Compiled by the Center for Biblical Leadership Foundations History of Christianity John M. Duncan for the Center for Biblical Leadership White Wing Publishing House ACD 2007 Copyright © 2007 White Wing Publishing House. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher. White Wing Publishing House • 3750 Keith Street • Cleveland, TN 37312 Phone: 1-800-221-5027 • Fax: 1-888-515-4568 All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV). Other Scripture references are from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. ISBN 978-1-889505-63-3 Table of Contents Acknowledgements 6 Introduction to the Foundations Courses 8 Foreword 11 Unit One: Background and Beginnings (Creation–c. AD 70) Chapter 1: The Contexts for Christianity 15 Chapter 2: The Life, Ministry, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus 23 Chapter 3: The Beginnings of the Church and the Spread of the Gospel 29 Unit Two: The Church and the Empire (c. 70–500) Chapter 4: Opposition and Advance 39 Chapter 5: The Ante-Nicene Fathers 49 Chapter 6: Toleration and Controversy 55 Chapter 7: The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers 63 Chapter 8: The Origins of Monasticism 71 Chapter 9: Shifting Power and Growing Discord 77 Unit Three: The Medieval Period (c. 500–1500) Chapter 10: The Church in the East 89 3 Chapter 11: The Church in the West 99 Chapter 12: The Rise of Islam and the Crusades 111 Chapter 13: The Growth of the Monastic Tradition 119 Chapter 14: Late Medieval Eastern Christianity 129 Chapter 15: Late Medieval Roman Catholicism 137 Chapter 16: Turmoil and Decline 151 Chapter 17: Advocates of Change 157 Unit Four: The Era of Reform (c. 1500– 1700) Chapter 18: Martin Luther and the Rise of Lutheranism 171 Chapter 19: Zwingli, Calvin, and the Reformed Churches 181 Chapter 20: The Radical Reformation 197 Chapter 21: The English Reformation 209 Chapter 22: The Catholic Reformation 225 Chapter 23: Eastern Christianity in the 16th and 17th Centuries 243 Chapter 24: Africa, Asia, and the Americas 251 4 Unit Five: The Age of Reason and Revival (c. 1700–1900) Chapter 25: The Enlightenment and the Birth of Liberal Protestantism 265 Chapter 26: The Revival Spirit and the Rise of Evangelical Protestantism 283 Chapter 27: Nonconformist and Restorationist Movements 299 Chapter 28: The Protestant Missions Movement 313 Chapter 29: Catholicism and Orthodoxy in the 18th and 19th Centuries 323 Unit Six: The 20th Century and Beyond (c. 1900–present) Chapter 30: 20th-Century Protestantism: Liberalism and Neo-Orthodoxy 341 Chapter 31: 20th-Century Protestantism: Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism 357 Chapter 32: Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity 371 Chapter 33: 20th-Century Catholicism and Orthodoxy 387 Chapter 34: The Spread of the Faith in the 20th Century 405 Chapter 35: Prospects at the Dawn of a New Millennium 421 Afterword 431 Works Consulted 433 Registration Form 435 Examination 437 5 Acknowledgements I wrote this book entirely while living for a time on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. This period of my life was marked both by the tremendous blessing of entering into a loving marriage and by a number of drastic changes and profound difficulties. The successful completion of this project is a testament to the love and support I received from a number of individuals during this uniquely rewarding and challenging period. I would first like to express appreciation to my friends and colleagues at the Church of God of Prophecy International Offices, who assisted in the production of this course. Larry Duncan, Director of the Center for Biblical Leadership, once again blessed me with the opportunity to pursue this project and was a constant source of encouragement and constructive feedback. Members of the CBL teaching faculty also read early drafts of some chapters, and their input—and more importantly, their continuing friendship—is deeply appreciated. As always, the editorial, artistic, and publishing expertise of the staff of the White Wing Publishing House has resulted in a first-class finished product, and I am grateful for their efforts. I also owe thanks to many people in Cyprus, beginning with my in-laws, Michael and Soula Charalambous, who welcomed me into their home and into their family, and blessed Leia and me with a beautiful wedding. Thanks as well to the rest of my new family—the Charalambouses, Kyriacous, Petrous, and Leonards—all of whom have made me feel welcomed. More particularly, I would like to thank Liz Petrou for showing a special interest in my work, and Eric, Christiana, and Nadia Leonard for helping Leia and me to find the apartment where the bulk of the work