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Period: 33 to 312
Early Church Martyrs
Hundreds and thousands of Christians were killed early on in church history due to a myriad of justifications. With the executions of prominent church members and leaders (Polycarp of Smyrna, Justin Martyr, etc) a fire began to grow in the hearts of the Christian people. Men and women were emboldened in their witness to Christ. -
Period: 37 to 68
Emperor Nero
Nero was the Emperor of Rome during the mid-late first century A.D. He is most well known for his blaming of the Great Fire of Rome on the Christian population in Rome While Emperor Nero was not the first Roman or even emperor to persecute the Christian population throughout the Roman colonies, he was the leading cause of the distrust for in the Roman Empire after blaming the Great Fire of Rome on the Christians. -
70
The Destruction of the Jewish Temple
The 3rd Jewish temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. while attempting to quell the Jewish revolt. Some sources claim that it was an accident. With the destruction of the Jewish temple, Christianity’s affiliation with with Judaism was split. The Roman Empire began to see the two groups as distinct entities. -
Period: 160 to 220
Tertullian
Born in the year 160 A.D., Tertullain was the son of a Roman army officer. He was trained in the study of law before his conversion in the year 200 A.D. Tertullian was the author of several "great" works of early church literature which led to both the refutation of early heresies, but also to lay the groundwork for important doctrines such as the Trinity. -
Period: 200 to 300
The Rise In Monasticism
Monasticism was virtually unknown until the end of the 3rd century A.D. when Pachomious began to organize the wandering monks into a communal organization. Monasticism became one of the most influential institutions throughout the middle ages. It became one of the only educational institutions which both preserved and furthered the desire and ability for learning. -
Period: 272 to 337
Constantine the Great
Constantine the Great is famous for being the first Christian emperor in Rome. It is said that at the battle of Milvian Bridge he saw a sign in the sky and gave glory to God for the victory. Constantine's conversion was one of the most influential acts in Church history as it shifted the entire atmosphere in which Christianity was to grow. Now imitating the emperor's Christian profession could be seen as gaining political advantages instead of the heavenly focus it was supposed to have. -
313
Edict of Milan
The Edict of Milan was implemented by Constantine of Rome in 313. It allowed religious freedom within Rome. Without authorized persecution from the state, Christianity began to grow in numbers that it had never seen before. However, as the numbers grew, the depth of the individuals began to shrink. -
Period: 354 to 430
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine was born in the year 354. He is known for struggling with sin until his salvation in 386. Eventually, he becomes a bishop in the church. Augustine is most famously known for his apologetic writings. Wrote many letters and a book to refute the teachings of Pelagius and those involved in the Donatist controversy. -
Period: 393 to 397
The Councils of Hippo and Carthage
The councils of both Hippo and Carthage both formally affirmed the 27 books of the New Testament as the inspired word of God as we hold today. With the closing of the canon of scripture the church became more stabilized under a unifying authority outside of the rule of man. It allowed for orthodoxy to be established in the church -
476
The Fall of Rome
Rome finally fell to invasion in 476 A.D., from the Barbarians of the north. These Barbarians were called such because they spoke neither Latin or Greek. With the fall of Rome Christianity was no longer supported by the state. They had to adjust their traditions to fit with those of the northern invaders, which was a difficult transition for most of the church leaders. -
Period: 540 to 604
Gregory the Great
Gregory the Great is arguably the first Pope to take up authority as often seen in history. He transformed the office of the bishop of Rome into a position of power and strength which would end up leading the church as the papacy. The transition to a papacy changed the dynamic of the church. No longer did the church have Christ literally and symbolically as the head, but the pope. -
800
The Crowning of Charlemagne
Charlemagne was crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III on Christmas day, 800 A.D. With the crowning of Charlemagne, the question was raised as to whether authority lay with the Pope or with the Emperor. Eventually the Popes gain more power with Charlemagne's death. -
1096
The Crusades
The first of many crusades was launched in 1096 A.D. as a method to reclaim the holy city of Jerusalem. The crusades will always mar the name of Christianity both in the eyes of other religions (Specifically Jews and Muslims) but also in the eyes of historians. It continues to be a point of blame and has helped to turn hearts away from the gospel message -
Period: 1305 to 1517
The Decline of the Papacy
