1. Catholic Church History 312 – 900 AD
Ann T. Orlando
13 Jan. 2005
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

2. Lecture 2 Introduction Review of Third Century
Importance of Constantine
Early Church Councils
Great Theologians
Augustine
Fifth and Sixth Century Events
Rise of Islam
Christian Response
Charlemagne
Ninth Century and Looking Forward to ‘Middle Ages ‘
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

3. Review of Third Century
Increased pressure on Rome from Persia and northern barbarians
Political instability; murder and succession of generals as emperors
Empire-wide persecution of Christians
Martyrs
Greek for ‘witness’
Do not need to die to be considered a martyr, rather someone who suffered (imprisonment, slavery, torture) for faith
Martyrs were popularly considered people who could forgive sins, especially the sin of apostasy
Commemorative meals and liturgies held at tombs of martyrs (catacombs in Rome)
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

4. Political Situation at Beginning of Fourth Century
Diocletian becomes emperor in 284.
Very strong ruler
Decides that best way to protect Empire is to divide it between two Augusti (East and West) supported by two Caesars (Augusti in waiting)
Although some of his family members were Christians, unleashes worst persecution of all
Manages to retire and force his co-Augutus, Maximian, to retire with him(305) and die in his own bed of natural causes
A few problems with Diocletian’s plan:
Both Augusti and both Caesars headed their own armies and areas of influence
Except for Diocletian himself, the three other members of this tetrarchy saw this scheme as a stepping stone for them to take over the Empire when Diocletian died
When Diocletian retires, political intrigues and battles break about among the successors:
Constantius, Augustus, controlled England and Gaul, father of Constantine
Severus, Caesar, ruled Rome
Maximius, Caesar in Greece
Galerius, Augustus, in East
When Constantius dies, his troops proclaim his son, Constantine, Augustus
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

5. Constantine the Great
Key battle in Constantine’s take over of entire Empire was battle of Milvian bridge over Tiber in Rome against Maxentius, son of Maximian in 312.
Constantine credits his victory to a vision he had in which he was told to go into battle with the Christian symbol
Troops carry chi-rho on their shields
By 314 Constantine has captured all of the Empire and officially declared that Christianity was to be tolerated (Edict of Milan)
‘Gives’ most of Rome to the Catholic Church (Vatican, St. Paul outside the Walls, Lateran)
Establishes Constantinople (on site of ancient Byzantium) as his new capitol
Builds Churches, with his mother Helen, in Holy Land (Church of Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, Church of Nativity in Bethlehem)
Moves against the Donatists in North Africa
Calls Council of Nicea to decide between Athanasius and Arius on relation between Father and Son; Council supports Athanasius and Son as ‘one in being with the Father’: The Nicene Creed
Dies in 337 (after murdering his wife several of his sons whom he considered treacherous); baptized by an Arian bishop shortly before he dies
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

6. The Ecumenical Councils
Nicea I, 325, called by Constantine the Great
Condemned Arianism
Son of one substance with the Father
Nicene Creed
Constantinople I, 381, Called by Theodosius the Great
Affirmed divinity of Holy Spirit
Modified Creed; what we have now
Ephesus, 431, called by Valentinian III
Condemned Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople
Jesus was not two separate persons, but one person both human and divine
Mary as ‘Theotokos’ Mother of God
Chalcedon, 450, called by Empress Pulcharia at request of Pope Leo I (the Great)
Condemned monophysites: single nature
Christ has two natures: human and divine
Note: Both Nestorianism and Monophysitism are still present in a few Eastern churches
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

7. Key Historical Events in 4th and 5th Centuries after Constantine
Some of Constantine's successors in 4th C were Arians; sent missionaries to barbarians north of Danube
Some of those barbarians attacked and sacked Rome in 410 AD
Center of power in Empire moved East to Constantinople
Increasingly West was under pressure from northern tribes; last Roman emperor in Rome abdicated in 476
Note: There was a Roman Emperor in East until 1453
Church in West becomes only source of learning, order, justice
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

