REL184: Christian Traditions (Beginning Globally and Shifting to the US Context)

Death of Herod the Great

4 BCE

Pilate, Prefect of Judea

36

Pilate was Prefect from 26-36. He is likely responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus and other political prisoners. The inscription at Caeserea Maratime is one of the only records of his reign.

Paul's first letter to the Jesus Followers in Thessalonica

49

Apostle Thomas Travels to India

54

According to tradition Thomas travels to India where he spreads the Xian tradition. The Mar Toma/ Syrian Orthodox Church in India traces itself to the 2nd century CE.

Paul's Letter to the Romans

58

Death of Peter

64

According to Christian tradition Peter, one of Jesus' inner circle of disciples, is crucified by Nero in Rome.

Fire in Rome

64

The Emperor Nero likely had something to do with this fire, which conveniently allowed him to move forward with a building project, but he blames Xians. According to later accounts he crucifies and burns them.

First Jewish Revolt against Rome.

Period: 66 to 73

Gospel of Mark

68

Destruction of the Temple

70

The Jerusalem Temple is destroyed by the Romans.

Pliny's Correspondence with Trajan

112

Martyrdom of Ignatius from Antioch (Syria)

135

The early Christian writer Eusebius dates this event to 108, but scholars think it was much later, perhaps 135.

Appearance of the Montanists

175

This Christian religious movement, which is eventually deemed a heresy, includes two women prophets, Priscilla and Maximilla. Montanists apparently believe that Christ was returning in their lifetimes.

Muratorian Canon List

180

This textual fragment is the earliest known list of books to be considered "canonical." It differs from later Xian canons, including texts like Apocalypse of Peter and Wisdom of Solomon and excluding Hebrews, James, and others.

Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity in Carthage

203

Tertullian writes Contra Marcion

207

Cyprian Ordained Bishop of Carthage

248

His appointment as bishop was controversial and shortly thereafter Christians began to experience persecution under Decius.

Edict of Decius

250

Roman Emperor Decius (249-251) issues an edict requiring citizens demonstrate their loyalty to the Empire by sacrificing to the gods. Upon doing so, citizens would be issued a libellus (pictured, from Oxyrhynchus, Egypt) .

Edict of Diocletian

303

Under the Emperor Diocletian Xians are required to participate in Roman religious sacrifices or face punishment.

Constantine's Reigns Begins

306

Constantine reigns until 327.

Edict of Milan

313

An edict under Constantine allowing Christians the right to worship.

Council of Nicea

325

Called by Constantine, this council deliberated on the relationship between God and Jesus.

Constantinople becomes Center of the Roman Empire

330

Melania the Younger

410

Melania is a wealthy woman from Spain who moves to the desert near Alexandria, Egypt to live a monastic life. This is her death date,

Jerome dies.

420

Jerome is a priest and author who translates scripture into Latin, which is called the Vulgate.

Council of Ephesus

431

Confronts the views of Nestorius. Mary is proclaimed "Theotokos" or "God-bearer," and not just "Christ-bearer." This is an affirmation of Christ's divinity.

Benedictine Rule

516

Benedict of Nursia (now Norcia, Italy) writes a "rule" outlining behavior within a Christian religious community.

Second Council of Orleans

533

Among other things, this council forbade married women from being deacons.

Columba founds monastery on Iona

563

Located on an island off the coast of what is now Scotland, this is one of the earliest Christian religious communities.

Debate over Icons

726

An ongoing debate over the proper use of icons emerges.

Nestorian Christians in Xi’an, China

780

Great Schism

1054

Beginning of the separation between Byzantine (Greek-speaking) and Roman (Latin-speaking) traditions in Christianity. This break occurs over political and theological disagreements, including the authority of the Bishop of Rome (aka the Pope) over Christian churches overall.

Pope Urban II Preaches about the Crusades

1055

Sack of Jerusalem by Crusaders

1099

This event was brutal, as the lives of many Muslims, Jews, and Christians living in the city were lost.

Pope Honorius III Allows Dominicans to Establish a Mission in Morroco

1125

Second Lateren Council

1139

Among the rulings at this council was the banning of married priests.

Death of Hildegard of Bingen

1179

Hildegard, who lived in what is now Germany, was an extremely influential and prolific Benedictine nun and visionary. Not only did she author numerous religious/ devotional texts and letters, she was an herbalist, scientist, artist, and composer.

Fourth Crusade and the Sacking of Constantinople

1204

Death of St. Francis of Assisi

1266

Franciscan Mission to China

Period: 1294 to 1368

Spanish Inquisition Begins

1473

Columbus' "Discovery" of the Americas

1492

Columbus' travels were motivated by his hope in retaking Jerusalem for Christians and bringing about Jesus' Second Coming.

Pope Alexander VI Grants Americas to Spain

1501

This is done on the condition that efforts are made to convert indigenous populations to Christianity.

Pope Julius Orders "Old" St. Peter's Basilica Torn Down

1506

Martin Luther's 97 Theses Begins the Reformation

1517

Emergence of the Anabaptist Movement

1527

Anabaptists believed that baptism must be chosen freely, thereby rejecting infant baptism. This movement is often associated with the Protestant Reformation, even though it is unique and leads to movements such as the Mennonites.

