ChurchChurch HistoryHistory ChurchChurch HistoryHistory

IntroductionIntroduction toto ChurchChurch HistoryHistory st rd TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch AD 11st-3-3rd centuriescenturies th th TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom AD 44th-5-5th centuriescenturies th th TheThe EarlyEarly MiddleMiddle AgesAges AD 66th-10-10th centuriescenturies th th TheThe AgeAge ofof CrusadesCrusades AD 1111th-13-13th centuriescenturies th th TheThe RenaissanceRenaissance AD 1414th-15-15th centuriescenturies th ConquestConquest andand ReformationReformation AD 1616th centurycentury th th TheThe AgeAge ofof EnlightenmentEnlightenment AD 1717th-18-18th centuriescenturies th TheThe AgeAge ofof RevolutionRevolution AD 1919th centurycentury th TheThe ModernModern AgeAge AD 2020th centurycentury st TheThe PostmodernPostmodern AgeAge AD 2121st centurycentury ChurchChurch HistoryHistory

IntroductionIntroduction toto ChurchChurch HistoryHistory st rd TheThe AncientAncient ChurchChurch AD 11st-3-3rd centuriescenturies th th TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom AD 44th-5-5th centuriescenturies Constantine: The Thirteenth Apostle The First Ecumenical Council The Constantinian Line The Establishment of Christendom The Second Ecumenical Council Fathers of the New Church Things Fall Apart... TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom TheThe FallFall ofof thethe RomanRoman EmpireEmpire tooktook aa whilewhile 410410 AlaricAlaric andand hishis VisigothsVisigoths sackedsacked RomeRome ItIt waswas aa horrifichorrific threethree days,days, butbut thenthen itit waswas overover TheThe VisigothsVisigoths hadhad nono desiredesire toto occupyoccupy Rome,Rome, butbut ratherrather justjust toto taketake itsits spoilsspoils TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom TheThe FallFall ofof thethe RomanRoman EmpireEmpire tooktook aa whilewhile 410410 AlaricAlaric andand hishis VisigothsVisigoths sackedsacked RomeRome ItIt waswas aa horrifichorrific threethree days,days, butbut thenthen itit waswas overover ButBut thethe constantconstant streamstream ofof barbarianbarbarian raidsraids andand invasionsinvasions throughoutthroughout EuropeEurope nibblednibbled awayaway atat thethe EmpireEmpire ,, changingchanging thethe politicalpolitical landscapelandscape

TheThe WesternWestern EmpireEmpire waswas inin tatterstatters TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom TheThe FallFall ofof thethe RomanRoman EmpireEmpire tooktook aa whilewhile 410410 AlaricAlaric andand hishis VisigothsVisigoths sackedsacked RomeRome ButBut byby far,far, thethe mostmost increasinglyincreasingly powerfulpowerful andand dangerousdangerous groupgroup ofof barbariansbarbarians werewere thethe Huns,Huns, whosewhose empireempire dwarfeddwarfed RomeRome andand whowho werewere continuallycontinually encroachingencroaching onon RomanRoman territoryterritory TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom TheThe FallFall ofof thethe RomanRoman EmpireEmpire tooktook aa whilewhile 410410 AlaricAlaric andand hishis VisigothsVisigoths sackedsacked RomeRome ButBut byby far,far, thethe mostmost increasinglyincreasingly powerfulpowerful andand dangerousdangerous groupgroup ofof barbariansbarbarians werewere thethe Huns,Huns, whosewhose empireempire dwarfeddwarfed RomeRome andand whowho werewere continuallycontinually encroachingencroaching onon RomanRoman territoryterritory ForFor decades,decades, emperorsemperors likelike HonoriusHonorius hadhad beenbeen payingpaying thethe HunsHuns tributetribute (i.e.;(i.e.; protectionprotection money)money) toto preventprevent themthem fromfrom aa wholesalewholesale invasioninvasion