chrysostom (354-407) • Every Christian must be concerned for the salvation of his brothers An Accepted Church • Church Fathers – Ambrose of Milan (333-397) • Advice on prayer, pray often and pray alone • Set up help for the poor • Introduced hymn singing to the Western church An Accepted Church • Church Fathers – Jerome (347-420) • All will know that you are a Christian by the love you show for your neighbor. • Revised the Latin text of the Bible (Vulgate) An Accepted Church • Church Fathers – Augustine (354-430) • St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo remains one of the most influential authors of church doctrine, and the continued transmission and relevance of his texts for almost 1600 years serve as witness to his broad influence. While the author of many works, he is most well known for his biographical Confessions and his master work The City of God An Accepted Church • Church Father: Benedict – Founder of western monasticism, born at Nursia, c. 480; died at Monte Cassino in 543 Benedict was the son of a Roman noble of Nursia, a small town near Spoleto, and a tradition, which St. Bede accepts, makes him a twin with his sister Scholastica. His boyhood was spent in Rome, where he lived with his parents and attended the schools until he had reached his higher studies. An Accepted Church Council of Chalcedon 451 • two natures of Christ, Christ is one person in two natures. • Primacy of the Bishop of Rome When we put on Christ like a garment, we become “other Christs” to each other. How do you experience this? As you…have received Christ…continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him…abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6 The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • The Middle ages – For the first three centuries Rome persecuted Christians – Then for the next two, Rome and the Christian church blended. – But the empire was very sick in the 500s The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • Barbarian Invasions • Monasticism and Missionary work • Islam • Papal States • Holy Roman Empire The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • East West conflict – War over icons – Emperor Leo III (726) destroyed an icon. – Language misunderstandings – Close to Islam – Purification of popular religion The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • Church Fathers – Cyril and Methodius The princes of the Slavs ask for master educators to teach them Christian ways . They did good work. Developed an alphabet for the Slavonic language that eventually became what is known as the Cyrillic today. The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • East West conflict The West or Roman The East or Greek •Doctrine and faith were •The ritual was faith in action. separated •To change the liturgy meant •Changes in liturgy and changing faith standards were being •Bishops and Monks were developed and mandated. celibate –but not the priests •Celibacy was the norm (or at least married men renounced sexual relations with their wives. The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • Christendom 1100-1300 – Society and church intertwined – Importance of the Papacy The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • The Papacy • The Crusades • Monasticism The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • Sacraments for the average person – Baptism • Usually a few days after birth • Everyone in western civilization was baptized – Confession • Required to confess at least once a year – Eucharist • Even the very pious received Eucharist only a few times in their life. • Seeing the host elevated was believed to grant special virtues. – Matrimony • As of the 13th century it becomes part of the seven sacraments • Most did not understand the Latin ritual The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • Religious education for the average person – Most learned by osmosis – Parents were to teach • The Our Father • The Ten Commandment • Seven deadly sins • Seven cardinal virtues • Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit • Seven sacrament – Pilgrimages became important The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • Religious Art – Honor and devotion to God – Education for the masses The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • Challenge and defense (1100-1300) – Defending the Holy Places – Challenges • Jews and discrimination (no, Hitler learned from us) – Missions to China – Anyone disagreeing with the church is a heretic. – Some grass roots groups were seeking to find and live the truth, however with them being lay groups they didn’t have proper supervision. The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • Church Fathers – Dominic 1170-1221 • All the evidence goes to show that St. Dominic was a man of remarkable attractiveness of character and broadness of vision; he had the deepest compassion for every sort of human suffering. The order that he founded was a formative factor in the religious and intellectual life of later medieval Europe; its diffusion is now world-wide. The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • Church Fathers – Francis of Assisi 1181-1226 • Born of a wealthy textile merchant. He heard the call and took on poverty bring Christ to the poor. He rebuilt the church at St. Damian. Many others joined him as fries dedicated to helping the needy and building the church. The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • Church Fathers – Thomas Aquinas – Born to an aristocratic family living in Roccasecca, Italy, Thomas Aquinas joined the Dominican order while studying philosophy and theology at Naples. Later he pursued additional studies in Paris where he was exposed to Aristotelean thought by Albert the Great and William of Moerbeke. The Rise and Fall of Christendom 500-1500 • The real world – War • One hundred year War – Plague • Over a third of Europeans died in the Black Death – Death • As people tried to explain their grief, they scapegoated the Jews The Reformation and Western Schism and it affect • Much of Europe is becoming nation states.