on this volume took place. I am deeply grateful to those members of the Church of God of Prophecy in Nicosia who welcomed me into their fellowship with warmth and kindness, and particularly to the members of the youth group, who quickly adopted me as one of their own. I would especially like to thank Stephanie Alexandrou, who talked with me frequently about my work and helped to comfort and encourage Leia and me in a multitude of ways during very difficult times. I would also like to express my deep and abiding indebtedness to Nikki Michael, whose kindness and thoughtfulness allowed Leia and me to enjoy our honeymoon and our first weeks of married life much more fully than would otherwise have been possible. In addition, I would like to take this opportunity to express my love and gratitude to my entire family: Larry and Susan Duncan, Sean and Laura Weldon, Thomas and Maxine Duncan, Oma Lee and the late Billy Murray, Dwayne, Sterlene, and Sarah Murray, and Tim, Beth, Katie, Emily, and Abby Aukerman. I have come to appreciate more than ever before what an incredible blessing it is to be part of a loving, supportive, godly family, and I am grateful to each one of you for the positive role that you have played in my life and my 6 spiritual development. Being far from you during the writing of this book has been extraordinarily difficult, but you have held me up through your prayers and kind words, and the bonds of love that unite us have only grown stronger as a result of our separation. Finally, I would like to express my undying love and boundless gratitude to my beautiful wife, Leia. God has blessed me extravagantly by giving me you as my wife, friend, partner, and companion for life. You have been my biggest supporter, my greatest comfort, my closest confidant, and my most faithful ally throughout this entire process, at great cost to yourself. Words cannot adequately express the depths of my love for you or my appreciation for your continual encouragement and helpful input regarding this book. All praise and glory are due to the One who gives us life, strengthens our faith, kindles our hope, and lavishes His love upon us. May this exploration of the history of His people draw our hearts to Him. John M. Duncan 7 Introduction to the Foundations Courses The Foundations courses, developed by the Center for Biblical Leadership, are designed to provide believers with a broad understanding of fundamental issues related to both the Christian life in general and membership in the Church of God of Prophecy specifically. Course Listing Foundations consists of the following four courses: Introduction to the Bible—This course is designed to give the student a thorough introduction to the nature, history, context, and content of the Bible. Spiritual Formation—This course explores biblical principles and practices that are essential for personal spiritual growth and maturity, including many of the classic Christian spiritual disciplines. History of Christianity—This course provides an overview of some of the major developments, significant movements, and important personalities in Christian history. Fitly Joined Together—This course serves as an introduction to the history, beliefs, practices, and organizational structure of the Church of God of Prophecy. Though studying these courses in the order listed above may prove most beneficial, this is not mandatory and may not always be possible. There is no official order to the four courses. 8 instruCtions for use There are a variety of ways in which Foundations courses may be used: Personal Enrichment—Most basically, the courses may be read by an individual who simply wishes to increase his or her knowledge and understanding of the subject matter. In this case, the student is not required to register or to complete the examination. Options for Credit/Certification—Any student who wishes to receive official credit or certification of any kind for the completion of aFoundations course must take an open-book examination on the subject matter and submit it, along with the accompanying registration form, to his or her state/regional/national office, where the exam will be graded. The registration form and examination can be found in the back of this course book. A score of 90 percent is needed to pass the examination. (See exception below under Group Study.) Simple LDU Credit/Certificate of Completion—Students who pass the examination will receive one Leadership Development Unit (LDU) credit, as well as a certificate indicating that they have successfully met the requirements for that particular course. Once all four Foundations courses have been completed, a formal Certificate of Completion will also be issued.