HonoriusHonorius eveneven hiredhired thethe HunsHuns asas mercenariesmercenaries andand stationedstationed themthem inin RomanRoman territoryterritory toto trytry toto fendfend offoff thethe VisigothsVisigoths TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom TheThe FallFall ofof thethe RomanRoman EmpireEmpire tooktook aa whilewhile 410410 AlaricAlaric andand hishis VisigothsVisigoths sackedsacked RomeRome ButBut byby far,far, thethe mostmost increasinglyincreasingly powerfulpowerful andand dangerousdangerous groupgroup ofof barbariansbarbarians werewere thethe Huns,Huns, whosewhose empireempire dwarfeddwarfed RomeRome andand whowho werewere continuallycontinually encroachingencroaching onon RomanRoman territoryterritory ForFor decades,decades, emperorsemperors likelike HonoriusHonorius hadhad beenbeen payingpaying thethe HunsHuns tributetribute (i.e.;(i.e.; protectionprotection money)money) toto preventprevent themthem fromfrom aa wholesalewholesale invasioninvasion Luckily,Luckily, they'dthey'd alwaysalways beenbeen aa nomadicnomadic people,people, withwith nono centralcentral leadership,leadership, soso itit waswas moremore likelike keepingkeeping wildwild dogsdogs atat baybay thanthan fightingfighting anan all-outall-out warwar AllAll thatthat changedchanged whenwhen RugilaRugila tooktook overover andand beganbegan unitinguniting thethe HunsHuns Suddenly,Suddenly, RomeRome waswas forcedforced toto tripletriple theirtheir demandeddemanded tributetribute TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— OneOne ofof thethe waysways thatthat relativerelative “peace”“peace” waswas maintainedmaintained inin thosethose daysdays waswas thethe exchangeexchange ofof high-levelhigh-level hostageshostages ThisThis couldcould bebe donedone throughthrough marriagemarriage (as(as itit waswas donedone laterlater inin Europe)—whereEurope)—where oneone kingking wouldwould marrymarry hishis daughterdaughter offoff toto anotheranother king'sking's son,son, andand hopefullyhopefully createcreate aa tentativetentative bondbond betweenbetween kingdomskingdoms thatthat wayway OrOr itit couldcould bebe donedone byby simplysimply tradingtrading importantimportant peoplepeople toto oneone another—usually,another—usually, sonssons TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— OneOne ofof thethe waysways thatthat relativerelative “peace”“peace” waswas maintainedmaintained inin thosethose daysdays waswas thethe exchangeexchange ofof high-levelhigh-level hostageshostages AroundAround 410,410, aa teenagedteenaged RomanRoman aristocrataristocrat namednamed FlaviusFlavius AetiusAetius waswas sentsent offoff toto livelive asas aa hostagehostage inin thethe HunnicHunnic courtcourt ofof KingKing RugilaRugila There,There, hehe waswas treatedtreated well,well, learnedlearned thethe HunnicHunnic language,language, andand trainedtrained inin theirtheir ownown artsarts ofof warwar —which—which hehe foundfound thatthat hehe excelledexcelled atat AetiusAetius waswas thethe perfectperfect hostagehostage choice—aschoice—as aa RomanRoman aristocrataristocrat,, hehe lookedlooked goodgood toto thethe HunsHuns butbut asas aa RomanRoman bornborn inin BulgariaBulgaria (i.e.;(i.e.; thethe wrongwrong sideside ofof thethe Danube)Danube) thethe RomansRomans wouldn'twouldn't feelfeel tootoo badbad ifif theythey nevernever gotgot himhim back—theyback—they consideredconsidered himhim half-barbarianhalf-barbarian anywayanyway TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— OneOne ofof thethe waysways thatthat relativerelative “peace”“peace” waswas maintainedmaintained inin thosethose daysdays waswas thethe exchangeexchange ofof high-levelhigh-level