The Virgin of Guadalupe Appears to Juan Diego

1531

Luther Bible Published

1534

The Luther Bible is translated by Martin Luther from Hebrew and Greek into German and becomes widespread thanks to the invention of the printing press.

Founding of the Jesuits by Ignatius of Loyola.

1540

The Jesuits are typically associated with education and evangelism. They were especially involved in the missionizing of the Americas, although they sometimes came into conflict with political leaders because they were accountable only to the Pope.

Jesuits Begin Missions to Africa

1548

First Catholic Mission to North America in St. Augustine, FL

1587

Founding of the Baptist Church

1609

Founded by a former Anglican (English) priest, John Smyth, the Baptists accepted "believers' baptism."

King James Version of the Bible Published

1611

Founding of Plymouth Colony by the Puritans

1620

The Puritans hoped to "purify" the Church of England by embracing a more radical form of Protestantism, emphasizing the singular importance of the Bible. The were various types of Puritans and the Pilgrims who founded Plymouth were a kind of separatist movement who thought the Church of England could not be reformed.

"Jesuit Relations" Describe Mission to Native Americans

1632

First published in 1632, the Jesuit Relations are yearly reports written by French Catholic missionaries who ministered to the Native American population in what is today the Northeast United States. The Relations detail efforts to Christianize the Native population, who are believed to be "pagan savages." The reports, printed until 1673, offer a rare portrait of Native culture and daily life. (https://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/timeline/)

Christianity Banned in Japan

1638

Founding of the Quaker Movement by George Fox

1648

Pueblo Revolt

1680

By the early 1600s, Franciscan friars report that hundreds of Pueblos are converting to Catholicism, but they notice that many of the "converted" Pueblos continue to practice their own religion. They ban Native ceremonies, burn religious icons, destroy sacred places and demand the colony's soldiers enforce the one true faith..Tensions mount and on Aug. 10, 1680, 2,000 Pueblos rise up in what becomes known as the Pueblo Revolt. Hundreds from both sides die in the fighting...

Society of the Propagation of the Gospel

1702

Anglican missionaries begin to actively promote the Gospel to slaves. Over time, enslaved Africans meld African worship with Christianity, creating new religious forms that eventually give rise to the black church. (https://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/timeline/)

First Great Awakening (England and North America)

Period: 1730 to 1749

A religious revival movement, especially among Protestants, focused on piety, conversion, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The movement leads to the emergence of denominations like the Methodists.

Beginning of the Methodist Movement

1738

This movement was begun by brothers John and Charles Wesley.

Ann Lee Comes to the US

1774

Ann Lee was an early leader of the Shaker Movement. Her followers believed her to be an incarnation of Christ. The Shakers practiced celibacy and radical egalitarianism.

Second Great Awakening in North America

Period: 1790 to 1840

Presbyterians on Slavery

1815

The Presbyterian Church pronounces slavery "inconsistent with the Gospel."

Jefferson Bible

1816

Thomas Jefferson creates his own version of the Bible by cutting out verses and texts that are more supernatural in nature.

Founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Church

1816

Methodist minister Richard Allen, -- himself a former slave -- founds St. Bethel's African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, which formally severs ties to white Methodist congregations in 1816. During the early 19th century, the AME Church becomes one of the largest black churches in the United States, finding adherents among free blacks living in major cities across the Northeast. (https://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/timeline/)

Jarena Lee Becomes First Woman AME Preacher/ Minister

1819

Born in New Jersey, Lee begins preaching in 1816 and eventually is authorized by the AME Church and Rev. Allen. She is also active in the abolitionist movement.

Founding of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

1830

Founded by Joseph Smith based upon revelations he received that were aimed at restoring the primitive Church in anticipation of the Second Coming.

Angelina Grimke Writes "Appeal to Christian Women of the South"

1836

Angelina Grimké publishes a tract laying out biblical reasoning to support the need for Christian women, especially in the South, to join the abolitionist cause. Grimké and other reformers aim their appeals at mothers -- slave mothers, poor mothers or mothers of alcohol abusers -- who are seen as responsible for maintaining the nation's moral foundations. (https://www.pbs.org/godinamerica/timeline/)

Death of Rebecca Cox Jackson

1870

Rebecca Cox Jackson was a spiritual leader raised in the AME Church but who later became part of the Shaker movement, along with her companion/ partner (also named Rebecca). The two led a multi-racial group of Shaker women and Jackson experienced visions of the two being crowned as king and queen by Christ. While some feminist writers have identified them as a lesbian couple, Alice Walker associates the "Two Rebeccas" with Womanism. After Jackson's death, her partner took her name.

Zitkala-Sa Criticizes Christian Oppression of Native Americans

1900

Zitkala-Sa was a Dakota Sioux who attended first a Quaker Missionary school and then Earlham College. She was a violinist, teacher, and author. In 1926, she founded the National Council of American Indians.