Title: The Early Church
1The Early Church
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3The Historical Jesus
- Born circa 4 or 5 BC
- grew up in Nazareth in Galilee
- Knew Jewish Scripture but seems to have had no
formal training - Attracted a small following of local Galileans
- Crucified in Jerusalem by Roman and Jewish
authorities (circa 30 AD)
4Christian Communities 62 AD
5Early Christian Churches
- Members were largely Middle Class
- Rituals were flexible
- Organized by elders in the church
- Included singing psalms and a common meal called
an agape - Learning and ritual based on a gospel text, not
necessarily a canonical gospel - Churches were not formal buildings but in
peoples homes
6Textual Communities
7House Church atDura Europas, Syria
8Remains of baptisteryDura Europas
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11What was the appeal?
- Links to older traditions
- Willingness to seek converts
- Promise of the possibility of eternal life
- Proof of its truth (miracles)
- Completely different alternative to Roman way of
life
12Reaction of the Roman State
- At first, they ignored Christians
- Sporadically persecuted in first 200 years AD
- Most persecutions local in nature
- 202 AD Empire wide persecution
- 303 AD Great persecution
13Early anti-Christian Graffiti from Rome
14Persecution and Christians
- Christian faith strengthened by persecution
- Those who died in persecutions became heroes of
the faith - Later still, the were worshipped as particularly
holy people, saints
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16Constantine and the Battle of Milvian Bridge
- Believed? he had won a major battle as a result
of banners he had made with the Chi-Rho on it - Result was that he passed an edict of toleration
for Christianity in 313 - Converted to Christianity on his deathbed in 337
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18After 313
- Popularity of Christianity exploded
- Became fashionable to be Christian
- By 337 1/4 of Europe Christian
- 391 Official Religion of Roman Empire
- By 400 more Christians than non-Christians
19The Changing nature of the Church
- Structure of worship more rigid, development of
liturgy - Theology less fluid
- Grew wealthier
- Architecture changed
- Hierarchy of church officials created
- Institutionalization of church
20Early Public Churches
21Western Church Innovation
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23Bishops
- Chosen by communities to lead the church and
resolve disputes about Christian teaching - Bishop of Rome especially important because he
claimed his office from Peter - Petrene theory
24Bishops in Civil Society
- After Constantine, bishops, who were often
educated, would also act as administrators in the
cities - As other wealthy Romans left the cities, Bishops
took over the tasks of running them
25Attila and Pope Leo I ca 453
26The Patristic Age
- Era from 200-500
- Period when Christian doctrine was debated and
finally decided upon in Church Councils - Most fathers were Eastern and wrote in Greek, but
a few from the West wrote in Latin - Most influential for Western Christianity in the
medieval period was Augustine
27Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
- Works of Import
- City of God
- Confessions
- On Christian Teaching
28Important Teachings of Augustine
- Doctrine of original sin
- Doctrine of grace
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32Impact of the Early Church on the Middle Ages
- Churches are responsible for care of poor and
sick, taking care of roads, buildings etc. - Bishops and priests have both spiritual and
secular authority - Church doctrine, defined in the patristic period
remains in effect throughout the Middle Ages