hostageshostages AroundAround 410,410, aa teenagedteenaged RomanRoman aristocrataristocrat namednamed FlaviusFlavius AetiusAetius waswas sentsent offoff toto livelive asas aa hostagehostage inin thethe HunnicHunnic courtcourt ofof KingKing RugilaRugila AtAt thethe samesame time,time, thethe nephewnephew ofof Rugila—namedRugila—named Attila—wasAttila—was sentsent offoff toto livelive asas aa hostagehostage inin RomeRome There,There, hehe waswas treatedtreated poorly,poorly, learnedlearned Latin,Latin, andand trainedtrained inin thethe RomanRoman artsarts ofof war—whichwar—which hehe foundfound thatthat hehe excelledexcelled at,at, tootoo TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching momentmoment2—— You'llYou'll noticenotice thatthat RomanRoman artart depicteddepicted thesethese twotwo asas antithesesantitheses ofof oneone another—whichanother—which theythey werewere TheyThey werewere likelike flip-sidesflip-sides ofof thethe samesame coincoin AndAnd afterafter theythey eacheach werewere returnedreturned toto theirtheir peoplepeople yearsyears later,later, theythey spentspent thethe restrest ofof thethe nextnext fewfew decadesdecades asas near-equalnear-equal opponentsopponents onon thethe battlefields—Aetiusbattlefields—Aetius isis thethe onlyonly personperson whowho everever beatbeat AttilaAttila thethe HunHun inin thethe fieldfield Ironically,Ironically, theythey hadhad actuallyactually becomebecome goodgood friends—Aetiusfriends—Aetius understoodunderstood Attila'sAttila's motivationsmotivations andand respectedrespected hishis abilities,abilities, andand AttilaAttila feltfelt thatthat AetiusAetius waswas thethe onlyonly RomanRoman hehe couldcould relaterelate toto BeforeBefore openopen hostilitieshostilities brokebroke out,out, theythey spentspent aa greatgreat dealdeal ofof timetime withwith oneone anotheranother andand learninglearning fromfrom oneone anotheranother InIn fact,fact, AetiusAetius eveneven usedused anan armyarmy ofof HunsHuns toto defeatdefeat thethe BurgundiansBurgundians inin 436436 TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching momentmoment3—— ButBut AttilaAttila didn'tdidn't looklook likelike this,this, obviouslyobviously HeHe didn'tdidn't havehave hornshorns onon hishis headhead HeHe didn'tdidn't havehave pointedpointed earsears AllAll ofof thatthat waswas literallyliterally “demonizing”“demonizing” Attila—anAttila—an earlyearly exampleexample ofof mass-mediamass-media propagandapropaganda ButBut hehe diddid comecome byby thatthat imageimage naturally—innaturally—in fact,fact, hehe calledcalled himselfhimself ““FlagelumFlagelum DeiDei”” (the(the “Scourge“Scourge ofof God”)—aGod”)—a titletitle thatthat thethe RomansRomans totallytotally tooktook seriouslyseriously andand tooktook toto heartheart TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching momentmoment3—— ButBut AttilaAttila didn'tdidn't looklook likelike this,this, obviouslyobviously SoSo whatwhat diddid AttilaAttila looklook like?like? TheThe commoncommon misconceptionmisconception isis thatthat hehe lookedlooked Oriental,Oriental, sincesince hehe camecame fromfrom MongoliaMongolia ButBut that'sthat's notnot true—true— TheThe HunsHuns didn'tdidn't comecome fromfrom MongoliaMongolia (don't(don't confuseconfuse themthem withwith thethe MongolsMongols ofof GenghisGenghis Khan,Khan, whowho camecame eighteight centuriescenturies later)later) TheThe HunsHuns probablyprobably camecame fromfrom whatwhat wouldwould nownow bebe Kazakhstan,Kazakhstan, pushedpushed westwardwestward byby thethe expansionexpansion ofof thethe proto-Mongolianproto-Mongolian RouranRouran EmpireEmpire TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching momentmoment3—— ButBut AttilaAttila didn'tdidn't looklook likelike this,this, obviouslyobviously SoSo whatwhat diddid AttilaAttila looklook like?like? TheThe commoncommon misconceptionmisconception isis thatthat hehe lookedlooked Oriental,Oriental, sincesince hehe camecame fromfrom MongoliaMongolia ButBut that'sthat's notnot true—true— InIn addition,addition, thethe HunsHuns hadhad spentspent thethe pastpast 7070 yearsyears pillagingpillaging inin Europe,Europe, takingtaking womenwomen fromfrom variousvarious villagesvillages andand includingincluding themthem inin thethe HunnicHunnic genegene poolpool SoSo somesome peoplepeople havehave thoughtthought toto depictdepict himhim asas somesome handsome,handsome, European-lookingEuropean-looking guyguy andand othersothers asas aa big,big, oafishoafish thugthug TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching momentmoment3—— ButBut AttilaAttila didn'tdidn't looklook likelike this,this, obviouslyobviously SoSo whatwhat diddid AttilaAttila looklook like?like? TheThe commoncommon misconceptionmisconception isis thatthat hehe lookedlooked Oriental,Oriental, sincesince hehe camecame fromfrom MongoliaMongolia ButBut that'sthat's notnot true—true— InIn addition,addition, thethe HunsHuns hadhad spentspent thethe pastpast 7070 yearsyears pillagingpillaging inin Europe,Europe, takingtaking womenwomen fromfrom variousvarious villagesvillages andand includingincluding themthem inin thethe HunnicHunnic genegene poolpool SoSo somesome peoplepeople havehave thoughtthought toto depictdepict himhim asas somesome handsome,handsome, European-lookingEuropean-looking guyguy andand othersothers asas aa big,big, oafishoafish thugthug ButBut wewe dodo havehave actual,actual, unbiasedunbiased physicalphysical descriptionsdescriptions ofof AttilaAttila fromfrom thethe timetime periodperiod HeHe waswas dark-skinneddark-skinned andand broad-broad- shouldered,shouldered, withwith aa flatflat nose,nose, thinthin beard,beard, andand broadbroad cheekbonescheekbones Personally,Personally, II thinkthink thethe bestbest depictiondepiction ofof himhim waswas JackJack PalancePalance inin thethe 19541954 film,film, SignSign ofof thethe PaganPagan HeHe hadhad thethe rightright faceface andand build,build, andand lookedlooked halfhalf European,European, halfhalf KazakhKazakh TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom TheThe FallFall ofof thethe RomanRoman EmpireEmpire tooktook aa whilewhile 410410 AlaricAlaric andand hishis VisigothsVisigoths sackedsacked RomeRome ButBut byby far,far, thethe mostmost increasinglyincreasingly powerfulpowerful andand dangerousdangerous groupgroup ofof barbariansbarbarians werewere thethe Huns,Huns, whosewhose empireempire dwarfeddwarfed RomeRome andand whowho werewere continuallycontinually encroachingencroaching onon RomanRoman territoryterritory ForFor decades,decades, emperorsemperors likelike HonoriusHonorius hadhad beenbeen payingpaying thethe HunsHuns tributetribute (i.e.;(i.e.; protectionprotection money)money) toto preventprevent themthem fromfrom aa wholesalewholesale invasioninvasion Luckily,Luckily, they'dthey'd alwaysalways beenbeen aa nomadicnomadic people,people, withwith nono centralcentral leader,leader, soso itit waswas moremore likelike keepingkeeping wildwild dogsdogs atat baybay thanthan fightingfighting anan all-outall-out warwar WhenWhen RugilaRugila dieddied inin 435,435, AttilaAttila andand hishis brotherbrother BledaBleda tooktook overover rulingruling thethe HunsHuns WithinWithin aa fewfew years,years, thethe brothersbrothers wentwent offoff onon aa huntinghunting trip,trip, andand onlyonly AttilaAttila returned...returned... TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom TheThe FallFall ofof thethe RomanRoman EmpireEmpire tooktook aa whilewhile 410410 AlaricAlaric andand hishis VisigothsVisigoths sackedsacked RomeRome 420420 JeromeJerome completedcompleted hishis LatinLatin BibleBible ButBut thethe classicclassic depictionsdepictions ofof JeromeJerome workingworking inin hishis studystudy areare totallytotally wrongwrong JeromeJerome waswas actuallyactually aa hermit,hermit, whowho livedlived aa strictlystrictly asceticascetic lifestyle,lifestyle, withoutwithout aa homehome ofof hishis own,own, soso hehe compiledcompiled mostmost ofof hishis workwork whilewhile travellingtravelling fromfrom placeplace toto place,place, studyingstudying andand teachingteaching himselfhimself BiblicalBiblical languageslanguages Jerome'sJerome's threethree majormajor contributionscontributions werewere 1)1) puttingputting togethertogether aa completecomplete Bible,Bible, ratherrather thanthan justjust bitsbits andand snippetssnippets herehere andand there,there, asas waswas commoncommon atat thethe timetime TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom TheThe FallFall ofof thethe RomanRoman EmpireEmpire tooktook aa whilewhile 410410 AlaricAlaric andand hishis VisigothsVisigoths sackedsacked RomeRome 420420 JeromeJerome completedcompleted hishis LatinLatin BibleBible ButBut thethe classicclassic depictionsdepictions ofof JeromeJerome workingworking inin hishis studystudy areare totallytotally wrongwrong JeromeJerome waswas actuallyactually aa hermit,hermit, whowho livedlived aa strictlystrictly asceticascetic lifestyle,lifestyle, withoutwithout aa homehome ofof hishis own,own, soso hehe compiledcompiled mostmost ofof hishis workwork whilewhile travellingtravelling fromfrom placeplace toto place,place, studyingstudying andand teachingteaching himselfhimself BiblicalBiblical languageslanguages Jerome'sJerome's threethree majormajor contributionscontributions werewere 1)1) puttingputting togethertogether aa completecomplete BibleBible 2)2) goinggoing backback toto thethe originaloriginal writingswritings wheneverwhenever possiblepossible PrevailingPrevailing wisdomwisdom waswas thatthat itit waswas betterbetter justjust toto useuse thethe SeptuagintSeptuagint (which(which waswas thethe GreekGreek translationtranslation ofof thethe OldOld Testament)Testament) asas aa basisbasis forfor translationtranslation AugustineAugustine eveneven arguedargued thatthat thethe SeptuagintSeptuagint waswas thethe inspiredinspired version,version, andand notnot thethe originaloriginal HebrewHebrew TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom TheThe FallFall ofof thethe RomanRoman EmpireEmpire tooktook aa whilewhile 410410 AlaricAlaric andand hishis VisigothsVisigoths sackedsacked RomeRome 420420 JeromeJerome completedcompleted hishis LatinLatin BibleBible ButBut thethe classicclassic depictionsdepictions ofof JeromeJerome workingworking inin hishis studystudy areare totallytotally wrongwrong JeromeJerome waswas actuallyactually aa hermit,hermit, whowho livedlived aa strictlystrictly asceticascetic lifestyle,lifestyle, withoutwithout aa homehome ofof hishis own,own, soso hehe compiledcompiled mostmost ofof hishis workwork whilewhile travellingtravelling fromfrom placeplace toto place,place, studyingstudying andand teachingteaching himselfhimself BiblicalBiblical languageslanguages Jerome'sJerome's threethree majormajor contributionscontributions werewere 1)1) puttingputting togethertogether aa completecomplete BibleBible 2)2) goinggoing backback toto thethe originaloriginal writingswritings 3)3) producingproducing aa BibleBible thatthat thethe generalgeneral populacepopulace couldcould