The Papacy began to lose both political and spiritual influence during the reign of Pope Boniface the VIII. Boniface began pushing his authority with the nations a little too far and eventually they would snap. With the weakening of the papal office, people and priests began to see other options for themselves which did not include the Catholic Church. This eventually would lead to the Reformation -
Period: 1320 to 1384
John Wyclif
Wyclif was born in England around the year 1320. Eventually, he would study at the University of Oxford and become a priest of the Roman Catholic Church. Sometimes called the "morning star" of the Reformation, Wyclif laid a foundation which later reformers tried to imitate. These teachings included the authority of scripture and a desire to return to 1st century Christianity. -
1517
The Nailing of the 95 Theses
Martin Luther, the famous reformer, nailed the 95 theses to the door of All Saints Church in Germany in 1517. This act was a defiance that few had ever shown before. It would be a shot that was heard around the world that would lead the way for other reformers and for the Lutheran church to be established. -
1525
Anabaptist Movement
The Anabaptists were known as "rebaptizers by the Catholic church as the defied the idea that an infant can receive the baptism that was called for all believers to participate in. By far the most radical and diverse group of well-known reformers today, some would go on to become cultist in manner while others would form churches and assemblies which are arguably the most influential protestant denominations to date. Groups seen today include Baptists, Menonight, Swiss Brethren -
Period: to
The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a European intellectual movement in which the people began to turn away from tradition in favor of human reason. The Enlightenment had both positive and negative impacts on the church. Positively, because the church turned its back on meaningless traditions that had no grounding. Negatively, because they dismissed miraculous events due to there not being accounted for in human reason. -
Period: to
Pietism
Pietism started out as a reaction to the rationalistic movement taking place in the church. It shifted the priority of spiritual health away from knowledge and reason and towards personal experience and holiness. Pietism influenced the Lutheran, Reformed, and Wesleyan movements by shifting their focus away from pure doctrine and towards the matter of each individuals heart. However, it's lack of focus on doctrine helped pave the way for theological liberalism. -
Period: to
John Wesley
Wesley, born in 1703, went to the University of Oxford, eventually being ordained as a minister. After being converted to Christianity, Wesely began his work of evangelism. Wesely is perhaps best known for his "founding" of the Methodist church and his Armenian views in regards to God's sovereignty and grace. He became an open objector to the prevalent Calvinistic views of the day while still maintaining unity with them as brothers in Christ. This should be imitated today. -
Period: to
First Great Awakening
The First Great Awakening took place in England and the United States. It's striving was for a renewed pietism and religious devotion. Great strivings were made across denominational lines towards evangelism. Great preachers Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Wesely, traveled across the land preaching the gospel and urging the people towards devotion to God. Thousands turned back to God -
Period: to
The Second Great Awakening
After the Revolutionary War and people shifted west into the unclaimed lands of North America, there was a desperate need for the Gospel to be preached. The revival began under Timothy Dwight with an emotional plea towards the people. The Second Great Awakening was used to bring tens of thousands of people to Christ transforming the West and sweeping the young nation with morality which would be crucial to its life and success. -
Period: to
Theological Liberalism
Theological Liberalism started out with the intention of saving the church. It saw the rise of science as being detrimental towards Christianities teachings and so compromised them to fit with the scientific findings of the day. Such compromises included the authority of scripture. This shift away from the Bible as an authority toward man's discovery placed the church at crossroads. Would they choose God or man? In the end, the two camps split each going their own way for the most part. -
Period: to
The Fundamental Movement
The fundamental movement arose to counter the rise of Theological Liberalism. They wanted to return to the Fundamentals of Christianity while pushing away from modern science. The major doctrines which were deemed to be fundamental in Christianity were: 1. The Bible is the word of God. 2. Jesus was born of a virgin. 3. Christ actually performed miracles. 4. Jesus' substitutionary resurrection. 5. Christ's return. -
Scopes Monkey Trial
1925, Dayton TN. A High School teacher was accused of teaching evolution in the school system. When the students reported the teaching, John Scopes was brought to trial for his illegal teaching. It was decided that Scopes was guilty of breaking the law. Although Scopes was shown to be guilty, the damage had been done. The entire nation had seen the fundamentalists put to shame and the reputation of the fundamentalists was shattered. It paved the way for modern anti-biblical views in schools.