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1054 BCE
East-West Schism
The East-West Schism was a result of the many differences between the two churches (east and west). The main issue and difference was the papal authority, which is the power the pope has over people. Both churches reached the point of not communicating and condemning with each other during the schism, but some communities stayed in touch Another difference between the two churches in 1054 was the language spoken. For instance, the Western Church spoked Latin while the Eastern church spoke Greek. -
451 BCE
The Council of Chalcedon
The Council of Chalcedon brought up problems that were supposedly solved and taught by the Council of Nicea. One of these problems included Jesus, whether he was a human or a semi-human pretending to be a human (as the Roman and Greek gods were). The council spoke of Jesus, without denying his nature and divinity, describing him as "fully human and fully divine in one Person". After many teachings and centuries of work, the church understood and clarified that Jesus was fully God and fully man. -
330 BCE
Rome to Byzantium in the East
Constantine transferred his government from Rome to Byzantium in the East (New Rome to Constantinople) in 330 AD. He named the city 'New Rome' as well as rebuilt it. After he died, it was named 'Constantinople'. Constantine moved Rome to 'Constantinople' because it was much more safer for his soldiers and easier to organised. He believed that the current Rome was too disorganised as it had a huge population. The Byzantium Empire overruled any other empires and lasted for over 1000 years (1453). -
325 BCE
The Council of Nicea
Constantine called a Council of the Church at Nicea in AD 325. The Council of Nicea (located near Lake Iznik) purified the doctrine of the Trinity which teaches that there are three Persons in the One God: God the Father, Jesus Christ who is God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Council addressed the issue of Christ's divinity, and establish what we know today as 'The Nicene Creed'. He immediately made Christian faith equal to the religions of Rome and allowed Christians to worship publicly. -
324 BCE
Sole Emperor of the Roman Empire
Constantine became the Sole Emperor of the Roman Empire in 324 AD. Before he became the Sole Emperor of the empire, he defeated Licinius (on the 18th of September), because Licinius declared war against him. If the eastern and western were vicious towards each other, there was reason to start a war. Constantine was campaigning in Licinius' Thracian territory which provoked the war. Many believed that Constantine did this on purpose to start an unnecessary war, imprisoning and executing Licinius. -
312 BCE
Commitment to Christ
Constantine became and was committed to Jesus Christ in 312 AD even though he was just baptised before his death. It was believed that this resulted from a dream Constantine had in which he saw the first two letters of the Greek work, 'Christos' (XP), in the sky. He even had his soldiers paint the words XP on their shields as well as on the banner. He conquered his rivals and then became Emperor of both the Eastern and Western sides of the empire. He then later became the sole emperor in 324 AD. -
70 BCE
Destruction of the Jerusalem Temple
Luke's gospel was believed to be written during this time, around 65 AD to 80 AD. After the Council of Jerusalem in 49 AD, problems arose and the Jews of Judea rebelled and resisted against the Roman masters. As a result, the emperor at that time, Nero, sent out an army to restore function of the community. The Jews refused to stop rebelling, and consequently, their temple got destroyed. The Temple of Jerusalem was the centre of Judaism, and after it was destroyed, a new one was built in Jamnia. -
49 BCE
The Council of Jerusalem
This was the first council of the church which arose approximately around 49-50 AD. The Jews and the Gentiles were both saved by Jesus Christ, in which they could become part of the developing Church and how this council was created. This council was the mark of joining Jewish faith with Christianity. However, from then on, there was growing separation between the Jews and Christians as there were differences in teachings and practices in both faiths. The council also left problems to be solved. -
64
Persecutions of Christians
Roman Emperor Nero started to persecute Christians for many reasons. Christians isolated themselves and stayed away from many public events and festivals because of their belief. Christians also had standards which caused the Jews and the Roman Empire Nero to persecute Christians. These standards included not buying meats that had already been offered to the Roman gods, they didn't serve in the army and also they consumed the body and blood of Christ, which people suspected them of cannibalism. -
Oct 1, 1347
The Black Death (Plague)
The black plague had spread from the Gobi desert into every single direction. It was a huge pandemic, a terrible disease, which spread throughout the entire of Europe. There was no cure for this disease and was spread amongst people, rats, and nature. The effect on the church was devastating as it made people wonder. They wondered why God was doing this, because they assumed he was angry, and why can't he forgive their sins. Many people believed that this crisis was the sign of the world ending. -
Nov 10, 1483
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was an Augustinian friar but later became a Bible lecturer. His teachings was that salvation or eternal life can be achieved by just having faith alone. He believed that salvation was a gift from God, and hoped to achieve the end of corruption within the church, ultimately, and what motivated him was his anger towards to unethical practices like selling indulgences to make money. He also publicised the 95 Theses in 1517 which attacked the papal abuses and the offical's corruptions. -
Jan 1, 1484
Ulrich Zwingli
Ulrich Zwingli was a Swiss Protestant leader in the Reformation. preached against the excessive veneration of saints, the celibacy of the priesthood, and fasting. Went against the selling of indulgences and the proliferation of false relics. Zwingli denied the real presence of Christ in the Host and insisted that the Eucharist was not the repetition of Christ's sacrifice but only a respectful remembrance.