actuallyactually readread forfor themselvesthemselves,, inin theirtheir ownown languagelanguage ByBy thisthis time,time, mostmost ofof EuropeEurope waswas speakingspeaking Latin,Latin, andand thethe GreekGreek texttext waswas becomingbecoming inaccessibleinaccessible forfor themthem Thus,Thus, itit waswas calledcalled thethe ““versioversio vulgatavulgata”” oror “Vulgate”“Vulgate” BibleBible (i.e.;(i.e.; thethe BibleBible forfor thethe commoncommon peoplepeople —like—like our English word, “vulgar”) TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom TheThe FallFall ofof thethe RomanRoman EmpireEmpire tooktook aa whilewhile 410410 AlaricAlaric andand hishis VisigothsVisigoths sackedsacked RomeRome 420420 JeromeJerome completedcompleted hishis LatinLatin BibleBible ButBut thethe classicclassic depictionsdepictions ofof JeromeJerome workingworking inin hishis studystudy areare totallytotally wrongwrong JeromeJerome waswas actuallyactually aa hermit,hermit, whowho livedlived aa strictlystrictly asceticascetic lifestyle,lifestyle, withoutwithout aa homehome ofof hishis own,own, soso hehe compiledcompiled mostmost ofof hishis workwork whilewhile travellingtravelling fromfrom placeplace toto place,place, studyingstudying andand teachingteaching himselfhimself BiblicalBiblical languageslanguages Jerome'sJerome's threethree majormajor contributionscontributions werewere 1)1) puttingputting togethertogether aa completecomplete BibleBible 2)2) goinggoing backback toto thethe originaloriginal writingswritings 3)3) producingproducing aa BibleBible thatthat thethe generalgeneral populacepopulace couldcould actuallyactually readread forfor themselvesthemselves,, inin theirtheir ownown languagelanguage ByBy thisthis time,time, mostmost ofof EuropeEurope waswas speakingspeaking Latin,Latin, andand thethe GreekGreek texttext waswas becomingbecoming inaccessibleinaccessible forfor themthem (N(NOTE:: thisthis waswas 800800 yearsyears beforebefore thethe ChurchChurch officiallyofficially declareddeclared itit anan excommunicableexcommunicable offenceoffence forfor aa commoncommon ChristianChristian toto ownown aa Bible)Bible) TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— FunnyFunny bitbit ofof ironyirony aboutabout thethe LatinLatin VulgateVulgate Bible...Bible... JeromeJerome hadhad understoodunderstood sectionssections ofof ScriptureScripture likelike ActsActs 22 andand RevelationRevelation 1414 toto suggestsuggest thatthat thethe GospelGospel wouldwould bebe sharedshared inin thethe personalpersonal languageslanguages ofof peoplepeople aroundaround thethe worldworld Thus,Thus, justjust likelike thethe CelticCeltic scholarsscholars werewere producingproducing theirtheir ownown CelticCeltic translationstranslations ofof Scripture,Scripture, hehe wantedwanted toto createcreate aa LatinLatin translationtranslation forfor mainlandmainland Europe,Europe, soso thatthat everyoneeveryone couldcould readread thethe BibleBible ButBut thatthat allall changedchanged afterafter RomeRome fellfell TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— FunnyFunny bitbit ofof ironyirony aboutabout thethe LatinLatin VulgateVulgate Bible...Bible... OnceOnce thethe barbarianbarbarian languageslanguages becamebecame thethe normativenormative ones,ones, thethe ChurchChurch againagain pressedpressed thethe importanceimportance ofof LatinLatin asas God'sGod's holyholy language...language... that,that, increasingly,increasingly, onlyonly priestspriests couldcould speak...speak... Thus,Thus, ratherrather thanthan continuecontinue JeromeJerome andand Patrick'sPatrick's missionsmissions toto bringbring thethe GospelGospel messagemessage toto peoplepeople inin theirtheir