8. Great Theologians of 4th and 5th Centuries
Most of them were Bishops
All of them had important intellectual and spiritual relationships with women
Eastern (Greek) Theologians
Athanasius: Bishop of Alexandria, On the Incarnate Word
Basil (Caesaria), Gregory Nazianzus (Constantinople), Gregory of Nyssa (Nyssa): the Cappadocians: Basil’s Monastic Rule; Theology of Trinity; Gregory Nyssa’s Spiritual steps
John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople: Liturgy, preaching for poor; rules for clergy
Western (Latin) Theologians
Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, established priority of Church over State with Theodosius; translated many Greek works into Latin
Jerome, translated Bible from Greek and Hebrew into authoritative Latin version (Vulgate)
Pope Leo I the Great: Two natures of Christ; stopped Attila the Hun at gates of Rome
Patrick of Ireland: established unique type of Christianity in Ireland; monasteries, not bishops, provided Church leadership; encouraged regular private confession
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

9. The Greatest of All in West: Augustine (363 - 430)
Impact and authority that has lasted to today; Doctor of Grace
In confronting three heresies, he set the direction for much of Western Christianity
His mother (Monica) was a devout Christian; father baptized at the end of his life
Bishop of Hippo in North Africa
Dies in 430 with Vandals laying siege to Hippo
Please find time to read Augustine’s The Confessions
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

10. Augustine and Manichaeism
A type of gnosticism developed by Mani (Persian) mid-third century;
Two gods,
OT associated with evil god;
Created world evil
Believers have access to secret knowledge
Jesus not really human, did not really suffer on cross
Augustine’s response
Actually, he was a Manichean ‘hearer’ (catechumen) for about 5 years; see Book 3 of Confessions
The OT should be read on multiple levels, including allegorically
Neo-Platonism is the correct way to view evil: the absence of good; this preserves the goodness of all creation
Everyone has access to the good news
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

11. Augustine and Donatism
Donatists believed
Church of the pure
No penance
Efficacy of sacraments depended upon the purity of the minister
Augustine's response
Church is made of saints and sinners (mostly sinners)
The grace of Jesus grace is mediated by His Church, not individual ministers
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

12. Augustine and Pelagianism
Pelagius:
English monk who believed that grace was the reward for our good works
By proper training of free will, we can ‘save’ ourselves
Original sin did not fundamentally disrupt our relationship to God
Augustine’s response
Grace is God’s free gift
We cannot perform good works without God’s grace
Original sin fundamentally disrupted out relation with God; that tear was repaired by Jesus Christ
Baptism is a necessary condition for salvation; but not sufficient condition
God decides who will be saved or not (predestination); our of justice, God condemns most of us to hell
Church rejected Augustine’s view that people are predestined to hell at council of Orange,529
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

13. After Augustine in West
Retreat to monasticism
Benedict
Wrote rule for monk’s at Monte Cassino (c. 530)
Based on monastic rules developed by desert fathers in Egypt
Became the basis for Western monasticism
Pope Gregory the Great (d. 604)
Benedictine monk
Reformed clergy along monastic lines; required priests to have some training; encouraged celibacy; encourage work with poor
Sent Augustine of Kent to England; other missionaries to Germany to evangelize the northern barbarians
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

14. Rise of Islam
Muhammed was born 570; in 622 fled Mecca for Medina, died 632
Founded a religious and political movement aimed at uniting all Arab tribes.
By 716 all of North Africa, Sicily and the Iberian peninsula was under Muslim control
By 730 France and Constantinople were threatened
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

15. Western Christian Response
Charles Martel (Charles the Hammer) stopped the Muslim army at Tours in 732
Charles was ruler of tribe of the Franks, Catholics
Pope asked Charles and his son, Pippin, for assistance against Muslims and Lombards (another German tribe)
Pippin gave central Italy to the Pope in 754; beginning of Papal States (lasted until 1848)
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

16. Charlemagne Pippin’s son
Conquered much of northern Spain from Muslims (Song of Roland)
Defeated Saxons and forced their conversion to Catholicism
United Western Europe
Crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope in Rome Christmas Day 800
Note a problem: there was already a Holy Roman Emperor in Constantinople
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

17. Impact of Charlemagne’s Rule
Enforced Latin, Roman liturgy
Established centers of learning for clergy and monks (although he could not read)
Setup European-wide system of administration
Establish precedent of Western Holy Roman Empire
Special relationship between Pope and France
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005

18. Next Week Middle Ages Crusades
Monasticism
Scholasticism
Crusades
Relationship between Popes and Secular Rulers
Beginning of Reformation
9/17/2018
TCC Church History IAP 2005