He hoped to achieve marriage within priests and nuns. He died on the 11th of October, 1531. -
Jun 28, 1491
Henry VIII
Henry the VIII was the 'Defender of the Faith' since he did not go with Martin Luther's teachings. King Henry VIII wrote the Act of Uniformity which was a legislation giving individuals supreme power of the Church in England (in 1534). His teachings included believing in only 2 of 7 sacraments, Anglicanism not accepting the books of the Apocrypha as inspired, our righteousness before God is based only on the merit of Christ, and not on the basis of our works. He died on the 28th of January 1547. -
Jul 10, 1509
John Calvin
John Calvin was a follower of Martin Luther's teachings, and preached a stern and demanding God emphasising the doctrine
of predestination. Not soon after, the Council of Trent was formed and responded to the teachings of Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin. Calvin's teachings has influenced his followers to create many churches, as well as in the later years, his teachings were never challenged. He believed that the state and church should be separated. Calvin was motivated by Luther. -
Oct 31, 1517
The 95 Theses
Martin Luther's publicated the 95 Theses on the 31st of October, 1517. He and some of his students posted these on the door of the Wittenberg Castle church. The ninety five documents and teachings consisted of attacks on papal abuses as well as attacks on the selling of indulgences for money (by the church officials). The officials challenged him about these teachings in the years after, and was given the chance to recant. In the end, he was excommunicated, but he had a lot of German supporters. -
Dec 13, 1545
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent concluded in 4 December 1563. The Council reformed the clergy, forbidding corrupt practices among priests, no priest was to become bishop before 6 months and forbade all abuses of indulgences as a means to raise money. The Council also re-affirmed that salvation does come purely from God and good actions, but also needed human cooperation. Luther had taught that the only source of faith was Scripture, but the Council of Trent taught that it was both Scripture and Traditions. -
Sep 25, 1555
Peace of Augsburg
The Peace of Augsburg was a piece of legislation which officially concluded the conflicts and disagreements between Catholics and Lutherans. In Germany, 1555, the Peace of Augsburg was meant to solve and identify which group was the dominant one in the country, but in the end, both groups were defined as equal. German princes and cities all signed this peace treaty, in addition, it was agreed that they would accept the Protestant faith. The Peace of Augsburg was the first changeless legislation. -
The First Vatican Council
The First Vatican Council concluded in 20 October 1870. The council was called by the Blessed Pius IX in which an exact 744 bishops attended. The council reviewed the authority of the Pope and revisited the Catholic faith. The Council concluded their teachings that the Pope was the true successor of St Peter, which he has supreme power over the whole Church. The Pope is viewed as "infallible" (free from error). This can be seen when the Pope teaches of a doctrine concerning the faith and morals. -
The Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council, announced by Pope John XXIII, concluded on the 8th of December 1965 and was held in 1962 after World War 2. In the Catholic church it was the 21st Ecumenical Council as well as the first to have a lot of officials and non officials attending, having approximately over 6000 attendees. It was also the first council in history to use electricity and technology. The goal of this council was to promote "peace and unity among humanity" and "open the windows of the Church". -
The Historic Meeting
Pope Paul II met with the Eastern Patriarch (in Turkey), and together they brought up a statement of regret for the misunderstandings in the church during the earlier centuries. This was the beginning of the unity between the Eastern and Western churches. The meeting was full of friendliness and respect. A quote from Pope Paul II's encyclical - "The Church must breathe with her two lungs!… The vision of the full communion to be sought is that of unity in legitimate diversity." (Ut Unum Sint, 54)