ownown languages,languages, RomeRome requiredrequired thatthat peoplepeople shouldshould learnlearn God'sGod's holyholy languagelanguage inin orderorder toto approachapproach HimHim or—betteror—better still—juststill—just letlet thethe RomanRoman CatholicCatholic priestspriests approachapproach God,God, sincesince thethe commoncommon manman wouldn'twouldn't bebe ableable toto reallyreally understandunderstand HimHim Thus,Thus, Jerome'sJerome's LatinLatin ““versioversio vulgatavulgata”—the”—the BibleBible translatedtranslated forfor thethe commoncommon people—people— becamebecame aa symbolsymbol ofof howhow GodGod waswas notnot forfor thethe commoncommon man,man, butbut onlyonly forfor thethe holyholy eliteelite ForFor thethe firstfirst timetime inin thethe historyhistory ofof thethe Church,Church, ChristianityChristianity becamebecame trulytruly sociallysocially exclusivist,exclusivist, andand thethe ChurchChurch activelyactively mademade itit difficultdifficult forfor peoplepeople toto comecome toto knowknow thethe LordLord TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— FunnyFunny bitbit ofof ironyirony aboutabout thethe LatinLatin VulgateVulgate Bible...Bible... OnceOnce thethe barbarianbarbarian languageslanguages becamebecame thethe normativenormative ones,ones, thethe ChurchChurch againagain pressedpressed thethe importanceimportance ofof LatinLatin asas God'sGod's holyholy language...language... that,that, increasingly,increasingly, onlyonly priestspriests couldcould speak...speak... FYI:FYI: ThisThis isis whywhy JohnJohn WycliffeWycliffe inin thethe 1414th centurycentury andand WilliamWilliam TyndaleTyndale inin thethe 1515th centurycentury werewere bothboth persecutedpersecuted byby thethe CatholicCatholic ChurchChurch forfor translatingtranslating thethe BibleBible intointo EnglishEnglish soso thatthat thethe commoncommon manman wouldwould bebe ableable toto readread itit TheThe RiseRise ofof ChristendomChristendom FunkyFunky littlelittle teachingteaching moment—moment— FunnyFunny bitbit ofof ironyirony aboutabout thethe LatinLatin VulgateVulgate Bible...Bible... OnceOnce thethe barbarianbarbarian languageslanguages becamebecame thethe normativenormative ones,ones, thethe ChurchChurch againagain pressedpressed thethe importanceimportance ofof LatinLatin asas God'sGod's holyholy language...language... that,that, increasingly,increasingly, onlyonly priestspriests couldcould speak...speak... FYI:FYI: ThisThis isis whywhy JohnJohn WycliffeWycliffe inin thethe 1414th centurycentury andand WilliamWilliam TyndaleTyndale inin thethe 1515th centurycentury werewere bothboth persecutedpersecuted byby thethe CatholicCatholic ChurchChurch forfor translatingtranslating thethe BibleBible intointo EnglishEnglish soso thatthat thethe commoncommon manman wouldwould bebe ableable toto readread itit HavingHaving saidsaid that,that, wewe havehave toto admitadmit thatthat therethere areare stillstill peoplepeople todaytoday whowho insistinsist thatthat thethe ChurchChurch reallyreally shouldshould useuse onlyonly thethe KingKing JamesJames VersionVersion ofof thethe BibleBible fromfrom 16111611 (as(as GodGod intendedintended allall along),along), eveneven thoughthough it'sit's increasinglyincreasingly inaccessibleinaccessible toto thethe commoncommon manman (Ironically,(Ironically, ifif forfor nono otherother reasonreason thanthan thatthat thethe unusualunusual wordingwording “sounds“sounds moremore likelike holyholy language”language” thanthan ourour modern,modern, mundanemundane English,English, whichwhich theythey considerconsider tootoo “vulgar”“vulgar” toto bebe trulytruly worshipful—thus,worshipful—thus, thethe irony...)irony...)