Christianity Spreads

2. Christianity Spreads • New Converts bring the message of Christianity to the Roman Empire • Places that add to the Christian Community: • Syria • Asia Minor • Greece • Italy • France (Gaul) • Spain • Northern African Coast • Many of these places provide leaders for the Church. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xos2MnVxe-c

3. Rise of Constantine "ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ" • Here is the story again… • Selected by his troops as the new emperor around 312. • Had the vision and was the use a the sign XP (chi-rho) two letters of Christ’s name. • He attributes victory to Son of God. • Legalizes Christianity • 313 CE Edict of Milan Allows Christians to worship freely. • 324 CE Const. defeats the Eastern Roman Emperor and moves capital to Byzantium—which becomes Constantinople (Istanbul)

4. Rise of Constantine continued"ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ" • From this point onward in this history of the Church there is often ties and dependency on the political structure. • In 380 CE, the Emperor Theodosius declares Paganism illegal and places Christianity as the Religion of the Empire.

5. Conflict within the Church • Heresies-beliefs contrary to the basic beliefs. These begin in the 2nd century. • Gnosticism- • Believe that all material things (including human body) are evil • Jesus was divine but not human • Salvation was a special privilege • The Church held that the Gospels and Epistles refute this heresy. • St. Irenaeus refutes this heresy and moves for a declaration of faith. I.E. Apostles Creed. • Arianism • Denial of Jesus divinity • This heresy of cause conflict in the Chruch for several centuries. • The name comes from an Alexandrian priest named, Arius. • Constantine called the Bishops together to solve this problem. • The Council of Nicaea meets in 325 CE in Nicaea across from Constantinople. • Arianism continues to cause problems depending on who was the political leader of the time • Athansius becomes a strong oppoenet of Arianism. • He is forced from his position as Bishop five time often going to the desert for safety. • Theodosus bans Arianism as well as Paganism.

7. Chapter 5 Monasticism • Circa 270 CE • Seeking Spiritual truth in the wilderness • Wrestle with their own demons • Leaving the world to seek Holiness • From the Greek Word Monos-alone • Some were wisdom figures • Toward “purity of heart.” • Seeking solitude to pray • Self-sufficient • Rejected “soft Christianity”

8. Wisdom Abounds • “When we pray we choose to grow.” Joyce Rupp • “For it is in giving that we receive” St. Francis • “The interior is the essential.” WJC • “God cannot be known only loved.” Richard Rohr • You know that our Lord does not look at the greatness or the difficulty of an action but at the love with which you do it! What then do you have to fear?” St. Therese of Liseux • “Perhaps I am more powerful than I think” Thomas Merton • “The present moment is never unbearable if you live it fully.” Anthony De Mello • “My Yoke is easy and my burden light.” Luke 10:20 • “Can any of you, for all your worrying, add a single moment to your life.” (Lk. 12:26) • “I live now not my own life, but the of Christ who lives in me.” Galatians 2:20 • “Hope frees us from the need to predict the future. This allows us to live in the present.” Henri Nouwen

9. St. Antony of Egypt, St. Basil, and St. Jerome • St. Antony of Egypt • First to go out into the desert and begin the practice of monasticism • Organized colonies of hermits (what are hermits?) • St. Basil • First to organize the hermits under one roof. • Wrote a rule for the monks. This rule helped with order and structure of their community life. • Important parts of St. Basil’s rule: • Simple dress • Simple food/meals • Do works of mercy • Obey the Abbot • Apply the Gospels • Work • St. Jerome • Pagan convert to Christianity • Became hermit and was well educated in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. • Secretary under Pope Damasus. The pope instructs Jerome to translate all biblical texts into Latin. This becomes known as the Latin Vulgate. • This is the basis for the New Testament

10. Sayings of Abba Antony • 5. He also said, "Whoever has not experienced temptation cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." • 4. Abba Anthony said to Abbe Poemen, "This is the Great Work of a man: always to take the blame for his own sins before God and to expect temptation to his last breath." Be saved." • 32. Abba Anthony said, "I no longer fear God, but I love Him. For love casts out fear." (Jn 4:18)  • http://www.fatherpius.littleway.ca/desert02.html

11. Monday, September 24 • Prayer • Grade Q45.1 • Reminders: Read pgs. 89-100 and finish Ch. 5. Test 3 will be over Chapters 4 (pg. 75 to 100) and all of Chapter 5; Quarter I Project. • St. Ambrose • Augustine and Thomas Merton

12. Ambrose and Augustine Ambrose Augustine A wild bro Adopts Manchiean philosophy God of good God of evil Student of Plato’s Philosophies Listens to Ambrose and converts Writes the “Confessions” Elected bishop of Hippo Donatist and City of God • Governor of Milan • Elected Bishop pero not a Christian • Admin. of Church • Student of Christianity • Pastor • Teacher of Christianity • Helped convert Augustine.

13. Merton and Augustine (pg. 92) Every moment and every event of every man's life on earth plants something in his soul.  A life is either all spiritual or not spiritual at all. No man can serve two masters. Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire. Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.  The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.  Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone - we find it with another.  We are not at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we are not at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God.  Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.  Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering.  Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again.  What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.  Give me chastity and continence, but not yet.  If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.  Love is the beauty of the soul. Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.  The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.  Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility. 

14. Tuesday, September 25 • Prayer • Test Details: Part 1 is typical; Part 2 potential short answer essay questions: Thomas Merton, St. Aug., St. Antony; • St. Augustine • Role of the Pope on da rise • Leo the Great

15. Role of Pope on da rise • Pope from the Greek Pappas meaning father • Roman Empire in the west is falling apart • Bishops were leaders, usually elected and having the confidence of the people • Church was respected and church was organized, while the state is disorganized. The Church had a structure led by the pope.

16. LEO the GREAT