Catholic Church History 312 – 900 AD

1. Catholic Church History312 – 900 AD Ann T. Orlando 13 Jan. 2005 TCC Church History IAP 2005

2. Lecture 2Introduction • 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 ‘ 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) 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 TCC Church History IAP 2005

5. 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 Constantine the Great 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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) 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 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 TCC Church History IAP 2005

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