1. Christian Roman Empire: The People Making History
Church History
Christian Roman Empire:
The People Making History
by Stephen Curto
for Home Church
January 31, 2016

2. Outline
The State of Rome After Constantine
The People

3. The State of Rome After Constantine
East and West Empires
West-
“Rome”
Weakened economically
Attacks from Barbarians
Visigoths 410
Atilla the Hun 452
Vandals 455
Germanic tribes 476

4. The State of Rome After Constantine
East and West Empires
West
East-
“Constantinople”
Continues for 1000 more years
Becomes “Byzantine Empire”
Limps along through the middle ages

5. The State of Rome After Constantine
Rise of Monasticism
Started as “Hermits”
Anthony: the first monk ( )
Centered around self-denial and self discipline …
Benedict of Nursia ( )
Benedictine order in Monte Cassino
Benedictine life
7 services a day
The “vigil” 2am service
Made own clothes, wine, furniture, etc.

6. The People Athanasius The Three Capadocians
Gregory, Gregory, and Basil
Julian the Apostate (emperor)
Ambrose
Theodosius (emperor)
John Chrysostome
Jerome
Augustine
Leo I (Leo the Great)

7. Athanasius (297-373) Athanasian Creed
Very influential against Arianism and defending Trinity
Bishop of Alexandria (reluctantly)
“Athanasius against the world”

8. The Three Cappadocians
Basil the Great
( )
Pompous, arrogant orator
Humbled by his older brother’s death
Championed Greek monastic life
Older brother of Gregory of Nyssa
Gregory of Nyssa
( )
soft-spoken
Preferred anonymity
Took a wife early on but became a monk when she died
On Virginity
Died in obscurity
Gregory of Nazianzus
( )
Friend of Basil
True monk at heart
Co-championed Greek monastic life

9. Julian the Apostate (emperor)
(reigned from )
Nephew of Constantine
Won back the empire from Constantine’s 3 sons
Wanted to return Roman Paganism to power

10. Ambrose 340-397 The great western orator Helped convert Augustine
Bishop of Milan 373
Confronted Theodosius’s zeal
Influential against arianism

11. Theodosius (emperor) 347-395 (reigned 379-395)
Honest but overzealous Christian
Made Christianity mandatory in 380
killed 7,000 rioters
Ambrose stopped him from taking communion until he repented

12. John Chrysostome 349-407 Bishop of Constantinople 398
“the golden mouth”
Over-protective mother
The great eastern orator
Banished by eastern emperors
“In all things, Glory to God. Amen”
A truly humble man

13. Jerome 347-420 Brash, outspoken, proud
Loved the pagan philosophers and hated that he did so
Learned Hebrew to avoid sexual sin
Translated the Bible into Latin the Vulgate
Defended against pelagianism

14. Augustine 354-430 Early Life Search for truth Sex addict
Manichaeism for 9 years
Had son with a concubine

15. Augustine Conversion Heard Ambrose “Take it and read it” Rom 13:13-14
“How long, Lord, How long? Will it be tomorrow and always tomorrow? Why does my uncleanliness not end this very moment?”
“Take it and read it”
Rom 13:13-14

16. Augustine
THE most influential theologian of all time… for better or for worse
City of God and Confessions
The last writer before the middle ages

17. Leo the Great 400-461 Meeting with Attila (452)
Meeting with Geiseric (455)
“Leo shouldered the responsibility of defending the holy city from others. He took the title Pontifex Maximus for himself. Peter had come to Rome.”
First to put in writing the supremacy of Roman Bishop